Alaska Airlines accused of abandoning 13-year-old headed to Spokane at SFO
A Fayetteville, N.C. man and his wife are furious with Alaska Airlines after they claim the airline deserted their unaccompanied 13-year-old daughter during her layover at SFO.
The teen’s father, Douglas Davila, told WTVD that a stranger found his daughter by herself, crying at the airport and wanted to help. He let her use his cellphone to call home.
"It's hard when you hear your son or daughter say, 'I'm by myself in San Francisco,’” Davila told WTVD. "My heart was in my throat. I was shaking,"
The teen was booked to fly from Raleigh, N.C. to Spokane, Wash., which included a layover in SFO. Her parents paid an additional $75 to arrange the unaccompanied minor service Alaska Airlines offers to minors between ages 5 to 17 who are traveling alone.
Alaska Airlines’ unaccompanied minor service charges a fee of $50 for nonstop or direct flights, and a fee of $75 per child for connecting flights. Part of the service requires a gate escort and guardian contact.
“Once you've handed your child over to our care, he or she will remain under supervision at all times,” the Alaska Airlines website notes.
That wasn’t the case, according to Davila. After the unidentified man found the teen, he reportedly escorted her to an Alaska Airlines customer service counter where Davila was told that the airline has lost his daughter.
The teen’s mother said that the airline admitted to losing her child and that they needed permission to place her on a new flight due to mechanical issues on the aircraft.
“Our investigation, which includes specific records that tracked the movement of our young guest, indicates employees did meet her when her flight arrived and escorted her to our Service Center at San Francisco International Airport,” Alaska Airlines told the outlet. “While we had tabs on our young guest the entire time, we understand that she may have felt unsupervised in the crowded area and for that we are deeply sorry. We also think we could have done a better job communicating with her.”
Alaska Airlines issued a refund for the $75 fee but the parents are hoping they can get the cost of the flight refunded too.