Posted on 01/23/2007 10:25:48 AM PST by presidio9
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.
Either that, or a shot of rum in the old Ovaltine ought to just about do it........
Thank you, to you and all the other parents like you.
I don't have children, likely never will, but I've spent enough time around my friends' children to know that babies make noise, and sometimes you just have to put up with it (like when I visited their homes).
At the same time, I don't feel it's right to ruin other people enjoyment of a movie or restaurant with a screaming child, although at least in those places one has the choice of leaving to escape the racket. You don't have that choice once the plane leaves the runway.
I will say this, though - earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones can go a long way to make air travel more enjoyable. I had a pair of earplug earphones (NRR 20 or so) for my last flight, for listening to my own music or watching TV, and that ability to tune out external noise really made a difference. So, while I'd rather not have to listen to a screaming child on the plane, there are ways to deal with it.
It might have gotten her under control. Though some children are so strong-wiled it takes quite a battle before they'll submit to parental authority.
I agree the scenario you mentioned isn't hard. Good children can have bad days and good parents can have difficult children. What gets me is that the girl was hitting her parents. It always amazes me when people let their children hit them.
And the other passengers rejoiced.
Well, from reading the facts as presented in the story, it seems that the flight attendant immediately assumed a hostile posture instead and of trying to help the family.
I think you're projecting somewhat. Where did you get that?
How much time should they have given the parents to get their child under control? And make no mistake - this kid was out of control, "climbing under the seat and hitting (her) parents."
I'm a parent. I would never expect a hundred people to miss their connecting flights just because I couldn't control my son. I wouldn't expect them to just sit there on the tarmac while we waited out his temper tantrum.
Yes, it's hard to travel with children (we've taken my son on a half-dozen trips so far, including two to England). Yes, you deserve some respect and consideration. But that goes both ways - it doesn't mean that everybody else should suffer.
>>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.<<
The rules don't apply to them.
Much to the delight of AirTran and their passengers.
LOL!
Even at a restaurant or movie, you shouldn't have to tolerate this. A parent should get up and take they rowdy or crying ones to the lobby. Where has courtesy and respect for others gone? In the past this would have been a non-issue.
I agree totally with you.........unfortuately I wasn't one of the 112 other passengers who had their day totally hosed up by a brat and the parents who couldn't or wouldn't control her.
Beat the holy crap out of the kid.
I would have been swatted into next week if I pulled a stunt like that. Just knowing that always let me know my actions carried consequences. Even at three!
Funny how the parents who don't believe in spanking are the ones who allow their children to hit them. A child isn't going to strike or hit his parents if he realizes that the parent would spank him in return.
At first, I thought this was repeat of the Joel & Victoria Osteen incident. Of course, all 3 year olds look alike :-)
Pardon me, but I don't read either one of those "facts" in this entire account.
The mother was told she couldn't hold the child on her lap...airline policy for those over age 2 as others have posted here. That hardly makes me jump to the conclusion that the personnel was "hostile", "rude" or "arrogant".
And you didn't answer my question(s). What specifically should the airline have done and how much longer should the flight have been delyed because of this one family and this one 3 year old?
If you've seen one kid, you've seen 'em all.
I agree with you and several others here.
I mean...what was the airline to do? From a business perspective, it's far less costly to offer three (undeserved) free tickets to this family, than to delay a hundred passengers and hours later have to accommodate the numerous missed connections, etc.
I am appalled by the self-centered attitudes of these parents as well as a few of the responses posted in this thread.
Yeah, they need to start learning from the time they start to use those little arms that there are only two people in the house licensed to hit and that they aren't one of them.
LOL!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.