Posted on 01/23/2007 10:26:18 AM PST by Fawn
On Jan. 14, 3-year-old Elly Kulesza and her parents, Julie and Gerald, were kicked off an AirTran Airways flight from Florida to their Worcester, Mass., home because Elly would not stop crying.
Elly, who had been a model passenger on the flight to Florida four days earlier, began to cry uncontrollably once she got on the plane, throwing a temper tantrum on the floor.
AirTran employees demanded that the Kuleszas calm down their child. When Elly didn't stop crying, the crew banned the Kuleszas from flying for 24 hours. Later, AirTran offered an apology to the family along with a refund on their tickets.
"As we have an obligation to the 112 other passengers onboard the flight to operate the flight on time," AirTran said in a statement, "we had to make an operational decision to ask the Kulesza party to deplane so the flight could depart."
On "Good Morning America," the Kuleszas insisted that their toddler wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary.
"I don't know what happened. No one can tell when something like this is going to happen. She had a great morning, but then she got on the plane and she started to cry," Julie Kulesza said.
"She's like the typical 3-year-old. She has her moments, but overall she's a very, very good child."
The Kuleszas said that unlike the AirTran crew, the passengers on the flight were sympathetic to their situation.
"I jokingly turned around and asked the three gentlemen behind me, 'Aren't you glad you got these seats?" Julie said. "Another passenger offered up a lollipop to try and calm her down."
Despite AirTran's apology and offer of a complimentary flight, the Kuleszas don't plan to fly with the airline anytime soon.
"We'll pass on that," Gerald Kulesza said. "After that, I told them I'd never fly with them again." PAGE 2 CONTINUED AT SITE
Good. FLY AIRTRAN AIRWAYS!!!
Don't forget to vote while you're there.
This must be the child that sits by me on every single flight I take.
(about ten seconds aead of you)
Kaching.
Unless you have kids........
This story is a good reminder of why spankings are a good thing when warranted.
Having said that, some of our rabid liberals in California are trying to outlaw spankings.
Thanks for the hit. ;)
THey should consider making one of the bathrooms soundproof for episodes like this.
Uh... one thing to cry, another to be throwing a temper tantrum in the isle. Kid should have been strapped into an air rated safety seat anyway...
I would not have appologized...put them on another flight after the child had calmed down sure, but no way should AIRTRANS be SORRY for respecting the 100+ other customers on that flight.
And for the record, no not all 3 year olds throw public uncontrollable temper tantrums... Many know that one look from mom or dad means cut it out right now, or painful sitting will be taking place for a while to come.
Bottom Line 1:
Parents need to do what they can to shut screaming kids up on flights. Nobody wants to hear that.
Bottom Line 2:
Sometimes kids cry no matter what. Cut parents a break who make an obvious effort to solve the problem, blame those who don't.
I have kids, and I would not act like these people
A) I would not expect the airline to pander to my spoiled child.
B) I would be mortified by my childs behavior and would not ask for or expect an apology from the airline.
C) My child behaved like that, they would have been given good reason to cry.
This.. they are only three, its normal behavior is a crock of crap. By 3 they behave the way they know they can get away with.
Looks like I know I will be buying another ATA ticket to Chicago.
A good smack on the a$$ always put me in my place.
Agreed infants and toddlerscan cry uncontrollably and there is nothing you can do to console them.. usually because you have no idea why they are crying... (pain, ears popping, scared of the loud noises of the engines, etc etc etc)
But unless this child was mentally slow, by age 3 they can communicate, and know what they can and cannot get away with. Throwing themselves on the ground and having a temper tantrum IS NOT NORMAL BEHAVIOR! Its LEARNED BEHAVIOR... they do it because they know they can get away with it.
I don't think the airline should be apologizing for doing the right thing. As long as they offered them an alternate flight later, which they did, the parents should be sitting down, shutting up and re-evaluating their parental skills.
Agreed. That was my point but perhaps not well articulated.
"If you are going to cry, I'll give you a reason to cry." - Dad.
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