An update for you. The agent who misplaced about the sweetest looking little boy I've ever seen six year old fired. The update Spirit Airlines has terminated the agent accountable for [00:00:16] mishandling the travel arrangements of an unaccompanied six year old on a journey from Pennsylvania to Florida. Florida, rather, he was just going to see his grandmother. And I love this grandmother because she's not going to take it. An internal investigation determined that while under the agent's supervision, [00:00:33] the first grader was mistakenly placed on a flight to the incorrect destination. I asked, where's the system of checks and balances here, folks? Agent not only compromised the child's safety, but also potentially damaged the brand's reputation and trust. [00:00:49] Atlanta black star with the details. We would want to revisit how much the reputation was already in tatters. The trust, perhaps. I mean, come on. We've done a number of stories on spirit. [00:01:04] I'm not trying to beat up on them. But this time you lost a little boy. It deserves a little punch to the gut, maybe. Casper young boy traveling to see his grandmother Maria Ramos for the holiday was supposed to be traveling from Philadelphia to Fort Myers on Thursday, December 21. [00:01:21] That's days before Christmas. Instead, a spirit Airlines probe discovered gate agent in Philadelphia escorted the boy to the wrong plane chartered for Orlando, landing the child 160 miles away from his intended destination. [00:01:39] Now, I want to pause there just quickly. Philly was my home airport, okay? I'm in Atlanta now, but I can say this because I'm from this area, but the Philly airport has a different kind of swagger about it, okay? [00:01:57] I don't know if the little boy even was allowed to get anything out because normally it's like wait your turn they're the ones that are yelling about taking your shoes off and you better not hold up the line. It can be very intimidating. [00:02:13] I can say that, okay. And I'm going to say it. That's how it is a lot of times Philly airport. And they know that. They're not going to hold it against me. Do you know that? They actually take pride in it. But this is about spirit. Let's give you their earlier statement to the public. [00:02:28] In it, the airline said, quote, we take the safety and responsibility of transporting all of our guests seriously. This is the spirit airline statement, is what it says. We're conducting an internal investigation. [00:02:43] The statement continued, adding, we apologize to the family for this experience. Well, halftime at the Super bowl is an experience. This is something else. The airline has still not explained how the child was placed on the wrong plane. [00:03:00] Only assuring the family that the child was always with a spirit team member during the trip. Well, that makes you feel better if you're the grandmother here, I would think better off on his own, okay. As a matter of fact, he did call his grandmother. [00:03:17] The kid was the smart one here. The kid's a hero here. Ramos has been in contact with Spirit Airlines corporate office, and they have offered to reimburse her for the drive to pick up her grandchild. I heard it, too. Working in the PR department here. [00:03:33] However, the gas and toll fees not enough for the grandmother. She wants answers. She further states family is considering a lawsuit. Particularly since no one has an answer for how or an update for her almost a week after the incident, you have cameras all over. [00:03:51] You're telling me you don't know what happened to Casper five days later and it's under investigation. Ted Ramos. That makes me think he didn't have a flight attendant, despite what the company insists, she added. Now, the airline issued a statement regarding the agent's employment at [00:04:08] the company. This agent is no longer working with spirit. Any individual whose actions resulted in the incorrect boarding will be held accountable for failing to follow our procedures, Spirit said. That's according to Fox 35. We are also reiterating our procedures to the team. [00:04:26] And we are in communication with the child's family about this matter. So I have to give Spirit an f. Not just for their on time departures. You get an f. You get an f for PR and how you handled this family. In all seriousness, this little boy, [00:04:43] if you put up this picture just one more time for me. He could have been a human trafficked. That's just a fact. If I'd been on that plane, Rayvana, I told you I would have looked after him. I would have been worried. [00:04:58] I know when a child's not with anyone. I would have stepped up. So firing some agent who's probably had his earpods in. Okay, because it may not be the best place to work. Might have been complaining about the company instead of reading the boy's [00:05:15] ticket, what about a system of checks and balances here? And why are you offering the grandma gas money? The kid could have been human trafficked. >> Speaker 2: It's absurd to me. [00:05:31] And I think you're exactly right. The horrible publicity that they are giving themselves. By the way that they are handling this. Of course they should be getting bad press and bad attention for allowing this to happen in the first place. But then to turn around and [00:05:47] offer her gas money when what she really wants are answers. How the hell was this allowed to happen at all? I mean, they didn't scan his ticket at the gate. Nothing, nobody anywhere stopped and said, why is this child by himself? [00:06:08] Or why is this child's ticket not the right one for the gate he's at? Nobody seems to have cared about this child. And as you mentioned, when they got to, the grandmother went to pick him up at the correct airport. [00:06:23] They said, your grandson missed his flight. She's like, no, he did not. I know that he got on his flight. I know that. And then they couldn't give her an answer as to where the child ended up. And it was only because, as you mentioned, he facetimed her that she was able to figure that out. [00:06:41] So not only did spirit drop the ball, I mean, in a horrendous fashion, on getting this child on the flight, they weren't there to help him when he landed, that no one at the gate when he got off, looked at the ticket around his neck to see, you're not supposed to be here. [00:06:59] In big letters, it would give the code for the airport he was supposed to be to or be at, and nobody cared. This company doesn't just need to fire one person or even the people involved. They need to do some serious overhaul on the way that they handle unaccompanied [00:07:15] minors. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, and by the way, I'm sure the grandmother paid a fee because that's how it works. I mean, this is a six year old, right, not allowed to travel. You pay an extra fee, and it's usually substantial. We know spirit Airlines likes to say, here's a $10 ticket, and [00:07:30] then after you pay all the fees for being allowed to sit in a chair, being provided a cube of ice, it ends up it's an $800 ticket. >> Speaker 1: Okay, >> I know she probably paid extra for this, but I am with Ms. Ramos because she needs to sue, if she's so inclined, if she can handle it. [00:07:48] And apparently she can handle it, baby, she needs to sue because she needs an explanation for herself, her grandson's well being, and for the rest of the public and kids who aren't being cared for properly. I don't know if the governing body. [00:08:05] What is it, the FAA? I don't know if federal officials are involved in this case, but they should be. Otherwise don't tell me that you care about kids being human trafficked and the safety of people. This is not just a story. [00:08:20] It's a story. You understand? This is outrageous. And the fact that he's the most adorable six year old I perhaps have ever seen in case my daughter's watching. He's a boy, you're a girl. And so I clarify, not in my own house. Can I put it like that? [00:08:36] Because I don't want this girl to get after me. And she will. And it can be very difficult to take, but it's because it's wrong for any child to have to deal with this. I think it's real. The trauma. The trauma is real.