SW removes unruly family

[bavaria]

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/07/07/dnt.family.off.plane.kiro

'we expect to be compensated'

 

[Vijoge]

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/07/07/dnt.family.off.plane.kiro

'we expect to be compensated'

Who's surprised?

 

[rantnnravin]

YAY Southwest!!
Somwtimes i wish they'd do this during the flight

 

[carolina_yankee]

One sided story - it sounds like it was more than unruly kids, but I suspect Southwest's policy is to not comment in specifics.

I hope they aren't holding their breath for compensation. It seems Southwest has a 'take no prisoners' approach to problem passengers. Weren't they the ones who denied boarding to some who was rather, uhm, suggestively dressed?

Dirk

 

[bavaria]

Local Seattle news reports that airport police bought them food (after detaining them) and that Motel6 put them up at no charge (apparently no charge to them or to SW)

I do think that they did end up better off than most would in that scenario.

 

[Vijoge]

YAY Southwest!!
Somwtimes i wish they'd do this during the flight

Yeah, me too. Our last flight MDW to BUF there was a family of about 10-15 people (some kids but mostly adults) sitting a few rows ahead of us. They were talking loudly back and forth the whole flight, which didn't bother me because my ears fill up and I can't hear a dang thing while in the air anyway.

All of a sudden they started throwing things back and forth among themselves. Drink cups, pieces of paper, etc. So the FA goes to them and asks them to stop. The quieted down for a minute but then started up again. Once again the FA tells them to stop. They looked at her like they didn't understand her but they did settle down.

They got off the plane just in front of us and as they got to the end of the jetway one person remarked to the others "Now that was FUN!"

 

[Hedy]

One sided story - it sounds like it was more than unruly kids, but I suspect Southwest's policy is to not comment in specifics.

I hope they aren't holding their breath for compensation. It seems Southwest has a 'take no prisoners' approach to problem passengers. Weren't they the ones who denied boarding to some who was rather, uhm, suggestively dressed?

Dirk

Agreed.

 

[bavaria]

http://www.kirotv.com/news/16803334/detail.html

Family Says Airline Left Them Stranded At Airport

POSTED: 10:30 am PDT July 6, 2008
UPDATED: 11:01 am PDT July 6, 2008


SEATAC, Wash. -- A woman with two disabled children said her family was left stranded by Southwest Airlines on their way to Seattle.

Wendy Slaughter was traveling with her four children and her five-months pregnant sister Friday on a Southwest Airlines flight from Detroit to Seattle.

One of Slaughter’s children has autism and she also has a daughter with cerebral palsy.

When the family landed in Phoenix they were met at the gate by police officers, detained and told they were too disruptive to get on their connecting flight to Seattle, Slaughter said.

Slaughter said they were left stranded at the Phoenix airport with no money and no lodging.

This was the first flight for the children. Slaughter admitted the children were loud and kept getting up and walking around the plane.

“The children were out of control on the flight you know, they were restless, excited and worked up and they are kids,” said Slaughter.

The family said flight attendants asked them to quiet the children twice, but they didn’t expect to be booted off the flight

“I am furious about it. I can’t believe they could do something like that and then leave us completely stranded with no money no way to get anywhere,” Slaughter said.

Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Christi Day told KIRO-7:

"They were being disruptive and unruly on the plane, and for the safety of our customers and the flight crew, we decided to not allow them to travel on to Seattle at that time. Typically if it's a threatening behavior, it's not safe to travel 30,000 feet in the air in a contained environment."

The family said police officers bought them food and Motel 6 donated a hotel room for the night.

The children’s grandmother said she had to pay $2,000 to book last-minute tickets on Alaska Airlines. They said they didn’t have any problems on that three-hour flight.

The family said they want Southwest Airlines to compensate them and give a public apology.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

The mother admits that the kids were out of control!

I bet the other passengers applauded.

Good for SWA

 

[DVC Sadie]

Why do some passengers find themselves surprised when other passengers and FAs do not find disruptive behavior cute, normal or acceptable?

 

[CarolA]

Something tells me that some of that "wandering around" was when the seatbelt sign was lit.

Now mom will be shocked when the public outcry is not "you are right" (Remember the woman on AirTran who couldn't get "darling" in her seat and thought the WHOLE plane should be delayed while she dealt with "darling"? No sympathy from America which really upset her LOL!)

 

[Vijoge]

Something tells me that some of that "wandering around" was when the seatbelt sign was lit.

Oh, absolutely. On our last few flights the captain has either left it on most of the flight and/or requested that everyone keep their seatbelts on except when using the bathrooms.

 

[bavaria]

Something tells me that some of that "wandering around" was when the seatbelt sign was lit.

Now mom will be shocked when the public outcry is not "you are right" (Remember the woman on AirTran who couldn't get "darling" in her seat and thought the WHOLE plane should be delayed while she dealt with "darling"? No sympathy from America which really upset her LOL!)

2 adults, 4 children = adults sit on the aisle, and prevent the kids from running around

I suspect that if their 90 seconds of fame didn't automatically include 'we expect compensation' they may have had some sympathy. Why are things so twisted now that people expect to be compensated/rewarded for their bad behaviour?

And how does this hit the news? If CarolA or carolina_yankee were flying alone and roamed the aisles and were denied boarding, I doubt that they would run around telling everyone about their bad behaviour.

Did Grandma call Alaska to book them new tickets and then immediately call the television station?

 

[Pinnie]

Who the heck travels with NO money to even buy the kids something to eat on a layover?????????

Kudos SWA!!!! No wonder I luv flying with ya!

pinnie

 

[ToGreen78]

way to go SW!!!!!!

 

[Vijoge]

Did Grandma call Alaska to book them new tickets and then immediately call the television station?

Probably. I'm not sure why. I sure wouldn't want the world to know my grandchildren were so misbehaved that they were kicked of an airplane.

 

[crashbb]

2 adults, 4 children = adults sit on the aisle, and prevent the kids from running around

I suspect that if their 90 seconds of fame didn't automatically include 'we expect compensation' they may have had some sympathy. Why are things so twisted now that people expect to be compensated/rewarded for their bad behaviour?

And how does this hit the news? If CarolA or carolina_yankee were flying alone and roamed the aisles and were denied boarding, I doubt that they would run around telling everyone about their bad behaviour.

Did Grandma call Alaska to book them new tickets and then immediately call the television station?

You mean there isn't a press release every time I get on a plane? I must go speak with my 'people'.

Definite Kudos for SWA.

And who travels with so little money/credit cards? Okay, so they weren't expecting to need new tickets or a hotel room, but were they not planning on eating? The mom didn't even have enough for McDonald's at the lay over airport (or so the story reads).

There is a thread on the Community Board - most agreeing with SWA (a few have actually called the airline to tell congratulate them) but at least one poster who agrees that the family should be compensated (cost of motel and the fare differential between their original SWA and the Alaskan one) - I completely disagree with that.

 

[CarolA]

Who travels without that money?

Hang around the budget board and the theme parks board. I have read LOTS of posts of folks who are cutting thier Disney trip so close that they have basically NO pad. They have NO credit card and have every penny of thier vacation accounted for. So when something like this happens there is NO cushion. I couldn't do it, but....

 

[Pinnie]

Who travels without that money?

Hang around the budget board and the theme parks board. I have read LOTS of posts of folks who are cutting thier Disney trip so close that they have basically NO pad. They have NO credit card and have every penny of thier vacation accounted for. So when something like this happens there is NO cushion. I couldn't do it, but....

Neither could I. Amazing, simply amazing. So these people expect the world to enable them and buy they meals and a room for the night???

pinnie

 

[ironz]

I'm going to be a total Grinch here....but if a person's kids are not able to behave enough to fly...DRIVE or don't go! Air travel isn't a right. This seems to be coming up more often....but maybe it's because the airlines and traveling public have had enough with the misbehaving. Where's that SuperNanny when you need her?