Charlie, 7, was excited to travel on a Virgin Australia flight unaccompanied. What happened next has left the little girl vowing to never fly alone again
A mother is furious as she claims her distraught young daughter was allegedly ‘abused’ and humiliated by a Virgin Australia crew member who was tasked with caring for her during the flight.
Chey Gurner’s seven-year-old daughter Charlie flew escorted on a flight from Melbourne to Tasmania this week.
The little girl was so traumatized by the harrowing ordeal that she never wants to fly alone again.
Her furious mother is now demanding answers as the airline has launched an investigation into the matter.
“My daughter gets off the flight from Melbourne crying,” Ms Gurner wrote this week.
“I got no explanation from the crew, just a ‘sign here’ and (they) walked away.”
A furious mother claims her seven-year-old daughter was left traumatized by the ‘abuse’ she suffered during a short flight (stock image)
It took 15 minutes for Mrs Gurner to calm her distressed daughter.
Charlie claimed the Virgin crew member who was supposed to care for her ‘gave her the cold shoulder’ and ‘barely gave her the time of day’.
‘Charlie got up during the flight to stretch her legs and go to the bathroom. Instead, the flight attendant angrily approached Charlie and told her, ‘You are not allowed to stand up or sit down,'” Ms. Gurner wrote.
‘Charlie then spilled her drink on her and covered herself and her area with it.
‘Charlie looked at the flight attendant and instead of coming over and helping her clean up, she was stared at and the lady walked away.
“Another passenger had to help Charlie clean up.”
Her daughter is still traumatized by the painful ordeal.
“To have my daughter say to me, ‘Mommy, she was supposed to help me. She was so rude. I never want to fly alone again,” Ms. Gurner wrote.
The mother claimed her attempts to raise the matter with Virgin Australia had been stonewalled. Pictured is a Virgin Australia aircraft
“A seven-year-old child on her own and this was her experience. It’s absolutely devastating.’
Ms Gurner claimed her attempts to contact Virgin Australia about the ordeal were stonewalled by the airline.
“I called Virgin Australia that same Monday and asked to speak to someone urgently about this matter,” Ms Gurner wrote.
‘I was told that I can’t speak to anyone on the phone and that I have to put this in an email. I did this.
‘I then wrote about this experience on the Virgin Australia Facebook page. They contacted me asking to contact them directly on Facebook to discuss. I did this.
‘Instead of discussing it with me as they said, I was told to submit a new application via their website, which I did.
‘After requesting that they contact me urgently, I have now been told that I would have to wait at least ten working days for a response.’
Ms Gurner said the experience had left her ‘mortified’.
“As an unaccompanied minor, you pay an extra fee for a service for your child,” she writes. ‘This service has not been performed.
“Instead, my daughter felt helpless, eager to travel alone, and discouraged.
“The person we told her would help her when she needed it wasn’t actually there for her at all.”
Ms Gurner said she was told she had to fly to Melbourne Airport (pictured) to make a complaint in person
Ms Gurner said she called Virgin again and ‘demanded to be put through to someone in charge’.
“I was eventually transferred, but this was after hesitation and being told to re-email this,” she wrote.
Ultimately, Ms Gurner spoke to a Virgin representative but “got nowhere” and admits “the conversation got heated.”
Ms Gurner said that after repeatedly explaining what had happened, she was told she would have to fly from her home to Melbourne airport and make the complaint in person.
“This is not okay,” Ms. Gurner wrote.
“All my daughter wants is an apology, someone to apologize for making her feel the way she did.
‘All I want is for this lady to become aware of her disgusting behavior and never have the opportunity to do this to another child.
“No one is taking this seriously, no one seems to care.”
Mrs Gurner’s story was supported by Vickie Woodhead, who opened her home for Charlie to spend the weekend.
Charlie was convinced she never wanted to fly again, according to Mrs Gurner (stock image)
“It broke my heart when I spoke to her (Charlie) on the phone,” Ms Woodhead wrote in a response.
‘We had a fantastic weekend away and I told her this morning that they would look after her because she was nervous and then they did this to her. Not happy.’
The alleged incident horrified other flight attendants who posted on social media.
“I’m so sorry to hear this happened to your sweet girl,” one person wrote.
“Unaccompanied minors are absolutely our most precious cargo on board and must be treated with the utmost love and care. Traveling alone is so exciting and courageous!
‘Reading this breaks my heart for her! At a MINIMUM, an UM (unaccompanied minor) should be monitored regularly, provided with extra comfort and care, and explained about noises and bumps they may experience.
‘There is always time for the crew to initiate and prioritize this. There is no excuse.
“Sending love to you and your family and I hope your next experience will be MUCH better.”
A Virgin Australia spokesperson said the airline was “actively investigating this matter.”
“We will keep the guest informed of the progress and outcome of the investigation,” the spokesperson said.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Ms Gurner for comment.