Unaccompanied minor’s holiday journey takes a frightening turn as budget airline takes swift action

In a shocking turn of events, Spirit Airlines has terminated an employee responsible for putting a six-year-old flying solo for Christmas on the wrong flight. The incident, which unfolded on December 21, left the child’s grandmother, Maria Ramos, horrified as her grandson Casper failed to arrive at the intended destination of Southwest Florida Airport in Fort Myers.

Ramos, expecting Casper to travel from Philadelphia to Fort Myers, was informed that he had never boarded the Florida-bound plane. Disturbingly, his luggage successfully completed the journey. In a conversation with WINK News, Ramos recounted her disbelief, saying, “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.'”

Upon investigation, it was revealed that Casper had been mistakenly sent to Orlando Airport, over 130 miles away from his intended location. Ramos had to undertake a four-hour drive to retrieve her grandson, describing the experience as “one of the scariest experiences of her life.”

Spirit Airlines swiftly issued an apology, stating, “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.”

The budget airline not only expressed regret but also offered to reimburse Ramos for her drive. In a subsequent update, ABC News reported that following an investigation, Spirit Airlines identified the agent in Philadelphia responsible for escorting the child to the wrong aircraft.

In response, Spirit Airlines issued a statement to ABC News, asserting, “This agent is no longer working with Spirit, and any individual whose actions resulted in the incorrect boarding will be held accountable for failing to follow our procedures. We are also reiterating our procedures to the team, and we are in communication with the child’s family about this matter.