Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

Were they kicked off because of the crying and tantrum? Or because they couldn't get her in the seat? It's 2 different things IMO. Because I have 3 kids and as any parent can, I can vouch for the fact that you dont always have control over a temper tantrum/meltdown/fit/crying despite what some people believe - that if they are doing this, then they are spoiled or the parents don't care or are "doing something wrong". However, I've folded both my older kids into seats - carseats, highchairs, booster seats - many a times in the throes of a meltdown. So if its a matter of them not being able to take off because the child was not in a seat, then that's BS on the part of the parents IMO. If it's because purely because the child crying and throwing a fit, that's BS on the part of the airline.

Even as the parent of young kids, if I was flying alone, I'd still hope the person coming down the aisle with the young child was not sitting near me so I can sympathize with that side of it for passengers. But 3 yrs old is still pretty young. My 4 year old would be past the TT stage like that for the most part but I can see a 3 year old having a giant fit based on ??? whatever. That's not even the point - to me the void of info is in whether it was the tantrum itself or whether the parents couldnt get her in the seat that prevents me from being able to decide which party was at fault.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

just found the AP article:

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- AirTran Airways on Tuesday defended its decision to remove a Massachusetts couple from a flight after their crying 3-year-old daughter refused to take her seat before takeoff.

AirTran officials said they followed Federal Aviation Administration rules that children age 2 and above must have their own seat and be wearing a seat belt upon takeoff.

"The flight was already delayed 15 minutes and in fairness to the other 112 passengers on the plane, the crew made an operational decision to remove the family," AirTran spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said.

Julie and Gerry Kulesza, who were headed home to Boston on Jan. 14 from Fort Myers, said they just needed a little more time to calm their daughter, Elly.

"We weren't given an opportunity to hold her, console her or anything," Julie Kulesza said in a telephone interview Tuesday.

The Kuleszas said they told a flight attendant they had paid for their daughter's seat, but asked whether she could sit in her mother's lap. The request was denied.

She was removed because "she was climbing under the seat and hitting the parents and wouldn't get in her seat" during boarding, Graham-Weaver said.

The Orlando-based carrier reimbursed the family $595.80, the cost of the three tickets, and the Kuleszas flew home the next day.

They also were offered three roundtrip tickets anywhere the airline flies, Graham-Weaver said.

The father said his family would never fly AirTran again.

______________________________


this changes my opinion drastically. the parents obviously could not control the child, nor could they get her into her seat. (and to ask the crew to allow the child to sit on the mother's lap was just out of line, and completely unsafe; not to mention against FAA guidelines)
the airline did what they had to do in this case.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

I agree with many others here and agree that the airline did the right thing.

Far too many times do I see tantrums where parents are not affected and do not even try to discipline their child. I believe the parents are at fault here.

And as usual with a bratty kid, the parents are in their own little world thinking their child is an angel.

I also agree that the airline is trying to "do the right thing" because of all the publicity.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

Wow. SO SO SO glad I didn't hear anything about this BEFORE our 12 flight to Israel with our very spirited 16 month old girl. I would have a problem with the airline if they required the family to deplane due to crying alone - babies/toddlers cry - it's a fact of life, and unfortunately we have to deal with it in close quarters when traveling. But, the fact that the parents asked for more time to console the child - that's taking it a step too far to inconvenience the entire plane and flight plans. If it were me, and Alex was having a fit (mind you, on our flight back from Israel, Alex did start crying hysterically, but the rules are the rules, and we plowed ahead, stuck her in her carseat, strapped her in, and let her cry her little heart out while we were taking off), I would grab her, put her in her seat, strap her in, and that's that. Anything else is an unacceptable... we all have to follow the rules, whether or not we have children.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

Based on these articles, I think the airline did the right thing. If the parents were unable to get the child into the seat and the flight was already being delayed, it was appropriate for the family to be removed. If the child was strapped in her seat and screaming her head off, I would say otherwise.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

As a parent, I say a prayer every time we fly. I am so scared of Nate acting a fool on the plane. It's so hard to anticipate when they will have a meltdown.

Now in this case as much as I would be piss ed to have to deplane, I think the airlines were right to remove them from the flight since they couldn't get the kid in the seat. I do think banning them for 24 hrs is a bit excessive though.

Message edited 1/23/2007 1:24:06 PM.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

I have a child and the airline ABSOLUTELY did the right thing....if that child was not able to be strapped in her seat....then off the plane you go

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

Sorry I have no kids and have with out fail been on many a flight witht the crying out of control child. I agree with the airline if the child was not buclked up, and not sitting and crawling under the seats they should have been removed. Flip side if the airline DIDNT remove them and took off without her being safely strapped in and something happened to her, we would be reading a completely different story. The parents should have just let her cry it out and thats that, afterall, they are the parents.

Message edited 1/23/2007 1:25:07 PM.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

I'm surprised there's no cell phone video. People seem to get everything on video these days.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

That AP article changes everything. Like I said, if the issue was getting her in her seat and the parents could not, then yes, the airline did the right thing. Funny how the other article put a completely different spin on it by leaving out that one crucial point.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

I think what I find more offensive is the airline ban from flying for 24 hours. They couldn't get the next flight if she calmed down?

As for the child, she's should be glad she's not mine. She would be grounded until she was 21.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

I agree with the airline.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

I agree with the airline.
I'm a frequent flyer with Airtran since they are one of the four airlines out of our airport here in Pensacola. I always fly alone with my son during my husbands deployments since both of our families live in Ny,Pa as well as NC.

They have always been very helpful to me with my son and also Dh is a pilot and it isn't safe for an airplane to take off with anyone not seated or buckled in.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

I have to say that I agree with the airline on this one!

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

A crying baby is one thing...a kid who threw such a tantrum that they couldnt even strap her down....thats just unacceptable!

Shame on the parents for making it seem like they are victims in all this. If you have a child who is not controlable, you need to work give that kid some Benadryll like my mom did to chill me out !

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

Posted by azoodie

This is one of my pet peeves!! On the way home from san diego we had not one but TWO children (not babies) that were having a tantrum the WHOLE time back.

I am not a parent, so once again it is easy for me to say. We just dealt with it but I couldn't believe this child wasn't exhausted after 5 hours of crying. This was not do to a medical condition, this was the perfect example of spoiled kids.

Re: Cryng child and her parents removed from flight.

The poor thing was probably not feeling well! I feel like crying with that crazy air pressure when I fly! Will they kick me off, too?

Really. Enough's enough.