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Continental Airlines flies ten year old girl to the wrong airport
About a month ago, we wrote about an airline serving an unaccompanied minor a large cup of coffee. If you thought that was reckless behavior, you are going to be outraged by what Continental Airlines did to a minor traveling under their supervision. The airline had been paid to accompany a ten year old on a flight from Boston to Cleveland, a pretty simple task, especially since this is just a 45 minute flight.
Sadly, the airline staff are apparently not capable of reading signs, because they put this poor girl on the wrong flight.
Instead of flying to Cleveland, Continental Airlines flew her to Newark. To add insult to injury, they then called her grandparents asking them to come pick her up, even though their paperwork showed an Ohio address and they were calling an Ohio phone number.
It took Continental Airlines 45 minutes to discover their terrible mistake, helped by the fact that 2 grandparents were at an airport to pick up a child who was actually 450 miles away.
Continental refunded the unaccompanied minor fee, and put the kid on a plane to Cleveland within an hour. The whole story boggles the mind - they put a kid on the wrong plane, nobody noticed an extra passenger on the wrong plane, nobody noticed a missing minor on the correct flight, and nobody noticed they had received a ten year old girl at an airport where she was not supposed to be.
As always, this is just one side of the story, hopefully we'll get a response from Continental Airlines telling their side of the story.
Gallery: More horrible travel accidents from around the globe
**Update!!** According to the Boston Globe, it now appears that two unaccompanied minors were lost by Continental Airlines! One young woman was accidentally sent to Fayetteville, Arkansas instead of Charlotte, NC while the other was sent to Cleveland instead of Newark. Whether these happened on the same day at the same gate is unclear right now -- the Globe seems to have conflicting statements --- but to have lost two minors over any period is surely a disaster!
(Via Consumerist.com)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
Jamie Jun 15th 2009 2:11PM
I agree that this is a significant mistake, one that suggests there are too few controls in place for the unaccompanied minor program at Continental (and given the nature of cost cutting in the industry, probably at other airlines as well).
I am a bit mystified regarding the prior incident and a "large cup of coffee," as I wasn't aware that airlines offered different-size drinks. But that is neither here nor there. Bottom line is that Continental and all other U.S. airlines need to make sure that unaccompanied minors are given the attention that they deserve.
phyllis Jun 17th 2009 5:55PM
Where were her parents? Did they not walk her to the specific gate and wait to see her walk down the right tunnel to the airplane? I don't think I have been to any airport that does not allow a minor to be accompanied by a guardian to the actual gate and gate attendant. I do believe it was a inexcusable mistake but not only on the airline side.
Ron Jun 17th 2009 7:19PM
This is nothing. Once Delta airlines lost a 14 year old student of mine at Hartsfield airport. Did nothing to find the boy. After talking to about 6 people in Bombay, India. I drove to 4 hours to Atlanta and found him outside the terminal. Lost. They did nothing to rectify the situation....
DefendingCommonSense Jun 18th 2009 8:25PM
I saw a quote from a parent of one of the children about the gross incompetence of the airline, but i can't help but question the priorities of someone who would put their 8 or 10 yr old child on a plane unaccompanied. I don't know the whole story, nor does any poster here, but i feel another "everything is at fault but the parents" public outrage coming on, which, as usual, will be absurd. The world is nowhere near as scary as only the news has the "courage" to report on, nor is it lollipops and roses as far as the eye can see. The parents will likely sue, the airline will likey end up settling for an undisclosed amount, AIG will go further into the red as they will likely have to pay the claim, and a new liability clause will likely be written into the disclaimers for such transactions. No problems will be solved, except that hopefully the number of people who recognize this as a chance at a class action payout will be matched by the number of folks who decide that maybe dumping their kids off at the airport alone isn't the most responsible option.
Barkin Jun 15th 2009 4:39PM
They refunded the unaccompanied minor fee? How nice of them.
If I were the kid's parent or grandparent, I'd be asking why they're not refunding the cost of the entire ticket. This is pretty unacceptable all the way around, and Continental should be bending over backward to make amends.
Slappy Jun 15th 2009 7:04PM
Yes a mistake, but, this whole unaccompanied minor thing just bothers me.
Really, you're going to just turn your child over to a system that is difficult for an adult to navigate and then pray for the best?
gsegall Jun 15th 2009 9:12PM
difficult for an adult? maybe you shouldnt be flying if you find it to difficult.
nicole Jun 17th 2009 3:49AM
If you are not a single parent or a divorcee than you shouldn't knock the whole unaccompanied minor. The money tree died (at least mine did) and I can't afford the time nor the money to travel with my child at all times. So, don't knock it, you might end up in the situation where you have to "dump your child...".
jen Jun 17th 2009 7:25AM
I agree with u, I wouldn't send my dogs on a flight by themselves, let alone my child. Unless that child were an orphan, there has to be someone available to accompany them. With all the child predators, psychos, "incompetent" airlines... If they can pay the extra money to have the minor child accompanied they might as well pay for the grandparent to come and get the kid, or go with them. And if they can't afford the extra money (which I'm sure they can if they can afford a ticket at all) then maybe the kid shouldn't be flying on an airplane alone- with strangers to make sure they get to there safely. Sure the airline personnel are idiots for sending a child to the wrong place, but it sure doesn't say much for the parent/s who were too busy, or "single parent" (wipes tears), or just plain didn't really give a s*#t who sent a kid who was not ready to fly alone on a plane-- alone.
BLOODYHELL Jun 17th 2009 10:51AM
THIS IS REDICULOUS, PARENTS WHO JUST PAY THE AIRLINES TO SHIP THEIR KID LIKE SOME BABYSITTER? UMMM, TOUGH, WHY WERE'NT THE PARENTS THERE TO PUT THE KID ON THE CORRECT FLIGHT? WHAT DID THEY DO, JUST DROP HER OFF IN FRONT OF THE TERMINAL? SOMEONE SHOULD LOOK INTO THE PARENTS, NEVERMIND THE AIRLINE!
Nick Jun 17th 2009 1:03PM
If the Airlines are required to offer baby sitting services, they should be able to charge extra for minors flying alone.
Slappy Jun 15th 2009 10:32PM
Hi gsegall,
In the future, if you'd like to insult me, can you at least use proper punctuation and spelling? That *shouldn't* be *too* difficult, right?
That'd be swell.
:)
Juliette Jun 17th 2009 2:27PM
I've been that unaccompanied minor. Traveling from NYC to FL to see Dad. And now that I think of it. Going down there was no problem I had a stop in Chicago and was escorted all the way, from the plane to resting area to the next plane.
But when I was coming back, now that was different. The plane stopped in NC, SC somewhere, but I was still taking the same exact plane back to NYC. So I got off the plane. And wandered around got some food and came back to the gate. I was 11 or 12.
Monica Jun 16th 2009 4:49PM
This is interesting ... I have used the 'unaccompanied minor' program for my kid tho it was several years ago. When doing so, I still had to bring my daughter to the gate and I waited for her to board the plane. Since, who knows, there could be gate changes and such and besides, who would leave a 10-yr old kid waiting in the gate?
And, agree, not too sure where they get the 'large' cup of coffee. Probably just to make it sound more horrific.
the one Jun 16th 2009 11:11PM
... no such thing as a LARGE cup of coffee on an airplane. But about the unaccompanied minor, I have seen them treated with the utmost care. Including seat relocation because they want a window seat, or because the person sitting next to them smells bad (think you could handle that one). Or as serious as the person sitting next to them is a potential predator. All the while doing what has become an increasingly demanding job; keeping the flying public safe and as comfortable as possible. In case you hadn't guessed, I work for the airlines, and I take offense when someone is quick to point out mistakes without considering the circumstances. Such as what Monica pointed out, that the PARENT is supposed to put the child on the flight... where were they ??? It's an airline, not daycare.
hollywood Jun 17th 2009 10:08AM
They actually sent the girl to a starbucks in the airport to order the coffee.
lost in transit Jun 17th 2009 1:07PM
I assume those who are blaming the parent for not being there haven't traveled since 9/11... the rules will not let a person through security and into the gate area without a boarding pass..
calivali Jun 17th 2009 1:25PM
The parent, or another responsible adult, may accompany the minor to the gate for both drop-off and pick-up. Go to the ticket counter, explain the situation and show id. They will issue you a non-boarding pass that will allow you through security. I know as I've been through this routine before. Also, because for most airlines unaccompanied minor status ends at 12, I've inquired about meeting a minor over 12 but under 18 at the gate. At least on Southwest, if the passenger is under 18, the parent or guardian can still get the non-boarding pass to take and meet the minor at the gate.
we Jun 17th 2009 6:32AM
somehow the airline will blame it on the customer- after all the airlines are always right
andy Jun 17th 2009 9:45PM
If the passengers, no matter how old they are, did not leave their brains at the door this would never happen. The kid probably went on the wrong flight on purpose just to say that I saw Newark!