Unaccompanied Sacramento minors caught in Southwest’s cancellation fiasco
Twix the border collie is one happy dog. Two of her humans are finally back with her in Sacramento after getting stuck in San Diego as part of the Southwest Airlines holiday travel meltdown.”I was really excited to see my dog because I really missed her,” Chloe Groveman said after being reunited with Twix at Sacramento International Airport.Chloe’s parents are relieved to have their 13 and 15-year-old daughters home.| RELATED | With air travel out, Southwest customers in Sacramento opt for train, rental cars”We had no clue that getting back from San Diego to Sacramento would be such a nightmare for the kids,” said parent Jonathan Groveman.Their 72-hour ordeal started early Christmas Day when the two, unaccompanied minors were set to fly home after visiting with their grandparents.”Their flight was delayed,” Jonathan Groveman said about his daughters’ flights. “Kept getting delayed, delayed, delayed, delayed, delayed.”The increasingly concerned parents burned up the phone lines trying to get a hold of Southwest Airlines, until finally, they had a breakthrough.”We were given a number for the operations desk at San Diego Southwest, which we’ve spoken to for over 72 hours. I want to thank those people,” he said. “We checked in with them multiple times a day. They had our number on a whiteboard.”| RELATED | Flight cancellations leave Southwest travelers stranded in Sacramento. The Southwest cancellation crisis didn’t leave the Groveman family with lost luggage or out of money for airport meals. It helped them realize the importance of persistence when it comes to advocating for loved ones.They’re also feeling appreciation for workers willing to lend a hand to their girls.”We’re just so thankful to get them home,” Jonathan Groveman said . “We’re thankful the San Diego people were able to get them home.”In response to KCRA 3’s request for an interview, Southwest Airlines explained in writing that it plans to operate on a reduced schedule – flying roughly one-third of its schedule for the next several days. Additionally, since the airline anticipates there will be continued disruptions, it has issued a travel advisory for unaccompanied minors, outlined as follows on the airline’s website: “Unaccompanied Minors age five (5) through eleven (11) years old will not be accepted for carriage, and Young Travelers age twelve (12) through seventeen (17) will only be accepted on non-stop flights…”
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Twix the border collie is one happy dog. Two of her humans are finally back with her in Sacramento after getting stuck in San Diego as part of the Southwest Airlines holiday travel meltdown.
“I was really excited to see my dog because I really missed her,” Chloe Groveman said after being reunited with Twix at Sacramento International Airport.
Chloe’s parents are relieved to have their 13 and 15-year-old daughters home.
| RELATED | With air travel out, Southwest customers in Sacramento opt for train, rental cars
“We had no clue that getting back from San Diego to Sacramento would be such a nightmare for the kids,” said parent Jonathan Groveman.
Their 72-hour ordeal started early Christmas Day when the two, unaccompanied minors were set to fly home after visiting with their grandparents.
“Their flight was delayed,” Jonathan Groveman said about his daughters’ flights. “Keep getting delayed, delayed, delayed, delayed, delayed.”
The increasingly concerned parents burned up the phone lines trying to get a hold of Southwest Airlines, until finally, they had a breakthrough.
“We were given a number for the operations desk at San Diego Southwest, which we’ve spoken to for over 72 hours. I want to thank those people,” he said. “We checked in with them multiple times a day. They had our number on a whiteboard.”
| RELATED | Flight cancellations leave Southwest travelers stranded in Sacramento
The Southwest cancellation crisis didn’t leave the Groveman family with lost luggage or out of money for airport meals. It helped them realize the importance of persistence when it comes to advocating for loved ones.
They’re also feeling appreciation for workers willing to lend a hand to their girls.
“We’re just so thankful to get them home,” Jonathan Groveman said. “We’re thankful the San Diego people were able to get them home.”
In response to KCRA 3’s request for an interview, Southwest Airlines explained in writing that it plans to operate on a reduced schedule – flying roughly one-third of its schedule for the next several days.
Additionally, since the airline anticipates there will be continued disruptions, it has issued a travel advisory for unaccompanied minors, outlined as follows on the airline’s website:
“Unaccompanied Minors age five (5) through eleven (11) years old will not be accepted for carriage, and Young Travelers age twelve (12) through seventeen (17) will only be accepted on non-stop flights…”