The lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court on Oct. 31, 2023, is suing the carrier for how they allegedly handled the situation with the two unaccompanied minors.

 

American Accused of Misinformation, Not Providing Adequate Accommodations

The lawsuit was brought by Amber Vencill as the mother of the two children traveling unaccompanied with American. The pair were flying from Missouri – where they visited with their father – to Syracuse, New York, to visit her current partner and his family.

 

According to the suit, the children had one connection at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). While they made the first flight without incident, their second flight from Charlotte to Syracuse was cancelled, which is where the family claims trouble began.

 

Per airline policies, the lawsuit claims her partner – identified as “Ted” – was called after the cancellation and told the children would be aboard a flight to Syracuse at 9:00 a.m. the next day. Their mother accuses American of giving her different information, sending an e-mail claiming they wouldn’t fly until 5:21 p.m. In the interim, Vencill claims American told her the children “would be in a nice room for unaccompanied minors where there were beds and their own bathroom.”

 

The family claims none of that happened. Instead, they say the children were put in a “freezing” room for lost children with only one sofa and the lights remaining on all night. They further say a phone number given to call the children did not work, and they were only able to speak to them by calling the airport directly.

 

During a conversation with the children, Vencill claims they said they were not given food or drink by the airline, and another “kind woman” not employed by the airline bought them food. Ultimately, the children were able to continue to Syracuse after the overnight delay. When Vencill reportedly e-mailed the American board of directors detailing the situation, she claims she was only offered an apology and a $150 refund of the unaccompanied minors fees.

 

Vencill and her attorneys are requesting an unspecified amount from the airlines in compensation for the incident. American Airlines has not provided a public comment about the accusations.

 

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Source: frugal travel guy