I don't think it's appropriate to call the parents stupid for taking advantage of a service that UA offers and the parents paid for. That's like ordering wine at a restaurant and getting a bad bottle then the sommelier saying, "Well you were stupid for ordering the wine." It's not asking too much to expect good customer service especially if you've been a good customer. Unfortunately, these incidences and UA's attitude combine to make the setting ripe for lawsuits that ultimately drive up the cost of flying. I commend the parents for trying to work things out with the airline. Someone else might have had lawyers on the phone a lot sooner. Corporate culture is tricky and if you don't build a good one and set good examples from the top down, you will get exactly this.