Spirit Airlines is facing another scandal after putting a 6-year-old boy on the wrong flight. To make matters worse, the young passenger was unaccompanied when he was traveling via the American travel company.
This alarming incident happened on Thursday, Dec. 21. In its official emailed statement, Spirit Airlines apologized to the kid's family for putting him on the wrong flight.
But the boy's grandmother is demanding the U.S.-based airlines provide answers on how they mistakenly placed the kid on a flight to Orlando instead of a Florida flight.
Spirit Airlines Puts Unaccompanied 6-Year-Old Passenger on Wrong Flight!
A Spirit Airlines plane takes off at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on June 1, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Over 40 percent of Spirit Airlines flights around the country were delayed today following a technical issue with its app, website and airport kiosks.
The 6-year-old boy was visiting his beloved grandmother, Maria Ramos, on Dec. 21. He was supposed to fly to Fort Myers, Florida. However, Spirit Airlines mistakenly placed him on a flight going to Orlando.
The grandmother said that she was waiting for her grandson in Myers. Unfortunately, the boy wasn't on the plane when it landed. Luckily, Maria was able to contact her grandson after he landed in Orlando.
Instead of spending time arguing with Spirit Airlines staff, Maria drove almost 160 miles from Fort Myers to Orland just to pick up the 6-year-old boy.
After hearing about the incident, Spirit Airlines apologized to the kid's family and said that they were willing to reimburse them for the drive they made.
"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," said Spirit Airlines' leadership via CNN Travel.
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Boy's Grandma Demands Answers From Spirit Airlines
Flight information for a Spirit airlines flight is displayed on the information board at the Miami International Airport on July 27, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Spirit Airlines Inc. shareholders are voting whether to merge with Frontier Airlines or JetBlue Airways Corp.
According to CBS News' latest report, Spirit Airlines wasn't able to provide any appropriate answer to explain how the boarding mistake was made.
"Let me know how my grandson ended up in Orlando. How did that happen? Did they get him off the plane?" said Maria Ramos.
"The flight attendant - after mom handed him with paperwork - did she let him go by himself? He jumped in the wrong plane by himself?" further asked the grandmother.
As of press time, Spirit Airlines hasn't provided specific answers to Maria's questions.
Placing unaccompanied minors on the wrong flights is not really new in the airline industry. In 2019, United Airlines also made the same mistake, placing a boy on a flight to Germany instead of a Sweden flight.
In 2009, 8-year-old and 10-year-old girls were also put on the wrong Continental Express flights. The issue happened because of miscommunication among employees, as claimed by the airline.
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