Unaccompanied 6-year-old flying to Fort Myers put on wrong Spirit Airlines flight, ends up in Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. – A 6-year-old traveling alone on a Spirit Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Fort Myers somehow ended up in Orlando instead, according to CBS News.

A spokesperson from the airline told CBS News on Sunday that the unaccompanied child was “incorrectly boarded” onto a plane headed to Orlando, about 160 miles away from the intended destination.

WINK-TV in southwest Florida reported that it was the child’s first time on an airplane and his grandmother, Maria Ramos, was excited for him to visit.

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“They told me, ‘No, he’s not on this flight. He missed his flight.’ I said, ‘No, he could not miss his flight because I have the check-in tag. I ran inside the plane to the flight attendant and, I asked her, ‘Where’s my grandson? He was handed over to you at Philadelphia?’ She said, ‘No, I had no kids with me,’” Ramos told WINK-TV.

Spirit said an internal investigation was underway, but did not provide additional details on how the mistake was made.

The boy’s bag did make it to the correct airport, arriving at Southwest Florida International Airport.

Ramos said Spirit Airlines has offered to reimburse her for her drive to Orlando to pick up the boy.

“I want them to call me. Let me know how my grandson ended up in Orlando. How did that happen? Did they get him off the plane? The flight attendant – after mom handed him with paperwork – did she let him go by himself? He jumped in the wrong plane by himself?” Ramos said.

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