A woman says American Airlines “lost” her two children at an airport overnight, leaving the boys without food or water or contacting her to tell her what happened to them for hours, according to WSOC-TV.
Amber Vencill put her two underage sons on an American Airlines flight from Missouri to Syracuse, New York – with a layover in Charlotte – on July 30, 2022, according to the lawsuit filed on Oct. 31.
The suit states that Vencill purchased the airline’s $150 unaccompanied minor chaperone services for her 14-year-old and 12-year-old sons.
The required service includes early boarding, a kids-only lounge, and escorts in the airport until the authorized adult picks them up, according to the airline’s website.
However, the Vencill children’s flight was canceled, WSOC reported.
In the case of a delay or cancellation, the airline said it will call the adults and arrange an alternate flight, or “in the rare case that your child needs to stay overnight because of a missed connection, we’ll arrange for overnight accommodations, meals and supervision. We’ll call if this occurs,” the website reads.
According to Vencill, none of that happened.
After the flight was canceled, Vencill’s partner and the children’s father received a call from the airline saying that the minors would be put on a flight the next morning, the complaint alleges.
Vencill said she received an email with conflicting information about what flight the boys would be on.
Vencill said she tried to call the airline but could not get a response so she called the airport instead.
According to the suit, the children were tracked down in “a lost children’s room” at the airport.
The minors allegedly had not been given any food or water since the night before and spent the night in the “freezing” room on a sofa, the suit claims.
Vencill’s children boarded the flight to Syracuse, where they were safely picked up by their father.
“There’s no margin for error with children,” Elizabeth Eilender, an attorney representing Vencill, told USA Today. “You can replace luggage or golf clubs but you can’t replace the kids.”
The airline said it is committed to the “safety and comfort” of its passengers.
“The safety and comfort of our customers, including unaccompanied minors in our care, are our highest priorities and we’re committed to providing a positive experience to everyone who travels with us,” American Airlines told USA Today in a statement. “We have been in touch with Ms. Vencill directly and we are reviewing the details of the lawsuit.”