Spirit Airlines sent an unaccompanied 6-year-old to the wrong city

[FelineOverlord]

The child was supposed to fly from Philadelphia International Airport to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers on Thursday. But the minor was “incorrectly boarded” on a flight to Orlando, according to the airline.

“The child was always under the care and supervision of a Spirit Team Member, and as soon as we discovered the error, we took immediate steps to communicate with the family and reconnect them,” Spirit said in a statement Saturday.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/spirit-airlines-put-unaccompanied-child-wrong-plane-rcna131071?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma&taid=65885c8b51a48f0001c1e52e&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Link to tweet

[Freethinker65]

1. Honestly, mistakes happen. Child was always under care and Spirit acknowledged the mistake.

Sounds like they did an adequate job after realizing the error.

[angrychair]

5. In my opinion

It's literally impossible to board the wrong plane as your boarding pass has to be scanned as you pass into the boarding tunnel. They obviously didn't do that or the mistake would not have been made.
It's gross incompetence at best, criminal negligence at worse.

[Freethinker65]

10. You are entitled to your opinion.

May you never make a mistake.

[tavernier]

11. I boarded the wrong plane

and didn’t discover until the person who belonged where I was sitting claimed her seat. My flight was boarding directly next to it.

Yeah, it happens.

[MOMFUDSKI]

2. Stuff happens. The family will have a great

story to tell and pass on. My friend got really drunk at the London airport and was to fly to Toronto and on to Oregon. They poured him on a plane going to Reykjavik Iceland! Boy, was he surprised when his seat mate mentioned Reykjavik. He said he was so drunk he couldn’t even pronounce Reykjavik. lol. Ended well and we all had a laugh.

[Talitha]

3. No harm, no foul. They made a mistake and corrected it.

It's not like they put the child on a bus and dropped them at a Chicago area gas station.

[MineralMan]

9. Well, in 1955, when I was 10 years old,

my parents put me and my 9-year-old sister on a Greyhound bus going from Los Angeles to Phoenix. We were going to visit our grandparents there. We were not the only unaccompanied kids on that bus, either.

Times have changed.

[unweird]

26. In 1965, my 8 year old self,

Rode the Greyhound from Nashville to Buffalo (and back) solo. Father gave me a warning to avoid strangers in the men’s room on the way.

[MineralMan]

39. And we remember those adventures.

It's a pity that people don't think they can do similar things now.

[Irish_Dem]

4. The important part of this story: the child was always under the care and supervision of an airline employee.

I would much rather have my child get on the wrong airplane, then have my child wandering around
all by themselves and who knows what could happen.

[marmar]

33. This.

[stopdiggin]

6. Think I have to go with most of the posters here

Somebody screwed up, yes. But they quickly owned to the situation. And the child was never put in the slightest bit of danger. Regrettable .. but hardly end of the world or life altering consequence ...

[MineralMan]

7. On the other hand, here's an unaccompanied minor story

I was involved in.

I was coming back to the USA in 1968 from being stationed at a remote USAF base in Turkey. I was 22 years old. The PanAm flight I was on made a stop in Rome. We were there for about 45 minutes, so I got off the plane briefly. While I was stretching my legs, an elderly couple came up to me (I was in my blue USAF uniform). The woman said to me, "Are you on the New York flight?" I said that I was. She asked me if I would mind accompanying their granddaughter on the flight and make sure she meets her parents in New York? Her granddaughter was standing there, and looked to be 14 or 15 years old. She went into a fit of eye-rolling at the idea that she needed watching after.

Anyhow, I said, "I'll be glad to." Even at the time, I wondered why they picked me out for that. Fortunately, I'm a good guy, and dutifully listened to her talk for hours about all the adventures she had in Italy. Then, at the airport, I very gladly handed her over to her parents and got on my plane to Los Angeles.

Times, I believe, have changed.

[reymega life]

8. hmmm something like happened in 1992 a world famous movie

[ProfessorGAC]

13. Nicely Played (nt)

[marmar]

34. 1992? Wow. That makes my GenX back ache.

[Lettuce Be]

12. This happened to my son, also six-years-old. Going to San Diego, taken off in San Jose.

He was flying to San Diego to spend the summer with his father. I got a call from the airport (I live in WA), saying my son had arrived, but there was no one to pick him up. In a panic, I called his father, who then raced to San Diego airport (where my son was supposed to be). He wasn't there, though.

It turned out they had gotten him off at the wrong airport, so my little boy, frightened, had to sit and wait and wait and wait in a strange place until they figured out the problem and put him on another plane.

After that ordeal, he hated flying (the distance was such there was no choice but to fly). On his return flight, his father made the people at the gate feel so horrible for this innocent child (and he was cute as all-get-out) that they upgraded him to first class!

There was no reason for the mistake; he was wearing a SAN (San Diego) patch, which indicated which airport was the destination. I still feel awful just thinking about it. We did not have cell phones in those days so had I not been home when they called ...

[DFW]

14. I had something like that happen to me in 1973

I was visiting some friends in a small town in Crna Gora (Montenegro). and was to fly to Zagreb in Croatia from the nearest airport, which was Titograd (today called Podgorica, Pod-GAW-reet-sa). I checked in my one bag. got my boarding pass, which said ZAGREB in big letters. Well, a very garbled boarding announcement came over the loudspeaker (Brskgmta Vlukshlukprq krptsv KLRKABSCHTLOO!--or something similar), and a wall of people rushed toward one of the gates. I went up to the gate and yelled "ZAGREB?" The very disinterested guy at the gate, just nodded his head and shoved me on through. It was open seating, so I found myself a seat, and settled in.

The plane was rolling toward the runway when an announcement came on. It was in Serbian, so I only caught about a third of it, but was somewhat unnerved when I head the name of the city of Beograd, and NOT the name of Zagreb. Then, the announcement was repeated in English, confirming my fears. I was on a flight to Beograd, the capital of Yugoslavia, which was at the other end of the country. I called over a flight attendant, whose English was excellent, showed him my boarding pass and told him how I had gotten there. He looked at it, and said "mistake." He said he would get back to me before we landed. He did, and told me to go to counter 8 in the Beograd airport.

We landed and I went to counter 8. They looked at my boarding pass. and remarked, "mistake." They certainly had the diagnosis down. At counter 8, I was given a form, and told to go to counter 11. At counter 11, the looked at the form from counter 8, and remarked, "mistake." At least they were being consistent. They gave me another form, and said to go to counter 4. I went to counter 4, where they looked at the form from counter 11. Their expert assessment of the situation? "Mistake." I wonder what gave it away? Anyhow, they took the form from counter 11, gave me a boarding pass to Zagreb, and told me my flight was boarding, and from which gate. I got on the flight, which this time really WAS going to Zagreb. I was anticipating the worst about ever seeing my bag again, but it was right there at baggage claim, waiting for me. My whole delay was all of one hour. These days, Lufthansa doesn't even consider that a delay, and American Airlines considers that an early arrival.

[malaise]

15. Remember when flying was fun

Happy Holidays

🎄 🎄. 🎄 🎄

[DFW]

17. Back at Christmas, 1981

We were told about a place near St. Vincent in the Caribbean. We thought we'd try it, but the flight to Barbados (nearest big airport) leaft early from JFK, so we fklew up there Christmas evening. An ice storm blew in, and the departure gates at JFK were so iced up that the plane had to be towed from a gate that couldn't be unforzen to another that could be used.

But then, when the flight, on BWI airlines, left, we had a fabulous curry creole meal, saw the film "FAME" for the first time, and then, when the film was over, pulled up the window shades to see the blue sea dotted with green islands.

Now THAT was a flight!

[malaise]

18. Carnival flights and Christmas on BWIA - BWEE as we called or

were always fabulous. Lots of merriment and singing. Those were the days.

[PJMcK]

31. Yeah, flying used to be fun and even a little sexy

Going on a flight always made one feel special. Today, it's worse than a cross-town bus.

[malaise]

35. You nailed it

although the bus service is better😂
Happy Holidays to you and yours
🎄 🎄 🎄 🎄

[PJMcK]

42. Merry Christmas to you, dear malaise!

Have a wonderful day!

[Jacson6]

16. The mistake by Spirit was allowing an unaccompained minor.

The guardian of the child should be prosecuted for child neglect for allowing their child that is six years old to fly alone.

[Mr.Bill]

21. Thousands of unaccompanied children fly every year.

Airlines today have well trained and certified chaperons to oversee the kids before, during and after the flight until they are picked up. It's really no different that dropping your kid off at school and having the teacher be responsible for them until you pick them up.

[helpisontheway]

28. My cousins traveled unaccompanied when they were young. Their parents were divorced..

They had busy careers and the kids traveled with no issues. Now they are in their late 30’s and early 40’s. Now they are world travelers. lol And they are extremely close to both parents.

[roamer65]

19. Was the kid boxed up?

Like in the movie Bad Grandpa?

[Mr.Bill]

20. My dad worked for United Airlines and we flew space available

when I was about 12 I was flying alone from Baltimore to San Francisco. We had a stop in Chigago and the plane filled up, essentially bumping me of the flight. One of the flight attendants put me in her jump seat for the rest of the flight so I didn't get bumped off. This was in the 60s. I don't recall there being any special chaperoning or provisions for unacomanied children. Just the flight attendant being aware of the situation and coming up with a solution.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

24. I don't know when it started

But I know for a fact that airlines have had chaperones for unaccompanied children since at least 1993. That's when a court order required me to send the wee sprog to his sperm donor every summer, and every other winter holiday, too.

[ecstatic]

36. Since the mid/late 80s at least

My sister and I flew unaccompanied multiple times. I think I was 5 or 6 and my sister was 2 years younger. It was one of the major airlines because it flew into upstate New York where my grandparents were. Maybe TWA?

[Mr.Bill]

40. I know they've had then for awhile.

My grandchildren have flown with a chaperone to visit me several times. The incident that happened with me was around 1965.

[SYFROYH]

22. As a parent I can't imagine letting my child fly without a chaperone at that age.

[SYFROYH]

27. Like I said, I can't imagine.

But, yes, people have to do what they have to do.

[helpisontheway]

29. I could not do it either. I barely let my kids out of sight when they were little..lol

Probably a little overboard in that respect. lol However, my young cousins did it their entire childhood with no issues.

[Irish_Dem]

41. Some parents have no choice.

They may have a court order saying the child must be sent to the other parent or be in violation of a court order.

Some parents don't have the funds to buy two airline tickets or have jobs where they can't afford to take off the time.

One of the parents may be callous, playing divorce games and the child is just a pawn.
Sending the child alone may be a way to torment the other parent.
The courts don't take action because there was an airline employee supervising the child so it's
not a violation of a court order, but was a way to yank around the other parent.

I am a retired therapist and believe me I've seen all of this on a regular basis.

[Oopsie Daisy]

30. He should have been upgraded to Business Class (if available) and given free cocktails *

* or milk (if available).

And maybe even a free ticket on a future flight. Perhaps, also, a pair of those shiny gold "Pilot's Wings" that all first-time flyers (used to) receive.

[Ligyron]

32. I thought for sure this was about Home Alone II, Lost in New York.

Watched it last night for the first time. Cute movie and not bad for a part 2.

Sad seeing the Twin Towers still soaring above the city though. I always thought we’d build 2 more even higher.

Oh well, we used to be number one in a lot of ways we’ve lost out on now.

[pinkstarburst]

37. The parents better not make a big stink and sue

or I could see the unaccompanied minor program being one more thing airlines scale back or eliminate in order to save money. Headache for them with too much potential for something to go wrong.

[JanMichael]

38. I flew unaccompanied a few times. Man what I would have given to go to the wrong place.

To get off an NOT see the people that I was in a constant war with.

That would have been sweet.

Not for every kid though. Some kids would get pretty upset I imagine.

Better than Greyhound in the 70's.