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United Airlines put an underage passenger on a plane to the wrong country

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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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JMARTINSON
JMARTINSON 2
This kid will be able to drive himself to Newark in a year or two, so Mommy dearest really should relax.
ColinSeftel
Colin Seftel 3
How can a passenger board with a boarding pass for a different flight? It would surely be flagged by the scanner at the gate.
IMissPiedmont
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.
aurodoc
aurodoc 2
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.
bentwing60
bentwing60 1
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.
sgbelverta
sharon bias 1
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.
Cansojr
Cansojr -2
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.
mduell
Mark Duell 9
United policy already prohibits unaccompanied minors in several aspects of this case (no connections, no partner airlines). This was a rogue agent in RDU putting an out-of-policy obligation on the EWR UM handler.
Cansojr
Cansojr 0
Excellent explanation Mark!
Cansojr
Cansojr 0
What on earth is wrong with the comment above. It mmakes child safety a priority. and laws with no teeth to protect our children.
JMARTINSON
JMARTINSON 1
Did I miss the part where the kid was on his way to get a heart transplant? What danger was he in exactly?

Inconvenience is not dangerous. And I'm sure United would very gladly accept your five year ban punishment, so you might want to think that through.
Cansojr
Cansojr 0
This comment was about child safety, and laws to protect children alone on flights.
rangerflyer
Bob Yurek 0
A) it's United. B) It's Newark. Surprising?

krschneider
Karl Schneider -6
Oh boo hoo...more pearl clutching. I'm betting the kid was far less traumatized than his mommy who is probably scouring the yellow pages for a lawyer. It looks like a silly but benign mistake...where's the harm?
jbsimms
James Simms 0
If it were your child, you’d be screaming Bloody Murder looking for several heads to chop off.

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