Arlene was nervous that morning. She was about to send her seven-year-old son, Justin, on a plane all by himself. He was flying from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia all the way to Orlando, Florida, to see his dad, Pierce.
It was Justin’s very first time traveling alone as an unaccompanied minor. Arlene clutched his hand tightly, her heart beating fast, but the airline attendant reassured her.
“It’s going to be alright, Mrs. Cardigan,” the woman said warmly. “Plenty of kids travel alone every day. Your son will have an escort the entire way. And this is the best flight—no connections. Everything will go perfectly.”
Arlene tried to smile. Her son was still so little, even if he thought he was grown-up. She was terrified, but Justin hadn’t seen his father in years, not since the ugly divorce that drove Pierce to move down to Orlando. When Pierce finally got time off work and invited Justin to visit, promising theme parks and superheroes, Arlene couldn’t say no.
She crouched down in front of her son and grabbed his shoulders gently.
“Ok, Justin. You’re going with this lady and getting on the plane. Listen to the adults around you. Don’t wander off. The second you land in Orlando, you call me. Then you call again once you’re with your dad. Understand?”
“Yes, Mom!” Justin grinned, raising his hand in a silly salute.
Arlene laughed nervously and kissed his forehead. “Love you, buddy. Go on now.”
Justin proudly grabbed the attendant’s hand and marched toward the gate. Arlene stood frozen until he disappeared, then sat in a café, staring at the flight board. She wasn’t going anywhere until that plane was safely in the sky. When it finally took off, she sighed. In less than two hours, Justin would be with his dad.
Meanwhile in Florida, Pierce was buzzing with excitement. He’d arrived early at Orlando International Airport and was standing near the arrivals gate, pacing back and forth.
He muttered, “Maybe I should’ve brought a sign with his name on it.” He looked around at other parents holding colorful posters for their kids. But no matter—Justin would recognize him right away.
The plane landed, passengers streamed out, but… no Justin.
Pierce waited. Maybe his son needed the restroom. Maybe the escort had to check something. But as the crowd thinned out, his smile began to fade. An hour passed. Still no Justin.
Finally, Pierce flagged down an airline worker. “Excuse me, my son was supposed to be on that flight. He’s traveling as an unaccompanied minor. His name is Justin Cardigan. Where is he?”
The attendant frowned and checked her screen. “I’m sorry, sir. There’s no record of a Justin Cardigan on this flight. And no unaccompanied minor registered under that name.”
“What?” Pierce’s heart dropped. His voice grew urgent. “That’s impossible. Please check again!”
The woman typed again, but shook her head. Just then, Pierce’s phone rang. It was Arlene.
“Pierce,” she began quickly, “why hasn’t Justin called me? He promised he would call when he landed, and when he met you. Did you forget to remind him?”
Pierce closed his eyes, trying to steady his voice. “Arlene… he’s not here. They’re saying he wasn’t on the flight at all.”
“What? NO! That’s crazy!” Arlene screamed into the phone. “Check again! I’m going to ask someone here too. I’m still at the airport.”
“Arlene, calm down—” Pierce tried.
“I am NOT calming down! This is our child, Pierce! Call me back!” she snapped and hung up.
Pierce turned to the attendant, sweating. “Please, miss. He’s only seven years old. If he’s not here, where is he? Should I call the police?”
Back in Virginia, Arlene’s phone buzzed again—it was Justin! She snatched it up.
“Justin! Where are you? Why didn’t you call me sooner?”
“Mom,” the little boy said in a small voice, “we’ve been looking for Dad for hours, but we can’t find him anywhere. Did you talk to him?”
Arlene’s stomach dropped. She demanded to speak to the escort, who confirmed the same thing: “We’ve looked everywhere. No one named Pierce Cardigan is here.”
Frustrated, Arlene called Pierce again. “Justin says he’s at the airport, searching for you! What do you mean he’s not there?”
Pierce ran a hand through his hair. “That’s impossible! Everyone here insists he wasn’t even on the flight!”
Arlene froze. A thought flashed in her mind. She quickly opened her email. Instead of sending Pierce a screenshot of the flight details earlier, she had typed them out. Her eyes widened as she reread her message.
“Oh my God,” she whispered.
She grabbed the phone. “Pierce, where exactly are you?”
“At Orlando International Airport—MCO. Where else would I be?” Pierce answered, confused. Then it hit him too.
Arlene shouted, “Justin landed at ORLANDO SANFORD International Airport!”
There was silence for a beat. Then Pierce gasped. “Jesus, Arlene! Why didn’t you say that in your email? Almost all flights land at MCO! I’m on my way. Thirty minutes!”
Pierce bolted for the parking lot, racing to his car. Meanwhile, Arlene called Justin back and explained the mix-up to his escort. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Dad’s coming to get you. Just wait right there.”
Less than an hour later, Arlene’s phone rang again.
“Mom!” Justin’s cheerful voice rang out. “I’m with Dad now! We found each other! Thank you for helping us. We’re going to Disney tomorrow—I’ll send you pictures!”
Arlene’s knees buckled with relief. She took a long, shaky breath, finally allowing herself to leave the airport café.
Lesson learned?
When sending flight details, always double-check the airport codes. A single mistake nearly tore these parents apart with worry.
And while the unaccompanied minor service is helpful, sometimes nothing beats being right there with your child—especially if you’re a mom like Arlene, who worries enough for two parents.