He Switched His American Airlines Flight on September 11, 2001. It Changed His Life: ‘I Don’t Even Think I Can Fly Again’
One ticket change saved his life.
Gerry Moylan (@scragola) was bound for the 7:45 a.m. American Airlines Flight 11 on September 11, 2001. His decision to change his flight just one day before saved him from the tragically commemorated event of 9/11.
Moylan showed a photo of his original ticket. It was a first-class ticket from Boston to Los Angeles, with Moylan’s name and flight details. He explained on TikTok, “What’s strange is that back then in 2001, we didn’t have apps—we didn’t have QR codes. You bought your tickets from a travel agency, and they’d print out a hard copy, or you’d go to the airline. You could do it over the phone, but they would mail you your tickets.”
Moylan said he went to an American Airlines kiosk at the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills and bought a round-trip ticket. But because he had unused miles, he upgraded his seat to first class. He was excited because Moylan said he had never flown first class before and wanted to savor the experience. “I absolutely wanted to get the lunch flight because it would be better food. I could drink and take advantage of first class,” Moylan stated.
But with his initial flight schedule, no more first-class seats were available for his return to Los Angeles. Moylan said he felt bummed about the situation. But the American Airlines representative told him to rebook another flight for that day to get a first-class seat, and Moylan agreed. Because of the change, he was placed on Flight 11 of American Airlines—the ill-fated flight that crashed into the first tower of the World Trade Center during 9/11.
Avoiding 9/11 with yet another ticket change
However, Moylan’s friends asked him to go out with them on the afternoon of September 10. Moylan initially wanted to take an afternoon flight, so his sister encouraged him to call the airline again. Miraculously, a first-class seat opened up at the 11 a.m. flight, which he graciously took. He avoided Flight 11 by a hair’s breadth.
He was told that his confirmation number remained the same as his original booking number on his ticket. At first, Moylan didn’t trust the lady, thinking a mix-up could happen because his ticket wasn’t changed. To avoid booking issues and delays, Moylan went to the airport early.
“The airport was eerily quiet. Very quiet,” he said. It seemed like an omen that would have made this woman from Florida turn away from her flight. But Moylan made his way to the ticket counter and went to the young woman in charge of first-class seats. He explained that he had switched from Flight 11 to the later 11:00 a.m. flight. As soon as the woman confirmed the ticket change went through, Moylan recalled that she looked upset. After saying something over the phone, the woman briefly left.
Spared from a tragedy
“Is there a problem? Please don’t tell me that I changed myself off that morning flight, and now something’s wrong with this,” Moylan told the woman. He thought something was wrong with his booking. The woman explained that everything was fine. Then, Moylan claimed the alarm bells went off, and iron gates came down at the airport.
Confused by the sudden chaos in the airport, he noticed the young woman typing intently on her computer. Then the manager appeared, and she took his ticket. She looked at Moylan, then back at the ticket. Before they could explain anything, Moylan’s sister called, asking where he was. She told him to get out of the airport because an airplane crashed into the World Trade Center. Hearing his sister’s explanation, the manager nodded at Moylan.
“Sir, all I have to say is that somebody was looking over your shoulder,” the manager said. He said the young woman behind the counter started sobbing. The young woman explained, “That flight you were scheduled to take, Flight 11 to Los Angeles, has crashed.” At that point, they already had suspicion that terrorists boarded the plane.
“I don’t even think I can fly again after what just happened,” Moylan said at the time. The young woman allegedly told him, “How do you think I feel? I checked them all on.” Moylan survived 9/11 by changing his ticket. Unfortunately, however, he said the young woman behind the counter would later take her own life out of guilt.
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