United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
JetBlue mix-up sends two unaccompanied minors to wrong airports
Tuesday, 02 Sep, 2016
0
A New York mom has told of her shock after her five-year-old son was mixed up with another unaccompanied minor and flown to the wrong city.
Maribel Martinez was waiting for her son Andy to return from a family vacation in the Dominican Republic and was presented with the wrong child at New York JFK.
However the child was carrying Martinez’ son’s passport.
Both minors had boarded at Santiago, Dominican Republic for separate JetBlue flights to New York and Boston.
Martinez’ son was eventually tracked down in Boston.
JetBlue issued a statement over the embarrassing mix-up.
"Our teams in JFK and Boston immediately took steps to assist the children in reaching their correct destinations. While the children were always under the care and supervision of JetBlue crewmembers, we realize this situation was distressing for the families," it said.
Martinez told the New York Daily News it took the airline more than three hours to locate her son.
"Any parent can understand the terrifying feeling of fear a mother goes through knowing her young child is missing. This should never have happened. Jet Blue’s employees should be ashamed of themselves," said the Martinez’ family lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein.
Rubenstein hinted a lawsuit may follow.
"Right now the issue is not a lawsuit, the issue is an investigation by the FAA about what actually happened here, and then we’ll explore the lawsuit," Rubenstein said.
JetBlue said it has refunded the flights and issued additional flight credit to both families and an internal investigation into the incident is ongoing.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Exploring Brooklands Museum with Alex Patterson
Global Tourism Challenges and Upcoming Events: A Conversation with Don Welsh
Peebles Barbeque: A Legacy of Flavor and Tradition
Exploring Bok Tower Gardens with Erica Smith
Rue’s Living Water Boat Cruises: Exploring Winter Haven’s Chain of Lakes
Durango and Silverton Railroad: A Timeless Journey Through History and Scenic Beauty
Walt Leger on New Orleans’ Resilience and Major Events Ahead
Cindy Mackin Shares Estes Park’s Winter Thrills
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
Dozens of bodies recovered from DC river after midair collision
JetBlue scraps London Gatwick flights
Quake warning in Santorini after hundreds of tremors
Trump Admin vows to end cruise tax loophole
Cockpit tarantula causes flight delays