Jolie

It wasn't a matter of the kid screaming or having a tantrum, it was that the parents could not keep the child buckled in her seat for take-off, as FAA rules require.

buongiorno

Many years ago when Southwest had seats that faced each other I was flying home and the little miscreant across from me decided to throw a food fight. I think I would have put him in the overhead bin for the rest of the flight!

clarkgriswold

If a flight attendant can't get a 3 year old buckled into a seat, I'd hate to see what happens when a terrorist pulls out scissors, nail clippers, 6 matches and one of those teeny weeny little bottles of flaming Bacardi rum.

iceeu2

I agree with you AG....I just saw the mother on Inside Edition and I thought that I was glad I wasn't on that flight with a screaming kid who wouldn't buckle up.

I remember years ago trying to get myself out of Dallas. The first time the flight was aborted because of some mechanical problem...So, back to the gate and then back in the que later on.

As we were finally back ready to take off this idiot lady stood up in the aisle and the flight was aborted again. I wanted to choke her. She's lucky I was in a window seat and couldn't get to her!!!!

I am totally in agreement with Air Tran's action on this one.

dgg

Ok, I've got one for you. When my youngest was about 18 months old, we got on a cross country flight. She had a terrible crying/wiggling fit. She had a seat, but because she was so young, my husband (who was sitting across from me...our family had the whole row) held her tightly for take off. Shortly after, she "passed out" in the middle of the aisle! The flight attendants wouldn't let me move her!!!! That's how bad it was.

P.S. I gave her some Benedryl just before the flight. Since then I've heard that it can make some people agitated before making them groggy. Must have been what happened.

clarkgriswold

People people PEOPLE! The passengers on Flight 93 had it rough. The rest of us are inconvenienced from time to time. Big deal.
It's all part of being able to getacross the country for $149.
Ya wins some and ya lose some. Give the parents a break, like YOU never had a child go ballistic at the most inopportune time? Air Tran has admitted their mistake in being to abrupt and taking drastic action instead of waiting 2 minutes for the parents to get their child buckled.

bear900

If you gave The Look on The View, could you Visualize a Glimpse in your Mind’s Eye of Watching the trouble Envisioned while Gazing at the Donald’s HairTran…oh Air Tran!

…never mind!

TahitiTams

clarkgriswold..
With a family with the likes of
Cousin Eddie, Snots and Rusty in your household,
I can see why you are so sympathetic to the family that was kicked off the Airtran flight!

sistahlou..
I love the "Rent A Brat"..

sistahlou

Dont thank me, thank NeoPatrick and icee2 for the inspiration before my comment. They are priceless!

crefloors

Why should the flight attendant buckle the kid up. The parents should have done it. How much does the father weigh ya' think. Then we can add the mother and the kid? I don't know, is 35 or 40 pounds unreasonable? Too much? So these two adults can't get the kid into the seat. The screaming they probably could have put up with, but a kid running all over the isle on take off just doesn't cut it.

sfamylou

I have two little kids and it's frustrating when they decide to stretchhhhhhh their legs (kicking the seat in front) and you have to tell them not to do it over and over, or when their little ears hurt and they cry, and when they get bored, or whatever. I wish more people would be patient with little kids and their parents. But you know what? Ag had it right. Those parents should be apologizing to the airline and other passengers. That they haven't done that, that they are so indignant, shows me that they are awful parents and I'm glad they are on the opposite side of the country from me.

coldwar27

The family refused the tickets and are embarrassed? I'm curious to see how long it might take for them to consider a lawsuit. I don't think there should be one, but in this litigious society, it would not surprise me.

soccr

"...the FA told the mother she had to sit down and be belted in and the Mother had the gall to say "but she doesn't want to..."

My grandfather once settled a situation like that.

Soccr's mother: "Go upstairs to bed."

Little Soccr: "But I don't WANNA go to bed."

Soccr's grandfather (in a booming voice, towering over Soccr and pointing upstairs): "I disagree. I think you do. Now go!"

the_scarecrow_in_oz

BRAVO for AirTran!!!!

"...the FA told the mother she had to sit down and be belted in and the Mother had the gall to say "but she doesn't want to..."

The mother should be banned from all futre flights. What an idiot!

Who the h3ll is in charge here - the parent or the 3 year old beast? Apparently the 3 year old! Which is why AirTran finally had to step in and be in charge. I am so tired of molly-coddling parental idiots who think they can reason with a toddler. 99.9% of toddlers DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO REASON!!!!

BRAVO Air Tran!

SamH

If the parents needed 2 minutes to get the kid strapped in they would have been sitting on the runway waiting for the plane in front of them to get a new tire put on or whatever. I'm with AirTran here, as are 80% of respondents to the BG article.
I assume a lawsuit is in order here. I think 112 lawsuits for ruining a day would be fair.

Cali

Can you imagine if the FA tried to buckle her in her seat? That would have been another lawsuit with the people who will sue for everything nowadays.

mrwunrfl

Why didn't AirTran just medicate the little menace? An injection of some kind. That's how that behavior is handled these days, no?

dan_woodlief

First, let me say that I certainly sympathize with any passengers on a plane that have to listen to screaming children or make their connection. Second, let me say that it is hard to judge the situation fairly without having been there.

That said, it is very frustrating as a parent of young children to see people say "amazing things" about their own well-behaved children and how if parents did better raising their children things like this wouldn't happen. Please. Do you really believe all that? Some children are particularly calm and peaceful, granted, but most children occasionally throw fits. They are the rule, not the exception. Kids also can have a lot of "irrational" fears.

The key is to know your own child, as they are also different. I wouldn't want to take my son on a 5-hour flight right now, for example, because I am not sure how well he would do for that long. I knew he would be fine on a short flight though so opted to fly to Florida for vacation. Everything went well.

Believe it or not even parents of sometimes noisy children can care very much about how it affects people around them. You control them as much as possible, but sometimes kids are kids.

Anyway, I don't know enough to judge the airline or the parents. I just know I would hate to be in that situation. If I had been the parent on the plane, I would have been telling my child that they might make us get off the plane - not that I thought that would actually happen - and not that it would necessarily do any good.

Christine65

"Elly was sitting in front of our seat crying," she said in a phone interview. "The attendant motioned to a seat and asked if we purchased it for her."
Why would a child not be seated with the parents? And why if that is true didn't one of the parents trade seats so the kid could be sitting with one of them?!!!

dan_woodlief

If the child wasn't actually sitting with the parents, I agree it is pretty odd. When we flew, each of us sat beside one of our children. It would seem that either the parents made a mistake, or we are not hearing the true story.