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United Airlines put an underage passenger on a plane to the wrong country
A 14-year-old boy from Raleigh, North Carolina, endured an all-night ordeal after the United Airlines unaccompanied minor escort service directed him onto a plane heading to the wrong country. The paperwork that the 14-year-old was given had the correct flight information on it, but there was a gate change between when it was printed and when he arrived at Newark for the connecting flight. (www.businessinsider.com) More...
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This kid will be able to drive himself to Newark in a year or two, so Mommy dearest really should relax.
How can a passenger board with a boarding pass for a different flight? It would surely be flagged by the scanner at the gate.
At the age of fourteen I was flying all over the place, alone, and never needed someone to hold my hand to get to the correct airplane. We live in a strange time.
Yes At the age of 10 my parents put me on an American 707 from Phoenix to JFK and my grandparents met me AT THE GATE(remember those times?) I wore a bolo tie and nice pants for trip. Seemed OK back then, like riding a bike after dinner and told to be back by 9 with no worries about my safety.
You can bet that after United discovered their goof this kid got the royalty/VIP treatment in spades. And if he wasn't a beta boy, I hope he realized he was out for the Lark of his life! When I was 14 I was already a confirmed airplane geek with thick glasses and figured the closest I would ever get to a cockpit was watching em come and go. Cheers.
If an airline is going to charge a fairly large fee for an unaccompanied minor escort, then they have a responsibility to get the child on the correct plane. That a United employee didn't catch that there was a gate change is really unacceptable. All you have to do is look at the pretty signs above the check-in counter to get flight information.
This is nothing short of irresponsibility and child endangerment. United should be banned from caarying children travelling alone for a period up to 5 years. If that was my child that person should consider moving in a literal sense.
