Passengers Outraged As Southwest Airlines Staff Kicked Off Father And Toddler ‘Scared Of Flying’ [Video]
Passengers onboard a Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Atlanta were outraged after a father and his two-year-old daughter were kicked off the plane for being too “scared to fly.”
Alexis Armstrong, 24, documented the upsetting incident on Flight 1683. In the clip, a male staff member can be seen talking seriously to a father sitting next to his young daughter, WGN-TV reported.
Apparently, the toddler was scared of flying and wanted to sit on her father’s lap instead of her own seat. The little girl was reportedly acting upset as the plane prepared for takeoff.
That was when a flight attendant approached the father and asked what was going on. Fellow passengers claimed that the father asked for a minute to calm his daughter in a peaceful manner.
However, the attendant reportedly walked away and called for someone to remove them from the flight. This is despite the fact that the toddler was already calm and sitting in her own seat after the father managed to settle her, New York Post reported.
Passengers who witnessed the incident strongly objected to the crew’s “harsh” decision to remove the family from the flight. One of the passengers onboard can be heard protesting the move, pointing out that kicking them off the plane will only traumatize the child even more.
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Another one reiterated that the crew should have been more considerate, especially since parents can’t always control scared toddlers in an instant.
Despite the passengers’ objection, the flight attendant firmly announced that that the “decision has been made,” adding that their protest is not helping at all.
The video ended with the family exiting the plane, disappointed.
“I’m glad you screwed up everyone’s day,” the man said before leaving.
Family forced off Southwest Airlines flight in viral video https://t.co/7eFs17nWVN pic.twitter.com/N0v49BnzYE
— WGN TV News (@WGNNews) March 16, 2018
Meanwhile, in a statement released by Southwest Airlines Wednesday evening, they confirmed that the flight in question returned to the gate to “allow supervisors to board the aircraft.”
“Our initial reports indicate a conversation escalated onboard between the Crew and a Customer traveling with a small child. We always aim for a welcoming and hospitable experience and regret the inconvenience to all involved.”
The airlines also revealed that the family was booked on the next flight to Atlanta. So far, the father and toddler have not been identified.
‘Demonic’ child filmed screaming for 8 hours on a Lufthansa flight https://t.co/7uOzDd12Ve
— South China Morning Post (@SCMPNews) February 15, 2018
This is not the first time a commercial flight has been affected by young passengers. In February, a video of a restless boy having an eight-hour-long tantrum during a flight from Germany to New Jersey became viral.
In the clip, the 3-year-old boy can be seen climbing on seats, running through aisles, and making “demonic” screams, leaving passengers horrified.
It remains unclear if someone onboard the nightmarish flight filed a complaint after they landed.
