OUT OF PICKET Hu's husband, Jay Tang, wrote that after being escorted off the plane, Hu was surrounded by three police officers while trying to find a new flight that could accommodate her. He said American Airlines offered her the chance to purchase either first class or business class tickets . Eventually, after staying overnight at a Holiday Inn, Hu arrived back home in Chicago, Cello in tow, where she had a tearful greeting with her husband. ____ I find that the definitions of OUT OF POCKET are different in dictionaries: paying on yourself, or wasting money by having to pay by yourself vs short of money. Is it a case of difference between the British and the North America usage, or something?

Question

OUT OF PICKET Hu's husband, Jay Tang, wrote that after being escorted off the plane, Hu was surrounded by three police officers while trying to find a new flight that could accommodate her. He said American Airlines offered her the chance to purchase either first class or business class tickets <<>>. Eventually, after staying overnight at a Holiday Inn, Hu arrived back home in Chicago, Cello in tow, where she had a tearful greeting with her husband. ____ I find that the definitions of OUT OF POCKET are different in dictionaries: paying on yourself, or wasting money by having to pay by yourself vs short of money. Is it a case of difference between the British and the North America usage, or something?

Answer

OUT OF POCKET, not out of picket.

Answer

Maybe :)
.
From New Zealand English, close to British English.
"out of pocket" means that you had to pay, so now your hypothetical pocket contains less.
I've never heard it used directly like this, but the meaning is sort of obvious and similar.
I'd have said something more like
.. offered a chance to buy ... out of her own pocket. 
But, then, American English does tend to streamline things. So, "maybe".