Airline Left Kids Stranded, Then Placed Them in a Cell-Like Room with No Food or Water, Mom Claims in Lawsuit

A Florida mother says American Airlines left her two children in a cold room resembling a holding cell and deprived them of food, water and blankets overnight after their flight was canceled, Insider reported.

Amber Vencill claims she used a service for unaccompanied minors in July 2022 to care for her 10- and 12-year-old boys, referred to in the suit as J.V. and R.V., as they traveled alone from Missouri to Syracuse, New York.

The pair had a planned layover in Charlotte, but their connecting flight was delayed multiple times before eventually being canceled altogether, according to a lawsuit filed last week and obtained by Insider.

Vencill claims American called her partner, whom the kids were meeting in Syracuse, and reassured him that the kids would be placed in a "nice room for unaccompanied minors where there were beds and their own bathroom" until they could fly out the next morning.

The airline separately told Vencill that her kids would be heading to Syracuse at 5 p.m. the next day, so, according to the lawsuit, she "had no idea what flight her children would be on" due to the conflicting messages from American.

“The safety and comfort of our customers, including unaccompanied minors in our care, are our highest priorities and we’re committed to providing a positive experience to everyone who travels with us," American wrote in a statement to The Messenger. "We have been in touch with Ms. Vencill directly and we are reviewing the details of the lawsuit.”

Vencill reportedly struggled to get in contact with American employees at the airport. When she finally managed to speak to her kids, they told her they had been kept inside a cold "lost children's room" overnight, with a bare couch and lights that stayed on all night.

"The worst part was they were in an airport, they could have been taken anywhere," David Jaroslawicz, Vencill's attorney, told Insider. "They were in an airport with all sorts of nuts around."

Vencill said American offered a "hollow apology" for the mix-up and refunded the $150 it charged for its unaccompanied minor service. A friendly airport employee managed to bring the kids some snacks and drinks.

But Vencill is suing for an undisclosed amount of money in damages, according to Insider, on the grounds that the airline was "reckless, careless, and negligent," the lawsuit says.

It adds that J.V. and R.V. are now afraid to fly, concerned that they might be "lost or abandoned" again at the airport.