Children on American Airlines flight not fed, given medication during 13-hour delay, parents claim

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Parents in Washington and Oregon are angry at American Airlines, claiming the airline did not notify them of a 13-hour delay on a flight from Charlotte, N.C., to Portland, Ore., that their children were on Friday.

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Kristie Hoyt, a mother of one of the unaccompanied minors returning home from a summer camp for children with a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis, claimed she had to contact the airline crew to find out what was happening with the flight – and that no one contacted her.

“I just talked to your flight attendant #1 Bailey on flight number 1736 (after the first one rudely yelled at me and passed the phone off) she states they aren’t informed of the policy for unaccompanied minors! That fee we pay extra per child, she said no one is specifically assigned to be with the kids,” Hoyt wrote on Facebook.

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“First she says the flight is delayed because the catering service wasn’t delivered. On time. You have starved our children! Then she proceeds to say the waste levels are too high and maintenance is there to fix it. What is wrong with you? When will you actually contact the parents and do your job and follow your policies?” the post concluded.

Hoyt said the children on the flight were not given dinner and were unable to take their medications, as they are required to take them with a meal. She also shared that some of the children did not have access to their medication, which was stored in a checked bag under the plane, KATU reported.

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Kelly Phillips, one of the children on the flight, said the group looked after each other after they were brought into a room for unaccompanied minors to wait during the delay.

“One of the older kids... it’s harsh for him to deal with a lot of stress,” she said, KATU reported. “He could end up having a seizure if he gets over-stressed. His seizure medication was on one of the carry-ons we had to put under the plane, so we tried to keep him calm.”

Hoyt said the children on the flight were not given dinner and were unable to take their medications, as they are required to take them with a meal. (iStock)

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American Airlines told Fox News in a statement that the flight experienced a “mechanical delay that caused it to remain in Charlotte overnight.” The flight departed for Portland Saturday morning.

“Our team is in the process of reaching out to the families involved and sincerely apologizes for this travel experience. We will be reviewing with our teams internally to understand how we can do better next time,” the statement read.

Hoyt did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.