In the interest of child safety, Delta decided to leave unaccompanied minors stranded in unfamiliar cities in the wake of a global tech outage.
As reported in The New York Times, Delta's solution to protect children from "being separated from their families" was, ironically, to separate them from their families. Families across the country were left scrambling when Delta implemented the policy with little to no warning.
Many families reported not being notified of the policy change until their children were turned away at the check-in counter. Delta offered minimal support or assistance to affected families.
A few examples from the article:
- Patricia Starek's 12-year-old son, Ellis, was stuck in Colorado for three extra days.
- Jason Hewlett, whose son was stranded in Montreal, could only get through using his exclusive Diamond Medallion member line, a service unavailable to the vast majority of Delta customers.
- Asher Darling ended up taking an Uber alone in an unfamiliar city after being rebooked on a different airline. His father's take? "They said they had instituted this policy for Asher's safety, which I found kind of comical."
The U.S. Department of Transportation has opened an investigation into Delta's controversial decision that caused panic among parents across the country.
Previously:
• Black mold on Delta Air Lines meal sickens passengers — and prompts emergency landing
