SoCal family thrown off overbooked Delta flight over child's seating

abc7.com ^ | Wednesday, May 03, 2017 11:36PM | By Elex Michaelson

[Red Badger]

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Southern California family says they were kicked off an overbooked Delta airplane because they refused to yield a seat held by their young son.

The Schear family of Huntington Beach says they were flying from Hawaii to Los Angeles last week when airline staff asked them to give up a seat occupied by their 2-year-old son and carry him on their laps for the duration of the flight.

They tried to refuse and argued with airline staff, but say they were threatened with being sent to jail.

"You have to give up the seat or you're going to jail, your wife is going to jail and they'll take your kids from you," Brian Schear recalled the airline staff telling him.

Despite feeling they were in the right, that threat was terrifying, said Brian's wife, Brittany Schear.

"As a mother, you have a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old - it doesn't matter whether that's true or false. It put fear in me," she said.

They filmed the encounter with airport staff and posted it on YouTube.

VIDEO AT LINK.....................

[Jane Long]

Were you there?

I am not defending ANYTHING or anyone.

I will wait until the final reports come out before ‘defending’ anyone/anything. I am strictly going by what the existing laws are. That’s not defending anyone. I’ve previously posted that the airline had no right to SAY what they said, about the kids being taken away, btw.

Your profanity speaks volumes about you, btw. Please do not post to me, again, and I will do the same.

[cornfedcowboy]

I have a solution: don’t overbook flights.

Any airline that does gets shut down permanently.

---

Overbooked flights benefits everybody. Much lower ticket prices, less congested airports,more profit for airlines, and more flexibility for passengers.

[cornfedcowboy]

They paid for the seat. Doesn’t matter which kid used it.

---

Of course it matters. I bet they didn’t scan the boarding pass at the gate and the gate agent assumed the seat was open and available. There wasn’t a problem until they sent passenger (probably standby) to occupy the seat.

[af_vet_1981]

Of course it matters. I bet they didn’t scan the boarding pass at the gate and the gate agent assumed the seat was open and available. There wasn’t a problem until they sent passenger (probably standby) to occupy the seat.

The customer should have paid for the name change fee. They should have politely explained that to him and accommodated him either by allowing him to pay the change name fee on board from the gate or allowing the young child to continue on the lap. Deplaning the family like that was bad for business. Delta would have been better rescinding the standby passenger, paying for a hotel, and accommodating the next day with an upgrade.

Delta employees just cost the airline significant damage in advertising and settlement money.

[cornfedcowboy]

One could argue that the flight attendant was doing the customer a favor by warning them of the consequences.

[cornfedcowboy]

That is not the deal the family agreed to. If the 18yr old doesn’t use his ticket, the seat goes to someone else. This is the way it should be. More satisfied customers and more profitable. Also keep tickets prices down.

[cornfedcowboy]

It might not be overbooked but the issue came to light when the Delta gate agent saw on the computer that the seat was not taken. They then issued a ticket to a stand-by passenger. The ticketed passenger then boards the plane to see a one year old is using his seat.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I was not there and neither were you but you certainly were quick to call the parents liars with no proof.

On the other hand there is video evidence of the flight crew lying and bullying the family.

And Profanity?

Where did I use any profanity?

For your reference

pro·fan·i·ty - noun-blasphemous or obscene language.

Please be so kind as to point out anywhere I used either blasphemous or obscene language.

[Jane Long]

I never called the parents ‘liars’.

Stop accusing folks of saying things they did not say. I didn’t call anyone a liar and I didn’t defend anyone. I simply stated FAA rules/laws.

Your s* word is despicable.

Now, go away with your accusatory self.

I’ve asked you politely to not post to me anymore.

Good day.

[af_vet_1981]

One could argue that the flight attendant was doing the customer a favor by warning them of the consequences.

Yeah, try that in front of a jury.

[WashingtonSource]

Sorry. I promise to look and think before I leap the next time. Meanwhile, could someone hand me a rope down here at the bottom of this pit?