Southwest Airlines Kicks Toddler Off Plane
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Southwest Airlines gave a two-year-old toddler and his mom a time out last week when they kicked them off a flight from Amarillo to San Jose. The toddler, who was screaming “Go plane go!” and “I want Daddy!”, was apparently so loud the passengers could not hear the preflight safety announcements. While the mother tried to assure the flight crew the toddler would stop after awhile, they did not seem to agree, and had the plane taxi back to the gate where they were let off the plane.
Though Southwest has since apologized and issued a refund and $300 flight voucher, a bigger question is at hand. According to an MSNBC poll, 76% of people AGREE with Southwest airlines, and think screaming kids should be taken off the plane. Most people who take the airlines’ side seem to think kids that age should not fly, or that maybe the mom wasn’t doing a “good enough job.”
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What do you think? Was the airline correct in kicking off the mom and her tot? What do you think should have been done instead? Click “Discuss This Article” to leave your comments!
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Comment by Nicole on Nov 02 2009 11:38:31:
All things considered, she seems pretty rational and articulate about the whole thing so it’s surprising this happened to them. I wonder what she was like on the plane though. Screaming toddlers seem to be the exception these days… but when it happens it seems to be a reflection of the parents… either tuning them out and ignoring the screaming altogether, or getting angry and frustrated in return.
Comment by Heather on Nov 02 2009 11:49:42:
I’m simply glad this didn’t happen to us when we flew from NY to CO through Chicago. My then newly-turned two year old daughter kept crying, “Airplane go DOWN!” and “Abajo, airplane, abajo!” She simply wanted the airplane to land, but I suspect that it was making other passengers nervous. Thankfully, the other passengers helped me calm her down and distract her. So, it was five flights total (two to CO from NY, one to NE, and two back from NE to NY) that she had melt-downs on and no one kicked us off. I guess we had a slew of understanding flight crews and surrounding passengers.
Comment by RBA III on Nov 02 2009 11:50:14:
Yes they should have been deboarded
Comment by Carina on Nov 03 2009 12:02:59:
i disagree. they should have left them on the plane!
1) The paid like every other person on there
2) Its a KID!!!! comon guys
Comment by Erin on Nov 03 2009 12:06:21:
Honestly, this could happen to ANY parent. I don’t care who you are or how you handle things. I wonder if the flight attendants tried some crackers or juice? Or maybe some of those special airplane wings they used to give kids who were nervous to fly? Heck, a plastic cup might have gotten him quiet for long enough for them to pretend to put masks on and get off the ground. Kicking them off seemed a little crazy to me. I don’t think bad behavior deserves special attention- but he’s TWO. And I’m sure his Mom would have appreciated a little bit of a hand instead of a “time out.”
Comment by marlies maneru on Nov 03 2009 12:13:06:
i have 2 thoughts….1) if the parent showed no concern of even trying to stop the child from screaming and ignored other people’s offer for help, then, yes..get them off the plane…2) if the parent has tried everything to get the child quieted, then maybe the child is fearful of the flight and needs some kind of distraction or maybe even meds to help calm the child and give them some kind of control over their emotions, then let them stay on board and perhaps seat them at the back of the plane…perhaps a snack or video games/shows will help distract the child..i have even found that closing the window shades and putting earplugs has helped tremendously in flying with a toddler
Comment by Jacqueline on Nov 03 2009 02:13:11:
I do think it was a bit extreme for them to be kicked off but I have to say I would have dreaded dealing with it if I were a passenger on that flight. From experience, you have to prepare, many, MANY snacks, toys etc. I have a 4 yea old who I’ve traveled with since she was 3 months old. I see no reason for kids to be afraid of flying at 2 years old or younger. They don’t realize what happening unless you tell them. I have had a few idiots ask my daughter “were you scared?” after a trip & I wanted to slap them because they are planting a seed of fear where there wasn’t any.
Some people just don’t think.
Comment by Michelle on Nov 03 2009 02:16:21:
I don’t think screaming or crying children should get kicked off a plane. Before I had children, I hated crying babies/kids on planes UNTIL I had my own. I think this all depends on WHAT IFS. What if they were on their way to a funeral? Or if seeing a loved one in the military? Or a wedding? This shouldn’t matter – people fly for various reasons and people who snore, complain, talk toooo much or may be too big for seats don’t get kicked off. $100 says that little boy would have quieted down once the plane took off. It IS HARD TO do several things with a toddler, including flying…GIVE PARENTS a break. If you are or were a parent of a little one at some point, you know how hard it is to even grocery shop! I give this mom a high five for even attempting to fly with a 2 year old. STRESS!!
Comment by Joyce on Nov 03 2009 02:29:48:
While I do sympathize with the mother, I believe the flight crew has to do what is in everyone’s best interest. It is required by the FAA that the crew completes their safety demonstration and that everyone is informed of the information. If the screaming child made that impossible then he should have been removed. I imagine passengers were putting pressure on the crew to do something about the situation and I’m sure they were relieved to see the pair go.
Comment by Penny on Nov 03 2009 02:36:26:
Seriously, the child is 2. He/she is not misbehaving, he/she is being 2. They shouldn’t have been kicked off unless there was a concern that the mother was abusing the child and then, the police should have been called. Otherwise the flight attendants should have tried to assist the mother. Most children will calm down if distracted with something. Even as simple as a cup, ice, candy, something.
Comment by Trini on Nov 03 2009 06:22:34:
Due to the fact that the passengers could not hear the announcements and the mom could not control her child, they should have been escorted off of the plane and only given a refund(nothing extra) because it was not the airlines fault that she could not control her child.
Comment by Gloria on Nov 03 2009 01:20:42:
I think this should be how airplanes handle screaming, bratty kids. Why should EVERYONE else be subjected this torture? Flying sucks as it is but doesn’t it seem like you are always sitting next to the kid who won’t stop screaming? Why?? It’s because of all these “I don’t believe in spanking” parents who let their kids run the show. Take control of your bratty kids!!
Comment by Sandy Sandersons on Nov 03 2009 08:46:03:
Comment to Gloria on Nov 03 2009 01:20:42
You think he is a monster, just because you were retarded as a kid that doesn’t mean all the kids are, you should be lock so you won’t be hearing nobody’s sound or talking…
Comment by Rhonda on Nov 03 2009 08:48:14:
I believe in spanking and my three year old still screams in a store, so I don’t think that all children can be controlled in such a situation. Yes, I belive more should have been done to distract the child by the mother and the airlines, but I feel it to be extemely harsh to punish them by kicking them off. Should the mother get a sedative for flying next time , yes, should she have been kicked off, no, in my opinion. We all have trying times with children and just remember we all were two at one time and I’m sure we did alot worse! These are children, our future, come on???
Comment by Jen on Nov 06 2009 02:24:29:
I will be flying with my 2 year old daughter from MI to FL in January and can only hope that I don’t have to deal with ignorant, inconsiderate, selfish people that can’t handle a baby crying. THIS IS LIFE PEOPLE!!!!
Comment by Pascal on Nov 10 2009 04:38:27:
Lesson: bring ear plugs in any flight.
If the airline took the time to return to gate and deboard, maybe instead they could have helped out trying to make the kid quiet? Tell the kid he’s going to have to leave. Alone. Just him
They should do all they can to keep the kid in. Give a warning at least. Last resort, yes, take the kid out. Some kids look just ‘crazy’. Sometimes they are too young to understand, but at two, a normal kid understands.
Comment by April on Dec 05 2009 12:54:34:
I flew the friday before thanksgiving with my 4 children alone. While my two daughters and youngest son were fine, my oldest son who has autism was not. As we began to descend he started to fuss and cry, gorwing louder. Our flight landed early in LA only to sit on runway waiting for 20 mons to get to the gate. My son seeing we were stopped wanted to take off his seatbelt, which wasnt allowed. This only esculated the situation with him to the point of him screaming. I tried, juice, ice, toys, books to distract him. The flight attendants also tried to helpn out by talking calmly to him. Our flight-also a southwest flight- was a stop-over just landing in LAX to re-fuel and let off/take on new passengers. My son had a hard time calming down. I was told if he did not calm down that I would have to disembark with all my kids, stay the night in LA in a hotel, and they’d fly me out again tomorrow on a less crowded flight. To me that was not the right solution but i did understand that my son was disturbing others. As passengers disembarked we had a flight crew change and a veyr nice flight attendant offered my son anything he wanted for the next flight. He did not cry once. A cup of ice and a book she gave him calmed him instantly while nothing i had did. Point is you never know the whole story. Do not judge this mother and her son. He was only 2, while my son is 7 and has flown many times. Yes sometimes kids cry and scream but that doesnt mean they should blanketdly be banned from flying or be kicked off immediately without trying other means to calm them down. Try to be more understanding.
Comment by Lyd Hill on Jan 31 2010 06:37:26:
I think that she should not have been kicked off the flight. For one thing they are paying customers. 2 year olds don’t fly for free! It just wasn’t not the right way to go about it. Especially if they needed to be somewhere just like everyone else. Passengers should not have a say over who get kicks off the plane and certainly not the airlines without having fine print for toddlers.ha
Comment by Stay Home on Apr 10 2010 12:59:55:
I am sick to death of these selfish parents such as Sherri Shephed and Elisabeth Hasselbeck and all the others like them who are not famous and think ONLY OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR HIDEOUS BRATS! Leave your blankety blank kids home if you have not taught them how to behave in public! Any child can be taught to sit down and NOT KICK, SCREAM or otherwise misbehave. All they need is a book or something to occupy their time. How dare these monsters disrupt anyone else! The parents that have these brats should be looked upon with disdain as they are raising sociopaths and criminals.
Comment by Anonymous on Mar 10 2012 08:08:01:
I love that they kicked them off. I wish they would have sererate flight for people with kids. It's so difficult being trapped near a screaming child. If parents were able to control their kids better this probably wouldn't be a problem…
Comment by Anonymous on Mar 10 2012 08:08:35:
separate not sererate