AirTran, the Child-Free Airline
Yesterday, on our flight from Atlanta to Pittsburgh, Flight 985 on AirTran, a woman and her two-year-old son were removed from the plane when the child would not sit still in his seat. We were on the tarmac, ready for take-off, when the pilot announced that there was "an issue in the cabin" and that we'd be returning to the gate. At the gate, a customer service person came on and informed the woman that she'd have to get off the plane--even though, by that time, she'd calmed her son and he was falling asleep. Some passengers (including me) called out in her defense, but AirTran would not be swayed.
Andrew and I had talked to this mom and her son when we'd boarded--they were sitting directly in front of us. The little boy was very blond and cute; he talked to us over the seat back. When the plane began to move, he fell asleep in his mother's lap. But then a flight attendant (male, completely cold, frowning) approached and asked how old he was. The mother said he was just over two. "Then he has to sit in his own seat with his seat belt fastened," the man said.
When the woman shifted her son to his own seat, he began screaming and dissolved into full meltdown toddler mode. He would not sit still and allow himself to be buckled in--he just wanted his mother to hold him. It was heart-breaking to listen to, especially as the flight attendant grew increasingly insistent, the mother began crying herself in frustration and humiliation, and not one crew member attempted to help her or diffuse the situation.
Eventually, he calmed down, but it was too late for AirTran. The mother, in tears, led her little boy off the plane. Who knows when they managed to get to Pittsburgh--lots of flights were fully booked. And I can't imagine that a several-hours-long wait at the airport for the next flight will help the child have a calm next flight.
It was horrifying, from start to finish. No compassion. AirTran's new ad campaign features a slew of reasons to take an easy-breezy flight: bachelor party, old friend, long weekend, away game, etc. But how can any parent feel easy-breezy about AirTran when a crying child can leave you stranded in a strange airport, miles and miles from home?
A passenger spotted Lucia sleeping in her sling as we were getting off the plane in Pittsburgh. "You didn't get thrown off!" he said. But it could easily, so easily, be us next time.
Andrew and I had talked to this mom and her son when we'd boarded--they were sitting directly in front of us. The little boy was very blond and cute; he talked to us over the seat back. When the plane began to move, he fell asleep in his mother's lap. But then a flight attendant (male, completely cold, frowning) approached and asked how old he was. The mother said he was just over two. "Then he has to sit in his own seat with his seat belt fastened," the man said.
When the woman shifted her son to his own seat, he began screaming and dissolved into full meltdown toddler mode. He would not sit still and allow himself to be buckled in--he just wanted his mother to hold him. It was heart-breaking to listen to, especially as the flight attendant grew increasingly insistent, the mother began crying herself in frustration and humiliation, and not one crew member attempted to help her or diffuse the situation.
Eventually, he calmed down, but it was too late for AirTran. The mother, in tears, led her little boy off the plane. Who knows when they managed to get to Pittsburgh--lots of flights were fully booked. And I can't imagine that a several-hours-long wait at the airport for the next flight will help the child have a calm next flight.
It was horrifying, from start to finish. No compassion. AirTran's new ad campaign features a slew of reasons to take an easy-breezy flight: bachelor party, old friend, long weekend, away game, etc. But how can any parent feel easy-breezy about AirTran when a crying child can leave you stranded in a strange airport, miles and miles from home?
A passenger spotted Lucia sleeping in her sling as we were getting off the plane in Pittsburgh. "You didn't get thrown off!" he said. But it could easily, so easily, be us next time.
Comments
It is also a matter of comfort for the other passengers. While I understand that parents can easily tune out, or at least cope with their child's tantrums (I know my daughter's tantrums don't affect me), other passengers ARE affected, and this includes cabin crew, who need to be concentrating.
The reason cabin crew don't often assist when a child is acting up, is because there have been many occasions, in my airline at least, where someone has tried, and a parent has lashed out, verbally or physically, and accused the attendant of trying to injure the child, or tell them how to parent.
It's a tough job, being cabin crew. Sympathize with the mother, sure, but sympathize with us too. We've got rules to follow, for your safety and ours, and often, the passengers either don't know, or don't care.
Also, some of us go anonymous, because we don't have and don't want a google or blogger account, or any of the other options they give you.
having traveled last christmas with all of our kids from california to new york, i feel so bad for that woman.