During the preparations for what was expected to be a record-breaking holiday travel period, an unaccompanied child found themselves on the wrong Spirit Airlines flight this week.
The child, who was supposed to be on a flight from Philadelphia to Fort Myers, was mistakenly boarded onto a flight bound for Orlando, a city over 100 miles away, according to a statement from the airline.
Spirit Airlines spokesperson Thomas Fletcher explained that the child was always under the supervision of an airline employee. Once the error was identified, immediate measures were taken to rectify the situation and reunite the child with their family. During the preparations
Fletcher added, “We take the safety and responsibility of transporting all of our Guests seriously and are conducting an internal investigation. We apologize to the family for this experience.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned travelers last month of a potentially record breaking holiday travel season. Inclement weather is threatening the plans for millions of Americans this week as snow and rain descend upon the middle of the country.
Unaccompanied 6-year-old boy put on wrong Spirit Airlines flight: “Incorrectly boarded”
BY ALIZA CHASAN
DECEMBER 24, 2023 / 4:13 PM EST / CBS NEWS
An unaccompanied child traveling from Philadelphia to Fort Myers was “incorrectly boarded” onto a plane to Orlando, a Spirit Airlines spokesman said Sunday. The two cities in Florida are about 160 miles apart.
Spirit did not provide additional details about the child or how the mistake on Thursday was made, but the airline’s spokesperson did say an internal investigation was underway.
“The child was always under the care and supervision of a Spirit Team Member, and as soon as we discovered the error, we took immediate steps to communicate with the family and reconnect them,” the airline spokesperson said.