00:00 It's every parent's worst nightmare.
00:01 Your kids are traveling on a flight alone and end up lost in transit.
00:06 USA Today reports that's exactly what happened to one woman, Amber Vensel, when her two sons,
00:11 one 14 and one 12, were on an American Airlines flight from Missouri to Syracuse, New York,
00:16 last year.
00:17 She even purchased the company's unaccompanied minor chaperone service, which they require
00:21 for kids under 14, for $150.
00:24 It's supposed to make arrangements for accommodation and supervision in the event a flight is canceled
00:29 at a connecting airport, which is exactly what happened to Vensel's kids.
00:32 However, instead of a babysitter and a hotel room, her kids ended up missing all night.
00:37 Vensel says she initially received a call saying they would be on the first flight the
00:40 next day, but then received an email with conflicting information.
00:44 When she tried to get in touch with American Airlines, she was unable, leading her to worry
00:47 about what exactly was going on.
00:49 According to American Airlines' own description of the unaccompanied minor chaperone service,
00:54 it includes early boarding, a kids-only lounge, and an airport escort.
00:57 But somewhere, the system clearly broke down, and eventually Vensel was able to locate her
01:01 kids via a third party, in a "lost children's room" where they spent the night with no food
01:07 or water.
01:08 Vensel is now suing American Airlines for their reckless and negligent operations, with
01:12 an attorney from the law firm representing her saying, "There's no margin for error
01:16 with children.
01:17 You can replace luggage or golf clubs, but you can't replace the kids."
01:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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