Tag Archives for unaccompanied minor.
In their rush to light their business model on fire, with checked bag fees, expiring flight credits, devalued frequent flyer programs and paid seats, Southwest Airlines has moved quickly to implement changes but hasn’t done the work to make those run smoothly or to maximize revenue.
If your unaccompanied minor is a seasoned enough traveler to be on their own, they may be seasoned enough to have PreCheck! Make sure they pack their ID, even though they do not usually need one for domestic travel.
A Delta Diamond medallion booked his family on an international trip in premium economy. They were going to fly Delta’s Airbus A350 – but when the airline changed the aircraft they were planning to use to one of their ex-LATAM planes without that cabin the whole family was downgraded to extra legroom coach.
So he decided to upgrade himself and his wife, and leave their three kids in back.
A mother shared that her 10 year old son flew Southwest Airlines on Sunday as an unaccompanied minor. Her son sat in a window seat. A woman was in the aisle. And a creepy man chose to sit between them.
The woman objected and took the middle herself. The man sat down in the aisle, and tried to chat the boy up across her, even passing the kid his phone number.
Spirit Airlines made international news by sending a 6 year old first time flyer to the wrong airport while his family panicked. But what was the family doing sending a 6 year old off alone, as an unaccompanied minor in the first place? Spirit Airlines messed up, but I bet they also regretted offering the service in the first place.
Spirit Airlines sent a 6 year old flying alone to the wrong airport in Florida. They wound up hundreds of miles away from their waiting family. The child’s first time ever on a plane was taking a trip from Philadelphia to Fort Myers. The airline sent them to Orlando instead. The airline told his grandmother, who was waiting at the gate, that he “missed his flight.” Despite security protocols, she said that she “ran inside the plane to the flight attendant” and asked her, Where’s my grandson? He was handed over to you at Philadelphia? The flight attendant said “No, I had no kids with me.” Then the child called (impressive for a six year old!) saying he’d landed. His luggage went to Fort Myers, his grandmother drove to Orlando to collect him. Spirit is…
A mother is suing American Airlines for negligence after her two children, flying as unaccompanied minors, were stranded overnight in Charlotte without proper care, being placed in a cold, bare room without food or water. The lawsuit claims the airline failed to provide the promised amenities for the children, and although the airline refunded the unaccompanied minor fees, she is seeking damages for their alleged recklessness and failure to adhere to their own procedures.
A mother complains that her 14 year old son, traveling as an unaccompanied minor on American Airlines, had his Miami to New York flight cancelled and he was forced to spend the night in the airport. This seems to me to be the parent’s fault, and not American’s. Don’t send your child as an unaccompanied minor right now, on a connecting itinerary, if you can possibly help it.
In time for the holidays, American Airlines is introducing new ‘Kid Kids’ for young passengers flying as unaccompanied minors.
She “could have been kidnapped” the mother of an 11 year old girl who flew from Houston to Charlotte says. “Anyone could have grabbed her.” But where was the mom in all of this?
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
