The report says the child was registered as a child rather than an infant, despite being under two and due to travel on her mother’s lap. Staff at the airport reportedly refused boarding, leaving the mother and baby to find another route while the rest of the family continued to Orlando.
Rebooking everyone would have cost more than £3,000, so the pair travelled separately on a later flight. The journey reportedly involved the mother managing a baby, two suitcases and a pushchair alone.
The fixture in Miami was the central attraction of the holiday, but the booking issue created a family separation before the football had even begun. A five-year-old child was reportedly left distressed after fearing his mother and younger sister would miss the trip.
The problem also extended beyond the outbound flight. Because the mother and baby were recorded as no-shows on the original booking, the family’s return flights for 2 July were reportedly cancelled as well. That turned a single check-in error into a problem affecting both ends of the holiday.
The travel company later said it had reimbursed the alternative flight, rearranged the return journey and offered additional compensation while investigating the booking with the airline. The report also says the family managed to reunite in Orlando before the 24 June match.
The next issue is whether the promised compensation fully reflects the disruption. For supporters planning long-distance trips around major fixtures, the case is a reminder that an apparently minor passenger-detail error can quickly become a four-figure football expense.