An American was shocked to discover she was the only passenger in her cabin on a flight home - and says it's a sign tourists are avoiding the US thanks to Trump's policies.

Ashley Saunders, 37, was flying home from Paris to Los Angeles on an Air France flight and found herself one of just 20 passengers on the plane - and the only one in economy.

Ironically she'd paid an extra $60 for her $1,200 ticket to get extra leg room.

Dystopian author Ashley, from Hollywood, Los Angeles, US, said it felt "meta" as her book The Rule Of One follows a plot where the US doesn't have travel or let anyone into their country."



She took advantage of the extra room to try out different seats, have an undisturbed nap and drink plenty of free Champagne.

The traveller said she thinks the empty flight was indicative of "the reality of [...] how people think about America"."



The Independent reported that ‘International travel spending in the United States is projected to fall by $12.5 billion, or seven per cent, in 2025 according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

"It was a shock," she said. "

"I asked the flight attendant about it."



"They were in an extra good mood, giving me champagne and things like that."



"Because I could, I kept going from row to row."



"It felt political and it was the first time as an American I had been abroad since Trump was elected."



"It was an in my face example of the reaction of the reality of the state of how people feel about America"."



Ashley was holidaying in Nairobi, Kenya, and returning home on a connecting flight via Paris when she boarded the near-empty flight, on June 5.

"They [flight attendants] were extra nice to me because they felt sorry for me because I was an American and nobody wanted to go to my country," she said. "

"It was the best sleep I've ever got on a flight because they weren't rolling around their carts."



"I only talked to one person, but both of us were laughing."



"I paid extra to sit with more leg room."



"We both just laughed because there was nobody there."



"Ironically I'm a dystopian author."



"I wrote about a US that doesn't have travel and doesn't let anyone in their country."



"It's called The Rule Of One and was published the first time Trump was in office."



"It's very meta for me to have it be happening in real life."



"All of a sudden people are not travelling outside of their borders."



"As an American we were raised to believe we were the best country in the world. "

"I did not vote for him [Trump]."



"I looked at the flight attendant and said, ‘this is fair'."



When she shared the video on TikTok she prompted a "political debate". "

"I was surprised when it became an international battle of what the rest of the world thinks about America," she said."