Our Vacation Adventures

Just don’t book a flight for your child.

My minor daughter, who is eight years old, was scheduled to fly on June 20, 2006 from Newport News, Virginia, to Atlanta, and from there, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, as an unaccompanied minor. She arrived on time in Atlanta, but then something apparently went terribly awry due to the negligence of one or more employees of AirTran.
What I know has been pieced together from information given to me by personnel at the Hubert Humphrey Terminal located at the Minneapolis Airport, and by my daughter’’s father. I was not at the time, nor at any time since, able to obtain any information from AirTran. When my daughter did not arrive in Minneapolis as scheduled, and no information was available from gate personnel regarding her location, I attempted to call AirTran for information. I tried every telephone number available from the online AirTran website, to no avail. I never got through to a human being. After remaining on hold for more than an hour with AirTran, I began calling the Minneapolis Airport, and was finally connected to a woman at the Hubert Humphrey Terminal.
She told me that, according to AirTran, my daughter had in fact boarded her flight on time in Atlanta. I then called her father (who was at the Hubert Humphrey Terminal) and asked him to have the terminal searched. My daughter could not be found, and I spent several hours without any news or information as to the location of my daughter. I finally received a call from her father, who had been able to get additional information. He told me that he was told that AirTran had “lost her paperwork” at some point after she left Newport News, and that she was put on a later flight from Atlanta to Minneapolis.
My daughter should have arrived in Minneapolis at 2:12 p.m. I understand that she did not reach Minneapolis until at least five hours after the time she was supposed to have arrived. She informs me that she was not offered a meal - not even a snack - by AirTran personnel.
At no time during this ordeal was I able to reach anyone at AirTran. At no time did anyone from AirTran call me, even though three telephone numbers were provided (one ordinary line to my home, my cell phone number, and her father’’s cell phone number) to AirTran before my daughter boarded her flight in Newport News. All numbers were in operation on the date in question.
I am appalled that an unaccompanied minor could miss a flight due to the negligence of an AirTran employee. I am even more appalled that the parents of an unaccompanied minor child are not informed when a child misses a flight due to the negligence of airline personnel employed by AirTran. I am shocked that no food was offered to my child during the five-hour delay she suffered as a result of the negligence of an AirTran employee. I am very disappointed that I have received no information or apology from AirTran for the negligence of its employee or employees.
On July 31, 2006, I wrote a letter to AirTran by certified mail, return receipt requested. My letter incorporated all of the above facts, and requested a full account of the events which occurred on June 20, 2006 within 30 days of the date of the letter. On August 4, 2006, AirTran received my letter, as appears from the certified mail receipt I received, signed by AirTran employee Tanya Stafford. As of the writing of this letter on September 27, 2006, AirTran has not responded in any way whatsoever to my letter.
I would be happy to discuss this matter with anyone who has a minor child and who may be contemplating putting his or her child on a flight as an unaccompanied minor. Please contact me at lisaj11@verizon.net
I would also be happy to swear out an affidavit as to the truth of the facts in this communication.
Thank you.
Lisa J.

By Lisa on Sep 27, 2006

I’m sorry to hear that that happened to your daughter, Lisa.

I’m glad to hear that your daughter was found safe..

By Heather on Oct 5, 2006