A North Carolina mom is steaming mad after American Airlines seemingly lost her 11-year-old daughter during a recent flight, and let’s just say she’s not holding back. Corinne Matthews wants other parents to be aware that the extra fee for unaccompanied minors might not guarantee the security and supervision you expect. In fact, she’s enraged, claiming that not only did the airline mishandle her child, but they also lied about it.
The Incident
On her Facebook page, Matthews detailed how she was supposed to meet her daughter, Sophie, at the Charlotte-Douglas Airport at 8:50 p.m. on a Monday. However, Sophie never arrived because her flight was diverted to Columbia, South Carolina, without any notification to her frantic parents. “You think losing your luggage is bad?” she posted. “Well, thanks to the incompetence of American Airlines, they lost my daughter at 1:30 a.m. yesterday!!”
Matthews was initially informed that her daughter’s flight was delayed due to weather issues, but then she began receiving a flurry of texts from Sophie saying the flight was canceled and she was taken off the plane. “They diverted her flight to Columbia without notifying us. We found out from Sophie, who was frantically texting us. We were told the plane would eventually make it to Charlotte, and then at 1:30 a.m., she texted that she was being taken off the plane. No one from American Airlines ever reached out to us,” she recounted.
A Parent’s Panic
Matthews lost contact with her daughter for over an hour and began driving to Columbia in a panic, trying to get answers from American Airlines. When she finally connected with a representative, they allegedly insisted Sophie was lying and landing in Charlotte. After a wild goose chase back to Charlotte, she was informed that Sophie was in a waiting area for minors in Columbia. Just five minutes later, Matthews received another text from Sophie saying she was still sitting on the plane.
“The lies kept coming,” she said. “They told me she was in the airport, but we finally got in touch with her at 2:30 a.m. after an hour of uncertainty. She was still stuck on the plane!”
American Airlines’ Response
In a statement to WSOCTV, American Airlines claimed the flight was delayed and then canceled due to mechanical issues. They stated that Sophie was brought to the front to contact her mother and taken to a manager’s office with a female agent. Matthews disputes these claims, asserting that the airline representatives lost track of her daughter and misled her. What truly upset her was the lack of knowledge regarding who took Sophie off the plane and where she was during that time.
She advises other parents to reconsider trusting that extra fee for unaccompanied minors equates to proper care. “Parents need to know this. It’s like misplaced trust—and money,” she warned. “No one should have to go through this. They need to reevaluate their system because it failed dramatically.”
A Chilling Reminder
While flight delays and cancellations are par for the course, losing a child entrusted to your care is inexcusable, especially when parents are paying extra to ensure their safety. If parents were okay with not hearing from their kids for hours or spending sleepless nights driving between airports, they could have just bought a regular ticket instead. The ordeal faced by Sophie and her parents serves as a chilling reminder that even systems designed for child safety can turn into a parent’s worst nightmare.
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Conclusion
In summary, a mom’s nightmare unfolded when American Airlines lost track of her 11-year-old daughter during a flight diversion, leading to a chaotic night of uncertainty and frustration. Despite paying extra for unaccompanied minor services, the airline’s failure to communicate left them in the dark about their child’s whereabouts, raising questions about the reliability of such services.