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Unwilling to settle for just losing baggage, Continental now losing children

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by 2muchcoffeeman, Jun 17, 2009.

  1. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    Because really, who wants to just be like every other airline and misplace somebody's socks? Aim high! Misplace children traveling alone!<blockquote>HOUSTON – The mother of an 8-year-old girl who was put on the wrong plane while traveling unaccompanied blames the mix-up on "total incompetence and a lack of caring" by Continental Airlines.

    Wendy Babineaux said Wednesday she's "getting the run-around" from the airline while trying to find out how her daughter, Taylor Williams, flew out of Houston on Saturday and ended up in Fayetteville, Ark. She was supposed to go to Charlotte, N.C., to visit her father.

    The next day, 10-year-old Miriam Kamens wound up in Newark, N.J., while flying alone on the same Continental contractor, ExpressJet. She was supposed to travel from Boston to Cleveland to see her grandparents.

    The families had paid a $75 unaccompanied minor fee for the service.</blockquote>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090617/ap_on_re_us/us_lost_girls_continental

    Continental has generously refunded that fee.

    You know, this could lead to a whole new trend in vacations. "Fly Continental! You won't know where you're going but it'll be someplace completely new to you!"
     
  2. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Kid's probably thinking "woohoo, no Cleveland!" and then walks out into...Newark.
     
  3. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    Me: Flying from LAX to Albany, bags ended up in Cleveland, we ended up in Newark.
    That kid: Flying from Boston to Cleveland, she ended up in Newark.

    What's the common theme? Fuck Continental. Fuck Cleveland. Fuck Newark.

    That's all I have to say.
     
  4. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    Never had a problem with Continental. Then again, solo and nonstop shouldn't be too complicated.

    Continental goofed and it knows it. Parent, while understandably upset, might have overreacted. Can't blame parent at all for being ticked, but if the kid's OK and Continental is rectifying the error, what more can be done than apologize and move forward?
     
  5. ondeadline

    ondeadline Well-Known Member

    I wouldn't have sent my kids on a plane by themselves when they were 8, that's for sure. But both families got some quality out of paying that $75, huh?
     
  6. bagelchick

    bagelchick Active Member

    I'm right with you on this one.
     
  7. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    I'd stop short of a lawsuit, but I wouldn't call a $75 fee refund "rectifying" the error either.
     
  8. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    Someone wanted me to do something like that for a much longer flight when I was very young. My mother took very little time nixing that idea.
     
  9. EStreetJoe

    EStreetJoe Well-Known Member

    From the story..
    Miscommunication among staff? Don't they have unaccompanied kids wear those large tags around their neck that show where they're going? Doesn't a stewardess on the plane check the ticket of an unaccompanied kid to make sure he's on the right plane and in the right seat?
    Just a bullshit excuse. The flight attendants and staff dropped the ball big-time here.
     
  10. schiezainc

    schiezainc Well-Known Member

    Well, shit, you want them to pay attention to unaccompanied minors AND hand out drinks? Christ, they're not superheroes, you know!
     
  11. deskslave

    deskslave Active Member

    Wait, what?

    There's so much wrong here I don't even know where to start. No. 1, even if the kid's 8, she's not stupid. Or at least I assume not. How would she NOT know?

    No. 2, maybe if you told her, she'd be more vigilant about her own travel, rather than just trusting what the nice lady at the counter told her to do. Not saying that it's the 8-year-old's fault by any stretch. But the kid should know where she's starting from and where she's going, and she should know to listen and pay attention to what's going on on the plane. That way, when the flight attendant welcomes her to the flight to Fayetteville, she can raise her hand and say, hey wait a minute, that doesn't sound right.
     
  12. txsportsscribe

    txsportsscribe Active Member

    while i understand the parents' concerns, i really don't think kids should be allowed to fly alone. what other business (besides the obvious day care, etc.) do we turn over our children to like solo flying children? have dad fly to where the kid is and fly back together. more expensive? yes, but better than turning your 8-year-old over to total strangers.
     
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