MIAMI — A Georgia mother is speaking out after she says American Airlines left her daughter to wander alone in the Miami airport after her flight.
Monica Gilliam told ABC News that she booked her 12-year-old daughter on a flight from Chattanooga to Miami last Saturday to visit her father. Gilliam said she received a distressing call.
“The manager from American Airlines called and said, you know, your child is missing,” she told ABC News. “I was like, How did you lose my child? You know, how do you lose an unaccompanied minor?”
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Gilliam said her daughter thought she was supposed to get up once everyone began to deplane and that a flight attendant even waved goodbye.
Her daughter’s father had to use Facetime to help the 12-year-old navigate her way through the airport to meet him at baggage claim.
“She was nervous and she was scared. But she did exactly what her dad told her to do to get her to safety.”
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ABC News reported that there are no federal regulations when it comes to unaccompanied minors. According to its website, American Airlines requires children age 5-14 traveling alone to use its unaccompanied minor service.
The airline charges a $150 fee for the service. The website says employees will board the child early and escort the child to the authorized adult picking them up when they land.
Gilliam posted more about her daughter’s experience on TikTok. As of Friday, it has over 1.7 million views on the app.
“The utter failure by @American Airlines ,#tsa and #mia is absolutely unforgivable. The complete abandonment of a minor in their care, and the negligence displayed today, is criminal. Parents beware,” she posted.
@relativelymonica The utter failure by @American Airlines ,#tsa and #mia is absolutely unforgivable. The complete abandonment of a minor in their care, and the negligence displayed today, is criminal. Parents beware.
♬ original sound - relativelymonica
WTVC NewsChannel 9 in Chattanooga also spoke with Gilliam. She told the television station that as a single mother of four, she couldn’t afford to travel with her daughter.
Gilliam said American Airlines apologized to her and offered her three free flights, but she did not accept them.
“I have no plans of flying with American Airlines again because what they did is inexcusable. And I have no faith in them at all now, because they didn’t do their job. And they lost my child,” Gilliam told NewsChannel 9.
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Both ABC News and NewsChannel 9 reached out to American Airlines and received the same statement:
“American cares deeply about our young passengers and is committed to providing a safe and pleasant travel experience for them. We take these matters very seriously and are looking into what occurred. A member of our team has reached out to the customer to learn more about their experience.”
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