Delta [Gate Agent] Gives Unaccompanied Minor to Wrong Person

Mike Wise

Mike Wise

#NewSchool
http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/weir...unaccompanied-minor-to-wrong-person/14432269/

HOUSTON (KPRC/CNN) -- A Cincinnati man is trying to get his daughter back after a mix-up at Houston's airport.

The 7-year-old was flying as an unaccompanied minor, but was turned over to her mother-- who just got out of prison and shouldn't have custody of her.

"This is bringing up feelings he never experienced before," said said Umeka Lewis Piccolo, an attorney representing the father.

Kiante Butler, 37, flew his daughter Angelina on Delta Airlines as an unaccompanied minor last week.

She was picked up by a relative -- but not one who is supposed to have custody of her. Angelina was greeted and taken by her mother -- 39-year-old Jennifer Lopez.

"This is very difficult for him because when he last saw Jennifer he was attacked," Piccolo said.

Butler -- who lives in Cincinnati -- still bears the injuries from the last time he saw the mother of his child. He walks slowly with a pronounced limp.

He was too emotional to talk to us on camera -- but says six years ago Lopez and several accomplices beat him severely and kidnapped Angelina and another child.

Lopez went to prison and was released early in March.

The airline handed over Angelina to her mother even though another relative was on the unaccompanied minor list to pick up the child.

Butler didn't even know Lopez had been released from prison.

"Delta has pretty much admitted that their policy has been, has not been followed and at this point it's just a matter of Mr. Butler trying to get his daughter back," Piccolo said.

A Delta spokesperson says the airline is "conducting its own investigation into what transpired at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport last week. Delta's unaccompanied minor handling protocols are thorough and we will be looking to see if procedures were properly followed in this instance."
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Not surprised, this is what you get for 10 bucks an hour and unpaid on-call jobs.

P.s, they have been reunited.
 
I feel like unless a Delta employee told the gate agent "Don't give the kid over to its mother, even if she comes for the kid" that it probably isn't as much the gate agent's fault.
 
gotWXdagain said:
I feel like unless a Delta employee told the gate agent "Don't give the kid over to its mother, even if she comes for the kid" that it probably isn't as much the gate agent's fault.
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I think technically they can only give the kid to someone named on the paperwork, even if it's a parent. But yeah, it's tough to know.
 
SeanD said:
A 7 year old shouldn't be flying without an adult at all IMO.
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I know.

It seems like an honest mistake to make and could easily have been "Delta refused to give me my daughter because EvilWarlordHusband didn't include my name on the form"
 
Derg said:
I know.

It seems like an honest mistake to make and could easily have been "Delta refused to give me my daughter because EvilWarlordHusband didn't include my name on the form"
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Its happened at UA. I think they even changed their minimum UM age to 10. It ranks up there with lap child in my book. The child should at least have the ability to easily identify who they are meeting and to communicate with a gate agent.

Gate Agent: Hi there, youre MIndy? ok greaaat. Who are you meeting today hun?
Child: Blueberries and cupcakes
 
Typical "news" article leaves out the Who was actually supposed to pick her up, Why she was flying as a unam, Where was she going (beyond the airport, duh) How the mistake was made, and What is being done to fix it. Yeah, news "reporters" FTW.
 
The kid would have recognized "mommy", addressed her as such, and the agent thinks, "Oh it's mommy, here sign this" and off they go.

However, the agent should have verified the pickup adult's name on the paperwork with the person actually picking up.
 
gotWXdagain said:
I feel like unless a Delta employee told the gate agent "Don't give the kid over to its mother, even if she comes for the kid" that it probably isn't as much the gate agent's fault.
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It's crazy though, I feel like certain situations are talked about in those 2-4 week training courses that gate agents are sent to. One of them ( that I can remember) , is the that no matter if its mom, dad, brother sister, whomever, you don't release a UM to someone that isn't on the paperwork. Blah Ze Blah could be the Ex, Registered SO, Convict etc, and as gate agents we don't really know what the deal is other then a smile, and a 7 year old saying "Mommy" to that smile...Scary thought!
 
Both times my kids have flown nonrev as um, they verified my ID with the name on the paperwork. the last time they did, my ex-wife tried to get her mother to pick them up instead of her and Delta would not release them to her. I think they need to do as they are doing and review the um policies and need to also make each ACS gate agent go through training class.
 
H46Bubba said:
Both times my kids have flown nonrev as um, they verified my ID with the name on the paperwork. the last time they did, my ex-wife tried to get her mother to pick them up instead of her and Delta would not release them to her. I think they need to do as they are doing and review the um policies and need to also make each ACS gate agent go through training class.
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Preach!
 
Bandit_Driver said:
here's a better policy...NO UM's
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There are people that send UM's overseas.

We had 15 individual UM's to CDG once.

Sadly, I keep thinking how did the mother know the child was arriving at the airport, where was the person who was supposed to receive the child? How did the person, not on the list, gain entry to the gate area without the proper paperwork and, of course, wouldn't it have still been a story if the airline didn't release the child to the mother in spite of whatever the restrictions were?

This leave me more questions than answers.
 
I used to fly two of my kids UM at various times since the early 1990s. I think the youngest I ever sent them was 10. When they were younger I would look for direct flights, but sometimes, living in places like ICT, OKC and GRR that wasn't always possible. Never had any issues other the the $200 in fees on an RT ticket.

SWA seemed to be best, not to mention no fee, which is odd as I won't personally fly them for business. My son always came off the plane with 40 packages of peanuts and other airline swag.

Now I find it easier and faster to just get the mooney and fly down to get her........
 
At B6 UM's are treated like royalty. Direct flights only, VIP seating in the last row aka the OAL Employee row (Not sure why but FA's always requested the last row), free everything ,and always with a crew member. One time I remember meeting a flight at the gate with 3 LEO's because one man had said the wrong things to a UM.
 
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