Family Booted off JetBlue Flight After Child Kicks Seat
Another week, another controversial viral airline incident. This time JetBlue was caught up in the mix, only two months after getting flack for removing a family off a flight over a birthday cake. Now, video has emerged of a family of five being kicked off a JetBlue flight after one of their children kicked the seat in front of them. While the incident occurred on June 21, the footage is just appearing now. The events happened as follows:
Tamir Raanan and Mandy Ifrah were traveling from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to New York (JFK) with their three children, ages one, five and eight. After boarding the flight and taking their seats, the one year-old kicked the seat in front of her. The passenger, whose seat was kicked, turned around and made some impolite comments to the family, according to Ifrah.
“She is about to have a bottle and kicked the lady in front of us. The lady huffed and puffed. She got up and said, ‘You should hold your baby’s feet,’" Ifrah told The New York Post. "'She is a baby — what would you like me to do? I’m sorry, and I am trying my best to control the situation right now.’”
The passenger then switched seats, everyone relaxed and the situation seemed to be resolved, said Ifrah. At that point, JetBlue's staff got involved and that's when things got complicated. Ranaan began filming the interaction between the family and a JetBlue employee, Armando Gonzalez, who boarded the plane. Gonzalez asked the family to come off the plane and discuss the incident, which they responded to as "ridiculous" and they told Gonzalez that they weren't leaving the aircraft.
Eventually, the family complied and the next video shows them talking with Gonzalez and law enforcement in the jetway; at that point all of the passengers were forced to deplane because of the event. Ifrah and Ranaan continued to question Gonzalez about why they were getting kicked off and how they were going to get home. Gonzalez replied: "You were removed from the airplane because you were not cooperating with me ... at this point if you want more information about the incident, you'll have to call 1-800-JetBlue."
Towards the end of the video, deputies from the Broward County Sheriff's Office stepped in and told the family that they would not be getting on a JetBlue flight that night.
Today, JetBlue issued this statement regarding the incident:
"After a verbal altercation that included physical threats and profanities against a nearby customer, the aircraft door was reopened and our airports team politely asked the customers to step off to discuss the situation. The customers refused repeated requests and our crewmembers deplaned the entire aircraft. Law enforcement escorted them out of the gate area and we provided a refund. The customers were not removed due to the actions of their children. We are investigating whether the customers’ behavior warrants restrictions on JetBlue travel and we thank our crewmembers for their professional handling of this unfortunate incident."
The couple said that they didn't receive their luggage until a week after the flight and that they had to stay in Florida for the night without any of their belongings — including clothes and baby supplies, according to a statement from the couple's lawyer. They paid $2,000 for new tickets to fly back to New York the next day and were refunded just $500 from JetBlue.
According to The New York Post, JetBlue has banned Ifran and Raanan from flying the carrier. The couple is looking at taking legal action against the carrier for emotional distress and defamation of character, according to their lawyer.
H/T: The New York Post
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 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.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $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.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $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.