'Home Alone' Actually Happened This Christmas to a 6-Year-Old

The only thing missing this past weekend from a full-on Home Alone incident was the Wet Bandits.

The Home Alone franchise, starring Macaulay Culkin, has become one of the most popular and beloved Christmas franchises of all time.

However, an incident reminiscent of the Home Alone film series occurred when Spirit Airlines, known for its budget-friendly travel, issued an apology on Saturday for mistakenly sending an unaccompanied 6-year-old boy to the wrong destination during a potentially record-breaking holiday travel surge.

The child, traveling for the first time to visit his grandmother, was meant to fly from Philadelphia International Airport to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers but was instead boarded onto a plane bound for Orlando.

In a statement provided to Newsweek on Sunday, Spirit Airlines acknowledged the error, emphasizing that the child was under the continuous care and supervision of a Spirit Team Member. The airline expressed regret for the mistake and assured that immediate steps were taken to communicate with the family and rectify the situation. Spirit Airlines also highlighted its commitment to the safety and responsibility of transporting all passengers and mentioned an ongoing internal investigation into the incident, reports shared.

The statement from Spirit Airlines can be read in full below.

“On Dec. 21, an unaccompanied child traveling from Philadelphia (PHL) to Fort Myers (RSW) was incorrectly boarded on a flight to Orlando (MCO). The child was always under the care and supervision of a Spirit Team Member, and as soon as we discovered the error, we took immediate steps to communicate with the family and reconnect them. We take the safety and responsibility of transporting all of our Guests seriously and are conducting an internal investigation. We apologize to the family for this experience.”

As news of the incident circulated online, social media users drew parallels between the boy’s predicament and the Home Alone series. The mix-up, much like the film’s famous plotline, added a touch of irony to the situation, prompting discussions and comparisons on various platforms.

Of course, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) follows the misadventures of Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin), a young boy who once again finds himself separated from his family during Christmas, but this time in the bustling city of New York. As Kevin navigates the Big Apple alone, he checks into a luxurious hotel, uses his wit to outsmart the bumbling burglars Harry and Marv (played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern).

Luckily, this story also had a happy ending, and the child was in the care of Spirit Team Members throughout the entirety of their trip.

Inside the Magic will keep you updated if there are any new developments from this story.