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The Smoking Man
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« on: July 23, 2008, 03:40:40 PM » |
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Or Can they travel with their own sheep if they aren't married???
Qantas rule leaves toddler stranded
Will Hine
July 23, 2008 - 12:20PM
A mother from Cromwell, New Zealand, is trying to reunite with her toddler in Christchurch this week after the child was barred from coming home on a Qantas flight at the weekend.
Anna Grace is now warning users of airline websites to be careful when booking tickets for children, after her daughter Montana-Rose, 2 years and 10 months, was barred from flying home with her 14-year-old brother on Sunday.
Mrs Grace bought tickets on a Qantas flight for Hamish, 14, and Montana-Rose so they could return to Queenstown from Christchurch, where they were visiting their grandparents.
However, airline officials stopped Montana-Rose from flying on Sunday because Hamish was not 15 years or older.
Montana-Rose now remains in Oxford, near Christchurch, while her family work out how to return her to her family in Cromwell.
Mrs Grace said she had assumed Hamish could act as a caregiver for Montana-Rose, as being 11 years or older, he had to travel on an adult fare. She said the passenger rules were not logically worded in the booking process.
"They want him to pay to be an adult, but they don't treat him as an adult."
The booking window on the Qantas website asks users to select the number of "Adults" and "Children (2-11 yrs)" flying, with an adjacent link asking "Children travelling alone?" .
Mrs Grace said she ignored this link because Montana-Rose, in the children category, was flying with Hamish, who was booked in the adult category.
There was also no mention of passage conditions for children listed on Montana-Rose's electronic ticket, on which passenger information stretched to four pages of A4 paper.
A Qantas spokesperson said the company's rules were simple.
"A 14-year-old is an unaccompanied minor and they can't accompany another unaccompanied minor.
"It's all listed on the website."
Hamish, who regularly babysits, feeds, bathes, and changes the nappies of Montana-Rose, said being separated from her at Christchurch Airport was horrible.
"I was hoping she would get to go on the plane and sit by the window and laugh and have fun," Hamish said.
Mrs Grace asked whether mothers or fathers aged under 15 would be allowed to travel with their own child.
This hypothetical situation was put to the Qantas spokesperson, who described it as a "ridiculous, irrelevant" question.
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