Posted on 05/04/2017 6:16:50 AM PDT by 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.....................
But if I understand correctly, the seat for the 2yo was against the regulations. And all I am saying is that if the airline were going to enforce that, they should have done so before the family boarded. I would have thought they would have had to show ID for the kiddo, and so it would have been clear how young he was.
They paid for that seat.
They told the agent at the gate before boarding..................
We will see when more facts come out, but the story above does make it sound as if dad changed the ticket to be in the younger son’s name while purchasing another ticket for the older son on a different flight. But of course the FReeper know-nothing’s who love to bow to authority will automatically side with the airline, despite the fact that having a two year old as a “lap child” for a flight of that duration is inappropriate
The person whose name was tied to that seat did not board the plane. The parents bought the seat but the person that was assigned to that seat left on an earlier flight so the parents decided to use it for their two-year-old that did not have a boarding pass or seat assignment.
Nobody checked in for that assigned seat. It at that point becomes vacant and available for other passengers that want to take the flight.
You can't buy two seats just to have an extra next to you apparently is the rule...unless you are too fat and the make you buy two seats.
I'm saying the parents were not being reasonable and were not following the rules. I side with the airline on this one.
While I see your point, I do take issue with the fact that we have an entire industry in the US that’s become abusive of its customers and ride with corruption. Consumers do have rights and I do think these stories are justified
How much more “independent verification” do you need when there is a video of the incident.
Kids don’t show photo ID. I fly frequently with a 9 year old and have since she was a baby. The only time she requires photo ID is via a passport for international flights. Domestic flights do not require children to show ID.
I really wish people would know what they’re talking about before posting.
So they didn’t pay for the seat but wanted it for free anyhow because they are “entitled.” No wonder they were thrown off the plane.
But the rules are very clear. A two year old MUST be held on a parents lap for the duration of the flight.
So that seat should have been unoccupied.
The parents should be getting the money from whomever was supposed to be in the seat.
Didn’t Delta refuse to send a top dog VIP to the recent Congressional hearing?
They paid for the seat. Doesn't matter which kid used it.
Shouldn’t require a photo ID, but IMO the airline should have checked when changing the name on the reservation:
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/id-required-domestic-air-travel-minors-61428.html
I’m pretty sure it was said in jest.
Seems so...............
The kids belong on your lap!!
Oh, and I too really wish people would know what they’re talking about before posting.
They PAID FOR THE SEAT!........................
The parents should be getting the money from whomever was supposed to be in the seat.
Their 18 year old son was supposed to be in the seat.
He took an earlier flight, so...there should’ve been a credit, less any cancellation fees, given to them. But, you cannot just decide you’re going to keep that ticket/seat for someone else of your choosing.
Once older son was NOT the passenger (for this ticket), airline has right to sell said seat to another passenger.
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