Child drawing picture with crayons in airplane. Little girl occupied while flying in aircraft. Travel with family and kids. Blue sky and sun outside the window
Getty ImagesOne Georgia mom is understandably upset with an airline. Monica Gillam, from Chickamauga, Georgia, put her 12-year-old daughter on an American Airlines flight at the Chattanooga Airport. About an hour after her daughter's flight landed in Miami, Gillam received a call from a manager to say her daughter was missing.
Gilliam's daughter was flying alone to Miami to meet her father for a visit. Gilliam paid additional fees for her daughter's ticket to make sure she would be escorted upon landing. This is part of the airline's "unaccompanied minors" program.
Gilliam shared all of the details in the TikTok video (below) that quickly went viral. She was understandably upset with the news of her daughter, especially in a busy place like an airport. An unaccompanied minor is supposed to be escorted by an airline employee until they get them to the correct person picking them up.
Thankfully this story has a good ending, and the child made it safely to her father. But, it could have ended a lot differently.
Parents unfortunately have to make arrangements like this due to flight costs, and have to put their children's safety in the hands of the airline. It's not necessarily what they want to do, but sometimes it's the only option they have. But when you're paying extra to ensure your child has someone to escort them, you shouldn't have to worry. This story proves differently.
