Dear American Airlines Maintenance Experience Team

Nothing gets the blood flowing quite like hearing the captain come over the speaker five minutes after pushback to casually announce that the right engine will not start.

I’m sorry… the WHAT?

Not the WiFi.

Not the coffee maker.

Not Karen’s seatback TV in 22B.

The ENGINE.

One of the two extremely important sky-spinning devices required for us to remain alive and airborne.

And the best part was the delivery. So calm. So casual. Like he was announcing a slight delay at Olive Garden.

“Folks, looks like we’re having trouble starting the right engine.”

Trouble.

Starting.

The engine.

Sir, I don’t want “trouble starting” to be part of the conversation at any point regarding the aircraft carrying my physical body through the atmosphere.

Naturally, we sat there for 45 minutes while the plane repeatedly made noises that sounded expensive. Random whirring. Loud clunks. Mechanical coughing. The occasional hopeful roar followed immediately by silence and disappointment.

At one point I genuinely felt like the plane itself sighed.

Then came the announcement we all knew was coming:

“We’ll need to deplane and find another aircraft.”

OH PERFECT.

Nothing reassures passengers more than abandoning the original plane like it’s haunted.

But wait. The experience was just getting started.

Because apparently finding a gate for us to return to required the same level of coordination as docking the International Space Station.

We spent another 20 minutes slowly roaming the airport like a lost Roomba while Operations searched for somewhere to put us.

Then, after finally locating a gate, we got to sit there another 15 minutes waiting for the plane at the gate to clear so we could actually pull in.

So now we are trapped on a broken plane, attached to nothing, with one nonfunctioning engine, no updates, and a cabin full of people silently stress eating Biscoff cookies like it’s the end times.

Meanwhile the crew kept delivering absolutely no information with the confidence of people who definitely knew no more than we did.

“Just a few more moments folks.”

A few more moments until WHAT, exactly?

Salvation?

Another engine attempt?

The sweet release of death?

And once we finally deplaned, everyone immediately transformed into airport survival mode. Overhead bins flinging open. Business travelers speed walking with the intensity of contestants on The Amazing Race. One man was already halfway up the jet bridge before the seatbelt sign turned off.

Honestly the entire situation was giving:

“This aircraft has emotionally checked out.”

Sincerely,

A Passenger Who Strongly Prefers Both Engines Be Fully Motivated Before Departure