by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:29 AM ET, Tue August 13, 2019
The parents of nine children with a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis who were returning from summer camp are taking a stand against American Airlines after the unaccompanied minors were reportedly not fed or given medication during a 13-hour delay.
According to KATU, the mother of one of the children, Kristie Hoyt, claims that she was forced to contact American representatives about the location of unaccompanied minors since none of the guardians were notified of the delay.
The flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Portland, Oregon, was initially scheduled to depart Friday night, but an American spokesperson said a "mechanical delay" forced passengers to wait until Saturday morning to complete their journey.
The airline allegedly did not provide dinner for the children, with many of them needing to eat to take their medication. In addition, Hoyt said some of the kids did not have access to their medication, which was stored in a checked bag under the plane.
One of the children on the plane named Kelly Phillips said they were brought into a room for unaccompanied minors to wait during the delay. Hoyt shared her experience on Facebook:
"American Airlines. I just talked to your flight attendant #1 Bailey on flight number 1736 (after the first one rudely yelled at me and passed the phone off) she states they aren't informed of the policy for unaccompanied minors!"
"That fee we pay extra per child, she said no one is specifically assigned to be with the kids. First she says the flight is delayed because the catering service wasn't delivered. On time. You have starved our children! Then she proceeds to say the waste levels are too high and maintenance is there to fix it."
"What is wrong with you? When will you actually contact the parents and do your job and follow your policies? #DisabledMinorsStuckThreeThousandMilesFromHome"
An American spokesperson said the airline sincerely apologizes for this travel experience and will review the incident.
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