In a heart-wrenching incident, a military mother, Sarah Miller, faced the unimaginable loss of her meticulously stored breastmilk while traveling with United Airlines. During her two-week deployment, she diligently pumped breastmilk to ensure she could nourish her 9-month-old son upon her return. However, her plans took an unexpected turn.
Miller described her experience: “I just returned from a 15-day deployment. Being away from my baby was hard, and I struggled to build up enough of a freezer stash.” Upon arriving in Honolulu, she found it challenging to maintain her pumping schedule due to time zone differences and her son’s feeding routine. Unfortunately, she also developed mastitis, which brought severe pain and fevers, complicating her efforts. “I had to push through, even when it was excruciating,” she recalled.
Despite the hardships, Miller managed to pump a total of 12 days’ worth of breastmilk, filling her cooler with the precious liquid. Proud of her accomplishment, she shared photos of her hard-earned stash with her husband. “I almost gave up during the worst of it, but I filled that cooler to the brim with my liquid gold,” she expressed.
However, her joy turned to despair when she arrived at baggage claim after her flight. “I picked up my cooler and immediately noticed something was wrong. It wasn’t filled to the top as it should have been,” she lamented. “United Airlines lost over 12 days worth of breastmilk. When I approached customer service, the response was disheartening. The representative dismissed my concerns, stating, ‘What do you expect me to do about lost breastmilk? Who would want to steal that?’”
After hours of travel, Miller felt her frustrations mount. “I told her it was unacceptable for any of my luggage to be missing, regardless of its contents.” The emotional toll of the situation was immense. The effort and planning required to pump and store that milk—an essential source of nourishment for her baby—was not something she took lightly.
Miller’s experience highlighted a broader issue with airline policies regarding checked coolers. While the TSA prohibits taping checked coolers shut, breastmilk can be carried on in reasonable quantities. This limitation may lead mothers to check their milk to avoid violating carry-on liquid restrictions.
The customer service manager, unfortunately, was not forthcoming with assistance. “I was told I could file a claim, but they implied it wouldn’t matter since breastmilk is ‘free.’ I reminded them that my time and effort were not free,” she asserted.
Miller expressed her desire for United Airlines to acknowledge their mistake. “I am deeply upset. After a long journey, this was the last thing I expected to deal with. Please share my story and help me hold United Airlines accountable.”
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In summary, Sarah Miller’s experience serves as a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by nursing mothers, especially when traveling. The emotional impact of losing such a vital resource cannot be overstated, and the need for airlines to improve their handling of sensitive items is clear.