Background
The hectic holiday travel season led to a distressing mix-up for one family when their 6-year-old boy, flying as an unaccompanied minor for the first time, was put on the wrong Spirit Airlines flight on December 22nd. The boy was traveling alone from Philadelphia International Airport to Orlando International Airport to visit his grandparents for Christmas, but ended up 260 miles away at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers instead.
Spirit Airlines has apologized and launched an investigation into how this error occurred amidst the busiest travel days of the year. Over 1.25 million passengers were expected to fly with Spirit from December 22-January 2. The airline allows children ages 5-14 to travel as unaccompanied minors with extra services and fees.
The Incident
The boy’s grandmother, Jaclin Ramos, became concerned when she did not see her grandson exit at his expected arrival gate at Orlando Airport. After inquiring with the airline, she was informed he had been put on a flight to Fort Myers instead.
“When I asked about my grandson they told me he was not in Orlando, but in Fort Myers,” Ramos said.
Unaware of what had happened, the 6-year-old exited the plane alone at Fort Myers, though his luggage had been correctly routed to Orlando. He was cared for by airline staff until his grandmother was able to drive across the state to retrieve him later that evening.
Spirit Airlines has taken full responsibility for the error and followed up with the family:
“We made a mistake last week by moving an unaccompanied minor to the wrong flight… We have been in frequent contact with the family over the past week to discuss this situation in-depth and reassure them this will not happen again.”
Response
The incident has sparked outrage and disbelief at how procedures could have failed so badly. Some comparisons have even been made to famous lost child movies like Home Alone.
“We read about these situations from time to time,” said travel analyst Henry Harteveldt. “But nothing really prepares you for the punch-in-the-gut feeling you get when you read such a story.”
Harteveldt expects ramifications at Spirit beyond procedures around handling unaccompanied minors.
“An incident like this also raises questions about the airline’s culture. Is it toxic? Does it lack accountability?”
The family hopes increased awareness will lead to changes so errors like this never occur again.
“This opened our eyes,” Ramos said. “I will never allow him to fly alone now without an adult.”
What Caused This?
With investigations underway, analysts expect the root cause will come down to some combination of:
- Employee negligence in verifying travel details
- Breakdowns in technology systems tracking unaccompanied minors
- Lack of oversight and controls during holiday surge
“Quite honestly this shows a staggering failure of pretty basic operational checks,” aviation consultant Mike Boyd told CBS News.
Spirit claims new measures are now in place like additional employee training, requiring managers to accompany unaccompanied minors, and more frequent status updates to families.
Industry Impact
Could regulatory changes emerge from this high-profile mistake? Rules around unaccompanied minors are set by the airlines themselves, as they are private businesses. But elected leaders may push for new protections around child passengers.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has requested Spirit share the results of their internal review once completed. Other carriers are also examining procedures to prevent any chance of repeats.
“That just gives everybody chills, to think that something like that could happen,” said Des Moines International Airport Communications Director Kayla Kovarna.
With public sympathy strongly behind the impacted family, Spirit must prioritize rebuilding trust in their brand and operations. The company’s stock price fell over 6% amidst critical news coverage. Airlines rely heavily on their reputations when struggling with thin profit margins.
“This is their opportunity resurrect themselves in the public eye,” says Travel Pulse Editor Theresa Norton Masek.
What’s Next?
The family will be meeting with Spirit Airlines in the coming weeks to discuss compensation and their own demands for improved policies to better protect unaccompanied minors. Ramos hopes airlines will be required to scan a child’s boarding pass right before the flight.
“Had that been done, I’m pretty sure they would have figured out the minor was going to the wrong city,” she said.
With investigations just beginning and political pressure growing, further fallout for Spirit Airlines seems imminent. They face the difficult task of reassuring the public while also supporting their staff and avoiding knee-jerk internal changes.
“How an organization deals with the smallest customer defines its brand,” concludes Boyd. “Everyone’s watching.”
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