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.
Ewww! That's some nerve.
There's a lot of in your face parenting out there these days. It's one of my hot buttons. BTW, there's another active thread on this incident today and the article there says the parents bought three seats, two in one row and one in another, and then were trying to PUT THE CHILD IN THE SEAT AWAY FROM THEM!
The audacity! They know they've created a little monster so they were going to sit away from her and make her someone else's problem!
I forgot to say that this was at Cornell University in the City of Evil, so the odds are she was a flaming liberal even back then (late 60's) This is typical of liberals "It's all about me" attitude.
The audacity! They know they've created a little monster so they were going to sit away from her and make her someone else's problem
Some A lot of people apparently think that parenting ends at intercourse, and that once you've completed the biological act that your responsibility ends.
Another horrible example. A divorced guy I used to work with had a 17 yo son. He remarried and the new wife didn't like the son, so they threw him out. He was living on the street for a couple of years, and then died - not sure exactly how - drug overdose or hit by a car while drunk. I heard both versions. I heard that the stepmother didn't even attend the funeral. Point being that some people have absolutly no sense of what it means to be a parent and shouldn't reproduce.
Do you have a link to the other thread? I'm having a hard time keeping up with all the threads on this incident.
Maybe someone can consolidate?
For instance whose assessment is this, displayed the raw tact and diplomacy of Donald Trump?? The parents? Other passengers? Or the authors? Because it isn't sourced my bet is on the latter.
Regardless, the airline made a decision they felt they had to make and offered substantial monetary compensation. Every minute of delay was costing them a LOT of money. I support their decision.
As the parent of two children with Autism, I am appalled and shocked at the responses I read here. Putting young children in situations that are potentially scary and unfamiliar can be difficult for a small child. They do not understand what is going on and it can take time to settle them down. When I read of chidren screaming out of control for hours-long flights, this is not what I am referring to. However, the comments about the parents "being able to control the child" well sometimes we are not always in control of our emotions as adults so certainly children are going to act up in unfamiliar situations.
What is really sad is reading such nasty and hateful commentary from people. It really disgusts me that people are so cruel and self-righteous that they are so innocent and therefore can cast the first stone.
Thankfully, we don't fly anywhere and choose to take our children by car if we ever do get the opportunity. I have enough of uneducated and unsympathetic people when trying to shop or bank with people like the ones who post their opinions at places like this. What ever happened to compassion, understanding and concern for your fellow man?
"...for crying out loud,..."
That was the cause of the delay.
You noticed. First one who did!
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