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A Mother Accused American Airlines Of Holding Her Kids In A ‘Jail-Like’ Room Overnight

Image: Joe Raedle (Getty Images)
Image: Joe Raedle (Getty Images)

We all know air travel can be miserable, but two children may have experienced a hell that adults will never see. One Florida mother has accused American Airlines of leaving her two young children locked in a room overnight without food or water, the New York Post reports.

Amber Vencill, the mother in question, has filed a suit against the airline in which she says that this past summer, her two young sons — 10- and 12-years old— were traveling from Missouri to New York as unaccompanied minors when a flight delay and cancellation led to a frustrating situation

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The child informed his mom “that they had not had anything to eat or drink since the night before, not even a pretzel or snacks that are usually given out by the airline,” according to the filing.

“The room was freezing, and the children spent the night on a sofa with the lights on. Apparently, the children had been placed in a lost children’s room,” it continues.

According to the suit, an employee who didn’t even work for American finally gave the boys food and drink before they got on their flight.

Vencill is suing the airline for an unspecified amount in damages. She’s alleging that American was “reckless, careless, and negligent” and broke its policies and procedures when it “misplaced” the children. Vencill is also claiming the airline didn’t offer to investigate why the boys were placed in the room or how anything else transpired. When she contacted customer service, she says she was just offered an apology and a refund of her $150 fee for the unaccompanied minor service.

David Jaroslawicz, Vencill’s attorney, said the kids were lucky. “Despite what happened, they’re very lucky the children didn’t end up in Mexico or Latin America or wherever. Nobody knew where they were.”

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