Southwest apologizes for kicking misbehvaing kid and mother off flight

[scooterbug44]

As a frequent air traveler I was:
1) glad to hear they went back to the gate and kicked the screaming 2 year old off the flight
2) disappointed to hear they have now apologized for it (though it was just a refund and a travel voucher)

Maybe if this became more common parents would do a better job of controlling their kids and I could be on a flight w/o at least one screaming/misbehaving child. :angry:

You will note that the mother made no apology and wasn't at all embarrassed by the incident - just said she figured the kid would stop screaming once the plane was finally in the air and then wanted to be reimbursed for a crib and diapers when she was delayed.

Southwest apologizes to mom kicked off flight - News- msnbc.com

 

[Bob]

did they receive greyhound tickets?

 

[Beach Runner]

Well, when I left our daughter at MIT her freshman year and was waiting for my flight at Logan, I started crying. I got approached by a Delta gate agent who told me that I coudn't board the plane if I was crying. I told her that if that was the rule, I could never leave Boston and return to Atlanta because I would always be crying about leaving our only child so far away. I called my brother who is a Delta employee. He told me that they had the right to refuse boarding a passenger for whatever reason they wanted. He told me to suck it up, stop crying, and I could get home. He stayed on the phone with me, coached me through it, and the gate agent allowed me to board.

Bottom line: after 911, as my bro says, the airlines can do whatever they want to avoid disrupting a flight.

 

[scooterbug44]

This wasn't a "post 911 the crew can do whatever they want issue", this was a the "kid was screaming so loud and so long the rest of the flight couldn't hear the safety announcement issue".

A mom crying because she just left her kid at college for freshman year would be a welcome substitute for most kids I have to fly with. :roll:

 

[Douglas the Intrepid]

Kudos to Southwest!

I manage retail and the level of unsupervised or undisciplined small children is horrid! Though its very rare, I have had to ask some parents to manage their children better or leave my store because they were interfering with other customers. Almost always the parent reacts like its the end of the world. I actually had one couple who let their 4 year old run around like a mad man. I kept quiet until the running child almost knocked down another customer coming in the door. I told the parent there was no running in the store and could they please watch their child better. The woman went ballistic and demanded my district managers phone number and embellished the story quite a bit on how rude and unwarranted I was. It backfired on her completely as her story did not match the video tape of the incident at all and she is now forbidden to shop at my store. I could go on forever with this topic. I feel Southwest did the right thing. If one customer was interfering dramatically with the experience of a hundred others, that customer needed to leave. That is not even taking into account the child's screams were masking the safety announcements. My daughter is now ten, and she has always listened to me and shown respect for other people when in public. I believe that is because there have always been consequences for her actions and behaviors. I wish some parent's would realize ignoring problem behavior does not make it go away or any less of a problem. In fact, it makes it worse as it reinforces the fact that the child is in charge and not the parent!

 

[Bob]

Kudos to Southwest!

I manage retail and the level of unsupervised or undisciplined small children is horrid! Though its very rare, I have had to ask some parents to manage their children better or leave my store because they were interfering with other customers. Almost always the parent reacts like its the end of the world. I actually had one couple who let their 4 year old run around like a mad man. I kept quiet until the running child almost knocked down another customer coming in the door. I told the parent there was no running in the store and could they please watch their child better. The woman went ballistic and demanded my district managers phone number and embellished the story quite a bit on how rude and unwarranted I was. It backfired on her completely as her story did not match the video tape of the incident at all and she is now forbidden to shop at my store. I could go on forever with this topic. I feel Southwest did the right thing. If one customer was interfering dramatically with the experience of a hundred others, that customer needed to leave. That is not even taking into account the child's screams were masking the safety announcements. My daughter is now ten, and she has always listened to me and shown respect for other people when in public. I believe that is because there have always been consequences for her actions and behaviors. I wish some parent's would realize ignoring problem behavior does not make it go away or any less of a problem. In fact, it makes it worse as it reinforces the fact that the child is in charge and not the parent!

the kid in question was being raised by a child.

 

[Mango]

Geez, a 2 year old child confined to a small space and made to sit still become unruly. That almost never happens. :roll:

 

[sunspotbaby]

I've always thought my Jackie (3) was very well mannered, but i've seen her go from my sweet little girl to a child I thought may be a case for an excorcism. IMO You just never know how one is going to react in a foreign, stressful situation...with an audience. That goes for adults too.