Spirit Airlines put an unaccompanied child on the wrong plane

Fort Myers, Florida, television station WINK-TV identified the child as a 6-year-old first-time flyer who was supposed to visit his grandmother.

Published December 24, 2023 • Updated on December 25, 2023 at 8:02 am

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Spirit Airlines has apologized after it mistakenly put an unaccompanied child on the wrong flight during the holiday season travel rush.

The child was supposed to fly from Philadelphia International Airport to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers on Thursday. But the minor was “incorrectly boarded” on a flight to Orlando, according to the airline.

“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,” Spirit said in a statement Saturday.

“We take the safety and responsibility of transporting all of our Guests seriously and are conducting an internal investigation,” the airline added. “We apologize to the family for this experience.”