Tantrum causes AirTran to remove family from flight

[MickeyBabe]

I was reading the current issue of people magazine when I came upon and article about a family that had been removed from their flight due to their child's uncontrollable temper tantrum.

The story is recounted here....

AirTran removes family from flight....


The "People" article states that the family is responsible for reporting the story to news sources in an attempt at public sympathy but found that 90% of the more than 8000 emails and letters to the airline are in support of the airline's action.

With the large number of flying members here, I was wondering your thoughts on this story.

 

[MickeyCrazed]

Thanks for mentioning the article.
There was a long thread about this already. Click here.
I think Air Tran was justified, and I believe most people who posted to the thread agree.

 

[cbrfan]

I think AirTran was justified in removing the child and her parents from the flight. The fact that the child was hitting her parents and flat-out refusing to do as she was told tells me she's gotten away with this behavior before. If this truly was a first-time event the parents should have known that the child was totally overwhelmed and removed themselves from the plane long before the airline had to do it. Tantrum aside, the airlines have safety rules that cannot be violated and sitting in your seat is one of them. I think refunding the flight and giving them vouchers for a free future flight was going above and beyond.

 

[MickeyBabe]

Thanks for the link...

I tried a search for the subject before I posted and this thread did not show up.

Sorry!

 

[CarolA]

If I miss my connection due to this child then I am going to expect AirTran to compensate me for allowing it to happen. So I think the family should be grateful AirTran allowed them to fly at all.
This family believed that over 100 other people should wait on THEM and that the FAA flight regulations should have been ignored for THEM. Why? Does the whole world revolve around THEM. (I saw them on TV and they don't make a good case for why the entire plane should wait on them! And I find it amusing that they are surprised that people don't think "nasty old" AirTran was wrong for thinking it's a parents job to deal with thier kids, not the job of the airline or 100 other passengers to make the child happy)

 

[Geoff_M]

"The father said his family would never fly AirTran again." - Another reason to fly AirTran... One less chance of having your trip delayed due to them!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

This topic has already been discussed ad nauseum. Nothing new to say.

 

[Lewisc]

I don't know why the family won't fly AirTran again. They got a refund and free tickets.

The parents weren't able and/or willing to make their child stay in her seat during take off. I don't think they were owed any compensation.

 

[cbrfan]

I'd be more than willing to take those nasty free flight vouchers off their hands! That would sure show Air Tran!!

 

[Luckymommyx2]

If I miss my connection due to this child then I am going to expect AirTran to compensate me for allowing it to happen. So I think the family should be grateful AirTran allowed them to fly at all.
This family believed that over 100 other people should wait on THEM and that the FAA flight regulations should have been ignored for THEM. Why? Does the whole world revolve around THEM. (I saw them on TV and they don't make a good case for why the entire plane should wait on them! And I find it amusing that they are surprised that people don't think "nasty old" AirTran was wrong for thinking it's a parents job to deal with thier kids, not the job of the airline or 100 other passengers to make the child happy)

ITA! Well said!

 

[seashoreCM]

Thanks for mentioning the article.
There was a long thread about this already. Click here.
I think Air Tran was justified, and I believe most people who posted to the thread agree.

I have decided to close this thread and let any further discussion pick up in the older thread on this subject, link to click is above.

The poll results so far seem to be indicative of where the results will stay if this thread were left open longer.