Unaccompanied minors stranded

[sk!mom]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-flight-diverted-unaccompanied-minors-20180808-story.html

We got a lot of mileage out of the last "kids on planes" thread so how about this one?

It is unfortunate but I'm not really sure if it was mishandled. According to GMA, the airline says that the mother was contacted. Of course, they should have been given food but again, the airline says that they were. The airlines don't have multiple employees in charge of unaccompanied minors so it likely was no one's job to take care of the kids in this situation.

I'm surprised that the parents put them on the plane alone without a phone for emergencies. But it would have only made contact easier. It would not have prevented them being stranded.

So yeah, unfortunate but I don't really know how it could have gone better.

 

[starry_solo]

I saw the news report about it and was like, those are awfully young kids (9 and 7) to be flying by themselves without a means of communicating with either parent.

And on Frontier, too. Who would do that? At least fly them on a better airline

 

[L&Lfan]

Awaiting the comments on THIS one!

 

[Jennasis]

On our last flight, we watched the flight before ours get cancelled due to mechanical failure. It was late at night and the passengers were being put up in a hotel for the night by American Airlines. One passenger was an unaccompanied minor. He called his mom And handed the phone to the gate agent who told her she had to come get her son because the hotel would not allow an unaccompanied minor to check in to the room by himself without an adult and the airline would not place an employee with the minor. Mom could be heard screaming at the employee through he phone...not happy to have to come get he kid. I totally understand the airline and the hotel not wanting to take on the risk associated with accepting responsibility for the kid (he was 14 or 15).

 

[sam_gordon]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-flight-diverted-unaccompanied-minors-20180808-story.html

We got a lot of mileage out of the last "kids on planes" thread so how about this one?

It is unfortunate but I'm not really sure if it was mishandled. According to GMA, the airline says that the mother was contacted. Of course, they should have been given food but again, the airline says that they were. The airlines don't have multiple employees in charge of unaccompanied minors so it likely was no one's job to take care of the kids in this situation.

I'm surprised that the parents put them on the plane alone without a phone for emergencies. But it would have only made contact easier. It would not have prevented them being stranded.

So yeah, unfortunate but I don't really know how it could have gone better.

I would not put my young children on a low cost carrier unaccompanied.
Regardless of the airline, I'd be tracking the flight and know it landed in Atlanta.
I would expect the airline to reach out to me (or let the kids do so) and let me know they were safe.
I am surprised they took the kids to a hotel, but I can appreciate them trying to make them comfortable.

 

[Jennasis]

If the kids had been in contact with mom, is this more a case of poor communication between divorced parents who just have a beef with each other? Mom maybe ok'd stuff but dad is pissed he wasn't informed or consulted?

 

[larissawbb]

Sounds to me like the parents are looking for a pay day.

 

[monsterkitty]

The parents first mistake was buying tickets on Frontier. Their second mistake was putting their kids on Frontier. Who does that?

 

[EveDallas]

What did the father expect? The children were fed, given a place to sleep, and supervised. I'm sure they were scared, but they came through it fine. I think the parents are just looking for money.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I saw the news report about it and was like, those are awfully young kids (9 and 7) to be flying by themselves without a means of communicating with either parent.

And on Frontier, too. Who would do that? At least fly them on a better airline

I flew from Tampa to San Diego unaccompanied (well I did get moved to first class to fly with Hulk Hogan and family but that's a story for another thread ) when I was 6 I can't imagine what would have happened if we had to stop somewhere! I can't even understand why my parents thought allowing a child of that age to be on a six hour flight was a good idea!

 

[sk!mom]

I saw the news report about it and was like, those are awfully young kids (9 and 7) to be flying by themselves without a means of communicating with either parent.

And on Frontier, too. Who would do that? At least fly them on a better airline

Ha! I thought the same. Budget price = Budget experience.

If the kids had been in contact with mom, is this more a case of poor communication between divorced parents who just have a beef with each other? Mom maybe ok'd stuff but dad is pissed he wasn't informed or consulted?

I wondered that too. Dad was doing the talking in the news story I saw and the article I linked. Mom hasn't spoken up that I've seen and the airline maintains that she was aware.

 

[SC Minnie]

I agree that the issue seems to be communications between the parents. It is also unbelievable they would let their kids fly unaccompanied without a cell phone.

 

[BrianL]

I saw the news report about it and was like, those are awfully young kids (9 and 7) to be flying by themselves without a means of communicating with either parent.

And on Frontier, too. Who would do that? At least fly them on a better airline

My sister and I used to fly up to see my dad, the youngest I can recall we would have been 9 and 5, and this was well before cell phones. There was plenty of staff to watch out for us and one parent walked us onto the plane, and our dad met us right at the gate. Of course, there were always the layovers, but usually if I recall we did not leave our plane. If we did, we were driven on a cart to the next one. I mean, I don't know, nobody worried about it.

In this case the kids weren't harmed or anything. It sounds like communication could have been better and they definitely need set procedures for this sort of thing. I'm not really sure what else is to be done or that the parents are owed anything.

 

[NHdisneylover]

The link in the OP is blocked in Europe. Can someone please post a differenink or cut and paste the article?
Thanks

 

[soccerdad72]

I feel for the kids - it had to be a pretty scary night for them. But I'm not sure the airline handled it that poorly, although taking the kids to a hotel with an employee was probably not the wisest move.

 

[soccerdad72]

The link in the OP is blocked in Europe. Can someone please post a differenink or cut and paste the article?
Thanks

Try this one: https://www.ajc.com/business/childr...uck-atlanta-overnight/xe6cw4vakGddVxGG1baQKK/

 

[brockash]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-flight-diverted-unaccompanied-minors-20180808-story.html

We got a lot of mileage out of the last "kids on planes" thread so how about this one?

It is unfortunate but I'm not really sure if it was mishandled. According to GMA, the airline says that the mother was contacted. Of course, they should have been given food but again, the airline says that they were. The airlines don't have multiple employees in charge of unaccompanied minors so it likely was no one's job to take care of the kids in this situation.

I'm surprised that the parents put them on the plane alone without a phone for emergencies. But it would have only made contact easier. It would not have prevented them being stranded.

So yeah, unfortunate but I don't really know how it could have gone better.

I agree. I mean as long as they were given food (have heard different things) and they weren't left alone in the hotel etc., then really the airline took care of them (assuming contact was made to parents - really should've been both.)

When I first heard the headline it made it sound like something inappropriate happened, but that was not the case.

My sisters and I flew all the time by ourselves (parents divorced) before cell phone time, so I dont see it as a huge deal...it's just part of life for some and other than possible miscommunications, it sounds like it was handled appropriately.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Try this one: https://www.ajc.com/business/childr...uck-atlanta-overnight/xe6cw4vakGddVxGG1baQKK/

Thanks. That worked.


I agree that it sounds like the parents regret their decision to allow the children fly without them and are looking to place blame elsewhere and cash in too.


Weather and mechanical issues happen in flight. IMO, choosing to have the children fly as unaccompanied minors included choosing to trust the airline to handle things as they see fit (within reason) in the event that the flight was disrupted.

The kids were fed, given a safe place to sleep, supervised and with other kids . All sounds very well handled to me

 

[larissawbb]

The parents first mistake was buying tickets on Frontier. Their second mistake was putting their kids on Frontier. Who does that?

Maybe Spirit Airlines was sold out.

 

[CarolAnn856]

From the article:
“We won’t be flying Frontier again,” he said

I'm pretty sure that Frontier will be okay with that, lol.

It does sound like they're looking for a payout, from not wanting vouchers right down to their attorney who claims he's a retired pilot who's somehow never heard of Florida weather changing on a dime. Planes take off all the time expecting decent weather to land, and then have bad weather pop up unexpectedly, especially in someplace like Florida in the summer.

I will say, though, that if the airline actually allowed an employee to use a personal car to drive the kids, and had an enployee in the hotel room, then that's incredibly stupid on their part, even if mom gave consent.