By David Southwell For Daily Mail Australia
10:40 20 Jun 2024, updated 11:12 20 Jun 2024
A mother is fuming amid claims her distraught young daughter was allegedly ‘mistreated’ and humiliated by a Virgin Australia crew member entrusted to look after her during the flight.
Chey Gurner’s seven-year-old daughter Charlie flew accompanied on a flight from Melbourne to Tasmania this week.
The little girl was left so traumatised by the harrowing ordeal that she never wants to fly on her own again.
Her furious mum is now demanding answers as the airline launched an investigation into the matter.
‘My daughter walks off the flight from Melbourne sobbing her heart out,’ Ms Gurner posted this week.
‘I got no explanation from the crew, just a ‘sign here’ and (they) walked away.’
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It took 15 minutes for Ms Gurner to calm her distressed daughter.
Charlie claimed the Virgin crew member assigned to look after her gave the girl ‘the cold shoulder’ and barely offered ‘her the time of day’.
‘Charlie got up during the flight to stretch her legs and go to the bathroom, instead the flight attendant went cross at Charlie and told her ‘you are not allowed to stand up, sit down’,’ Ms Gurner wrote.
‘Charlie then spilt her drink all over her, absolutely covered herself and her area in it.
‘Charlie looked at the flight attendant and instead of coming over and helping her clean herself up, she got stared at and the lady walked away.
‘Another passenger had to help Charlie clean it up.’
Her daughter is still traumatised by the distressing ordeal.
‘To have my daughter say to me ‘Mum, she was meant to help me. She was so rude. I never want to fly on my own again’,’ Ms Gurner wrote.
‘A seven-year old child on her own and this was her experience. It is absolutely devastating.’
Ms Gurner claimed her attempts to contact Virgin Australia regarding the ordeal have been stonewalled by the airline.
‘I phoned Virgin Australia on the same Monday and asked to speak with someone urgently about this matter,’ Ms Gurner wrote.
‘I got told that I am unable to speak to someone via the phone and that I need to put this in an email. I did this.
‘I then wrote on Virgin Australia’s Facebook page about this experience. They contacted me asking to contact them directly on Facebook to discuss. I did this.
‘Instead of discussing it with me as they said they would, I was told that I needed to submit another enquiry via their website, I also did this.
‘After asking to be contacted urgently, I have now been told I need to wait at least 10 business 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 wrote. ‘This service was not performed.
‘Instead my daughter was left feeling helpless, anxious to travel on her own, and disheartened.
‘ The person we told her was going to be there to help her whenever she needed, was in fact not there at all for her.’
Ms Gurner said she again phoned Virgin and ‘demanded that I be put through to someone in charge’.
‘I was finally put through, however, this was after hesitation and being told that I again needed to put this in an email,’ she wrote.
Eventually Ms Gurner spoke to a Virgin representative but ‘got nowhere’ and admits the ‘conversation got heated’.
Ms Gurner said 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 there.
‘This is not okay,’ Ms Gurner wrote.
‘All my daughter wants is an apology, someone to apologise for making her feel the way she felt.
‘All I want is for this lady to be aware of her disgusting behaviour and to never be given the chance to do this to another child.
‘No one is taking this seriously, no one seems to care.’
Ms Gurner’s story was backed up by Vickie Woodhead, who opened her home for Charlie to spend the weekend at.
‘It broke my heart when I was talking to her (Charlie) on the phone,’ Ms Woodhead wrote in a comment.
‘We had a fantastic weekend away and I told her this morning that they will look after her cause she was nervous and then they done this to her. Not happy.’
The alleged incident horrified other flight attendants posting on social media.
‘I’m so sorry to hear this happened to your darling girl,’ one wrote.
‘Unaccompanied minors are most definitely our most precious cargo on board and should be treated with so much love and care, to travel on your own is so exciting and brave!
‘Reading this my heart breaks for her! At a MINIMUM, a UM (unaccompanied minor) should be frequently checked on, offered extra comfort and care, explained noises and bumps they might experience.
‘There is always time for crew to initiate and prioritise this. There is no excuse.
‘Sending you and your family love and I hope your next experience is a MUCH better one.’
A Virgin Australia spokesperson said the airline was ‘actively investigating this matter’.
‘We will be keeping the guest informed of the investigation’s progress and outcome,’ the spokesperson said.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Ms Gurner for comment.