Southwest Removes Family and Toddler From Flight
A family and their small child were removed from a Southwest flight Wednesday after the child was agitated due to her fear of flying.
According to Facebook user Alexis Armstrong, the incident occurred before Southwest flight 1683 departed from Chicago (MDW) to Atlanta (ATL). She shared this video of the event on Facebook:
The caption of the video described the incident as follows:
#southwest #shame #on #you #southwest #airlines kicked a man off the plane with his two year old daughter because she was afraid and not sitting in her own seat.. he asked the lady for a minute to calm her down she walked away and called people to remove him. The baby was already calm by now and sitting in her own seat. Captain then came over intercom to say we will be going back to the gate to handle a customer service issue. They then told me stop filming and this issue did not involve me, and that me and another woman who spoke up will be the next off he plane. The flight attendant then came to tell me be quiet stop talking ( to the person next to me ) no one around me wants to hear about the situation. #Flight1683 #MDW to #ATL ABC 7 Chicago NBC Chicago Southwest Airlines #Michelle was the flight attendant
It appears that the child was afraid of flying and became agitated while the plane was getting ready to depart. A flight attendant approached the family and asked the father to put his daughter back in her seat. The father then asked the FA to give him two minutes to calm his daughter down so he could put her back in her seat.
"Then the flight attendant in red came over and said she needs to calm and sit or will be escorted off. The man calms the child, gets her popcorn, sets her up," Armstrong told Inc.
The FA then contacted the captain about the ordeal, with the captain coming over the intercom shortly after saying the aircraft would be returning to the gate.
The video shows that aircraft back at the gate, with two Southwest employees telling the family they need to leave the aircraft even though the two-year-old was no longer agitated. You can hear the father say that he was just trying to calm his child down, and other passengers seem to corroborate his story.
"[The child] had a fit for about three minutes while still boarding and people seating," Armstrong said to Inc.
The flight attendant says something along the lines of: "I explained the FAA regulations. There's no more discussion. We are back at the gate. You knew that was going to be the option." She's most likely referring to FAA rules requiring everyone to be seated when taxing to the runway.
"We are cleared for departure," the flight attendant added. "We all need to understand the operation unfortunately."
"All I really wanted was it to be seen by [Southwest] and apologize to this family," Armstrong told Inc. "I am a mom, and my heart was hurting for this dad. Southwest owes them an apology. I did not think this would blow up. I am not sure why I even began to film. I just knew from the woman's attitude and security approaching it wasn't going to end well."
A Southwest spokesperson provided this statement to TPG regarding the incident:
After pushback Wednesday evening, Flight 1683 to Atlanta returned to the gate at Chicago Midway 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 traveling party was booked on the next flight to Atlanta after the original flight continued as planned. We will reach out to the customer to listen to any concerns they have about their experience and look forward to welcoming them onboard again soon.
The story was updated at 1:18pm EST with Southwest's statement.
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- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
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- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.