Features & Advice
Best Small Towns in the US to Visit in 2026
Noreen Kompanik
Bavaria Tourism
Palaces and Gardens: Following Bavaria’s Royal Footsteps
Opinions
What ASTA Membership Really Gives Travel Advisors
Guest Author
Vacation Packages
Mexico Flash Sale: Vacations from $499
ALG Vacations
Destinations
Jamaica
Tell Your Brand's Story with the TravelPulse Content Strategy Program
Education
Greece Specialist Program
Korea Travel Specialist Program
An American Airlines flight traveling from San Francisco to New York City was forced to divert to Chicago after its lavatories reportedly became inoperative on Monday afternoon.
According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, the cross-country flight departed the Bay Area shortly after 11 a.m. ET and was scheduled to arrive on the East Coast around 4:30 p.m. ET.
The 74 passengers waited for approximately 45 minutes in Chicago as workers put the bathrooms back in service.
#AA164 now descending into New York. The aircraft spent 45 minutes on the ground in Chicago to put the lavatories back in service. https://t.co/2UGdUEid58pic.twitter.com/XxcWcIvDEk- Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 18, 2019
#AA164 now descending into New York. The aircraft spent 45 minutes on the ground in Chicago to put the lavatories back in service. https://t.co/2UGdUEid58pic.twitter.com/XxcWcIvDEk
"We never want to disrupt our customers' travel plans, and we are sorry for the trouble this diversion has caused the 74 passengers on this flight," American Airlines said in a statement.
This certainly isn't the first time travelers have been impeded by toilet troubles. Last year, a Hawaii-bound United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing after its bathroom reached capacity.
More recently, a broken toilet caused a Delta Air Lines flight carrying Bravo TV host Andy Cohen to turn around over the Atlantic Ocean while a lavatory leak on a United Airlines flight left a Colorado service member with a wet, stinky bag last fall.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Flight Delays Continue as Government Shutdown Drags On
Alaska, Hawaiian Airlines Unveil Single Operating Certificate with FAA
Trump Administration Nixes 13 Routes by Mexican Airlines in Fight Over Fair Competition
Frontier Adds Flights to New Orleans for Mardi Gras Season
Delta Opens Its Second-Largest Sky Club in Salt Lake City
Travel Industry Steps Up After Hurricane Melissa Impacts Caribbean
Delta Air Lines Launching First Nonstop Flights Between US, Saudi Arabia
Lawmakers Introduce New Bill to Make Air Travel Safer
Travelers Can Now Book American Airlines' Flagship Suites on This US Route
A Maryland native and wanderer who has lived across the U.S. from North Carolina to SoCal, Patrick Clarke graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in journalism. He previously worked for Bleacher
Limited guests. Unlimited fun. Globus Small Group Tours.