Continental is double trouble for kids
It's a little hard to call it "miscommunication" when you send someone's child on a plane to the wrong state. But when you do it twice in the same week to two different families, it becomes obvious there's not a whole lot of communication going on in the first place.
A 10-year-old girl traveling from Boston was placed on the wrong plane by a flight attendant. Instead of meeting her granddad in Cleveland, she ended up in Newark. During the same weekend, an 8-year-old girl heading from Texas to Charlotte ended up in Fayetteville. No, not North Carolina - Arkansas. Both kids were flying as unaccompanied minors.
Here's how it should work: after the first "mixup," you apologize profusely, give the family free round-trip tickets, give the flight attendant a stern warning and a map and hope you don't hear from the lawyers. (Too late.) In the mean time, you make certain that every minor in your care for the next month gets on the right plane no matter what. Even if it means the CEO himself has to tow a couple of whiny kids to the tarmac. You get it right.
George Hobica over at airfarewatchdog.com has an idea for parents - buy a ticket for yourself even though you're not flying. That way you can take your child right onto the plane, get him settled with snacks and games, buckle him up, kiss him goodbye and then head for the airline counter to get your refund. Of course, airlines aren't known for handing out refunds, but maybe you could get a credit toward your next flight.
A better idea, from Jonathan Dean, spokesman for BWI Marshall Airport, is for parents to request a "gate pass" from the airline's ticket counter. (Make sure you have your I.D.) This may vary by airline, but it doesn't hurt to ask. That way, you can escort your child to the gate. Here are some more tips for parents from Southwest Airlines.
Either way, you'll know your child is on the correct flight. Because with Continental calling this a "freak accident," I'm not sure you can trust them - or maybe any airline - to get it right.
Photo by Jerry Jackson, Baltimore Sun Staff
Comments
Airlines should be fined big time for such mistakes. Just an apology from the airline and doing the same thing again does not cut well. This will teach them a lesson so that they put a fool proof method in place. I guess all the enforcement officials are in cahoots with the airline executives in some way or other.
Posted by: Raj Kandada | June 18, 2009 11:51 AM
Wow You don't get a "gate pass" and escort your child to the gate? That is really not bright on the part of the parents not the airline. My granddaughter (age 7 her first time several trips since then) has flown on Continental every time without a problem and the Continental employees have been outstanding in making sure she arrived safely and was given over to the right people on arrival. I would have no problem in allowing my grandchildren to fly on this airline. BUT I also would never leave them at TSA and hope they find the right gate not until maybe their 15.
Not sure that parents are offered a gate pass by all airlines - maybe some folks don't know they should ask for it. - MDZ
Posted by: Doug | June 18, 2009 11:53 AM
Yeah, or just don't fly your friggin' kid by themselves. That's even easier! Plus, then people like you can stop complaining about airlines not going out of their way to assist lazy parents. I guess kids really aren't worth the extra $200 bucks.
Well, most airlines charge parents - especially the lazy ones - a fee for unaccompanied minors. So since you're essentially paying for their service, they should deliver as promised. -MDZ
Posted by: aaron | June 18, 2009 11:54 AM
What?! Don't even start about the airlines culpability. Why are parents even putting minors on planes by themselves in the first place. Cite chapter and verse about laws, proceedures, rights, duties and responsibilites all you want. Ultimately the PARENT is responsible for everything that child does and does not do. This is not a case of the airlines screwing up an unaccompanied minor's destination. Rather, it is a case of a parent putting a minor into a situation where something like that could happen. Our socity is full of rationalizations and deferment of repsonsibility. Go "upstream" to the root cause and take a look at what you see.
Posted by: jame cox | June 18, 2009 12:06 PM
It's so incredibly easy to get a Gate Pass. The only thing that you have to be willing to do is go through security.
Posted by: Stephanie | June 18, 2009 1:16 PM
I feel truly sorry for the kids. It would never occur to me to put my child on a plane alone with the strangers, but other parents may have different circumstances and we shouldn't judge them.
If an airline has chosen to provide such service and charges money for it, it should be delivered, as promised. How would you like if a pilot got lost and landed a plane in a wrong airport? And how difficult it is to put a child on the right plane, really?
Posted by: Jelena | June 18, 2009 1:31 PM
Why do we have to fine airlines for this? Is everything has to come around the money? First they did a good job to care of the kid as soon as they come to know about it. No it is not parents issue, because they send kids unaccompanied. Airlines has a facility to take care of that type of passengers. It is airlines mistake and took care of it immedialty. Everybody know "No system is perfect in the world".
Posted by: Samara | June 18, 2009 3:54 PM