Should I call Southwest Airlines and make a big stink?

[The Kizzy]

So I have two boys, 12 and 7. The 12 yr old lives in Cleveland, and the 7 year old lives in the DFW, Texas area.

Every summer, we fly the boys back and forth for visits. This year my 7 year old flew from San Antonio to Cleveland on Southwest. SInce he is an unaccopmanied minor, he had to take a flight that didn't connect and they only flew out of SA. No biggie. When the boys flew back together, they flew into Houston, which was about a 5-6 hour drive for me. They said that even though the 12 year old was flying with him, he still had to be treated as an unaccompanied minor.

So my friend and I show up at the airport. We were running a little late because of a traffic accident on 45. We still made it in about 20 minutes before the plane landed. We went to the check in, and they told me that I had to meet them at the gate, and wouldnt let my friend go with me, so she headed for baggage claim. I waited through security, and got to the gate only to find out that the plane had landed early and they were already boarding the next flight. My boys were no where to be found and an employee started looking up in the system to see what had happened when the overhead page asked me to come to the baggage claim area. My friend sent me a text and told me she was looking for my youngest son and I got a phone call from security asking where I was. I was so upset and found out that they did not consider my son an unaccompanied minor because he was with his 12 year old brother.

So they made me buy a special ticket because he was unaccompanied, made me drive 6 hours one way to pick him up instead of the 2 to get to Dallas Love but did not treat him like a minor, and the icing on the cake is they refused to let him go to the bathroom. He asked to go once and they told him not while the seatbelt sign was on and when he asked again, he was told no and they never let him use the restroom and he was on the plane for 5 hours and he wet himself twice.

I'm thinking I should call to complain, but I am afraid to because I have to send my son back to Ohio at the end of August and I don't want them treating him badly because of the whole incident. I hate piss poor customer service.

[Martrae]

I would definitely call and complain. The whole thing is ridiculous and scary.

Isn't there another airline you could use?

[Evermore]

scream

[leah]

well if that one chick can make a big nationwide stink about being asked to cover herself because she was dressed "too revealingly," i think you are more than right to raise your concerns about your son being made to sit for several hours in his own urine.

CALL THE TODAY SHOW (and let us know when you'll be on)

[Eziekial]

You're hesitating because you think your family will be put on some blacklist or something? Jesus Janet, when did you stop thinking? Don't call customer service. Write a letter. Copy and paste your text if your feeling particularly lazy but at least it will be 100% more effective than calling them on the phone. If you really want to get your message across. Make sure to reference the flight information, any attendants you had contact with. Also spell out the frequency of travel on their airline, in general and that you feel this is/is not typical of service on their airline and your feelings on making your experience very public as you do not want other single hard-working mothers in difficult custody circumstances, suffering like you did.
Keep it respectful but stern, detailed to get the point across but short enough not to ramble and see what happens. Good luck!

[brinstar]

also invest in some depends for your tardlet

[The Kizzy]

I use Southwest because they are hundreds of dollars less expensive most of the time.

I wrote them a letter and got a call today, they gave me a free flight voucher for the next time he flies.

THat may not be a bad idea Brin, thanks!

[Sithos]

So let me get this straight...they refused to let your son use the restroom and he wet himself not once but twice and you write a letter? Do you have any idea what that can do to a childs mental health? Get on the horn,make some calls to your local newsroom/paper. For fuck sakes they let him sit there and piss his pants. In flight staff could have easily escorted him to the washroom.

My daughter will soon be 7 and if an airline did that to her I would do a hell of alot more than write a letter.

What the airline let happen was horrible. Your response or lack thereof just baffles me. You seemed to be more worried about how causing a stink would affect you.

[Martrae]

Is "hundreds of dollars cheaper" worth the mental damage done to your kids and the time (and gas!) it took you to drive to the Houston airport?

I'm sorry, but I'd be livid and a lousy free ticket (that they give out right and left) wouldn't assuage me.

Have you considered trying to convince your ex to move to Texas? There's gotta be more jobs down there than there are in Ohio.

[Kramer]

I can't beleive they let your kid wet himself twice, how humiliating and scary.... GGGRRRRR.... I would have a hard time not going fawking balistic on some folks at Southwest...