A mother of five has alleged that American Airlines charged her nearly £700 for her two-year-old daughter’s last-minute seat, despite the child having been allowed to sit on her lap during a preceding leg of their journey. Lena Anthony described the distressing experience her family endured at the airport and their interactions with airline staff, which she claimed left them feeling traumatised.
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The 39-year-old actress and influencer, who resides in Los Angeles, had booked a round-trip flight from Los Angeles to Philadelphia back in April, intending to travel with her husband and four children aged 6, 4, 2, and 6 months. The family departed from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on June 30 without any issues, having their two-year-old daughter, Triumph, and their six-month-old child seated in their laps while flying.
The holidays in Pennsylvania came to a halt two weeks later when the family arrived at the airport for their return flight. At the check-in counter, Anthony was reportedly informed about an error linked to their reservation. This was said to require them to purchase an additional ticket for Triumph, despite her having flown as a lap child previously.
“We really didn’t understand why this was suddenly an issue,” Anthony recounted when speaking with reporters. “When we flew from Los Angeles, everything was perfectly fine.” She expressed frustration at being told by an airline manager that it was impossible for them to have travelled under the terms of their original round-trip ticket.
According to regulations set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), any child aged 24 months or over must have their own airline ticket. While American Airlines adheres to this policy, Anthony claimed she was permitted to have Triumph as a lap child during the outbound leg of their journey. She further asserted that she and her husband provided documentation, including the children’s birth certificates, to verify their children’s ages when flying out. Upon their arrival in Philadelphia, Anthony noted that she even offered to show staff evidence of Triumph sitting on her husband’s lap, but her efforts were seemingly dismissed.
In attempts to resolve the issue, Anthony alleges that she and her family engaged in discussions with airline managers for more than half an hour while her children grew increasingly distressed, some even lying on the airport floor in tears. Finally, she claimed that an airline employee presented her with an ultimatum: purchase the ticket or leave her daughter behind.
“We had to make a decision on the spot. I couldn’t leave my two-year-old behind, so my father stepped in to pay the fare, which ended up costing us $871 after taxes and fees,” Anthony detailed, noting how this would have to be reimbursed later on.
Once on the flight, Anthony’s troubles continued. She described how her daughter was assigned a seat at the back of the plane, prompting further negotiation with fellow passengers to swap seats so the family could sit together. “It was an absolute mess. Both my husband and I were in disbelief at what transpired,” she reflected. “There was a clear lack of empathy or assistance, it honestly felt as if we had been robbed.”
Following the incident, Anthony filed a complaint with American Airlines but reported not receiving any response within a week. She subsequently took to social media to share her experience, which quickly garnered significant attention. Almost immediately after her post went viral, she claims that the airline’s media team reached out to her.
“Someone contacted me the very next day, but they only offered to compensate me for half of the ticket cost,” Anthony stated. Since she did not accept the offer promptly, the compensation has since lapsed.
Anthony’s family continues to process the impact of their experience. “My six-year-old daughter has already asked me whether we would face the same kind of trouble when we travel again. I had to reassure her that we would never go through something like that again,” she added, highlighting the emotional toll the situation took on her children.
As of now, American Airlines has not responded to requests for comment regarding this specific incident. The distressing turn of events has stirred conversation about customer service standards within the airline industry, particularly during travel with young children.