A child was lost at the Miami International Airport after flight attendants waved her off the plane. AA's treatment of the child's mother was described as complete abandonment and anutter failure.
Monica Gilliam dropped off her child at the airport in Tennessee to go on an American Airlines flight to Miami where she would be picked up by her father.
Monica wasn't traveling with her daughter but AA offers an 'unaccompanied minor' service for children who are flying without a parent or guardian.
Flight attendants or gate staff escort the child to and from the aircraft. A member of staff is supposed to escort the UM to their guardian and make sure the child is handed over to the correct person.
To make sure nobody forgets or misidentifies a UM, the child has to wear a lanyard around their neck with a large label clearly marked. The child's name and flight details can be found on the reverse.
After landing in Miami, the flight attendants Waved her daughter off the plane without an escort.
The American Airlines manager at Miami told Gilliam that his child was missing and that the airport had been shut down.
She kept walking because the flight attendants told her to leave the plane and she didn't know what to do.
In the short two-minute video, Gilliam explained that she was a minor in one of the largest human trafficking hubs in the country.
The child's father finally got her but on the way out no American Airlines employee stopped her to see if she had an adult, not one Miami airport employee stopped her and even the TSA security agent stopped her.
Some commentators accused the mother of being responsible because she didn't travel with her child. Some people said she should be able to trust AA.
Republic Airways operates on behalf of American Airlines on regional services called American Eagle. Republic Airways has a contract with AA to service regional flights.
American Airlines reached out to Gilliam to find out more about what happened.
American cares about their young passengers and is committed to providing a safe and pleasant travel experience for them.
We are looking into what happened. A member of the team reached out to the customer to find out more about their experience.
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