Airline puts 6-year-old flying alone on wrong plane during busiest travel time of the year

An airline put a six-year-old who was travelling by themselves on the wrong flight at one of the busiest times of year.

Maria Ramos told how her grandson Casper had been set to fly by himself from Philadelphia to Southwest Florida Airport in Fort Myers on Thursday (December 21).

But Ramos was left horrified when Casper, six, didn't arrive at his destination.

She was told that he never actually got on the plane which had been bound for Florida, though his bag did make the journey.

Speaking to WINK News, she said: “They told me, ‘No, he’s not on this flight. He missed his flight.’

"I said, ‘No, he could not miss his flight because I have the check-in tag.'"

She added: “I ran inside the plane to the flight attendant and I asked her, ‘Where’s my grandson? He was handed over to you at Philadelphia?’

"She said, ‘No, I had no kids with me.’”

It turns out that Casper had actually been sent to the Orlando Airport, which is located more than 130 miles from his intended destination.

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Ramos ended up having to make a four hour drive to go and pick up her grandson, saying it was one of the scariest experiences of her life.

While Spirit Airlines has offered to cover the car trip, Ramos says she wants an explanation from them about how the mistake happened.

She said: “I want them to call me. Let me know how my grandson ended up in Orlando. How did that happen? Did they get him off the plane?”

She added: “The flight attendant - after mom handed him with paperwork - did she let him go by himself? He jumped in the wrong plane by himself?”

In a statement, Spirit Airlines apologised for the mistake, which happened at the peak of holiday travelling.

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Spirit Airlines spokesperson Michael Lopardi said in a statement: “On Dec. 21, an unaccompanied child traveling from Philadelphia (PHL) to Fort Myers (RSW) was incorrectly boarded on a flight to Orlando (MCO).

“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.

“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.”

UNILAD has reached out to Spirit Airlines for comment.