Family is thrown off Air Tran flight after child throws a temper tantrum
A Massachusetts couple was asked to get off a Boston-bound flight before takeoff in Florida because their little girl would not take her seat. The airline says it was following federal regulations but the couple says they were treated unfairly.
Three-year-old Elly Kulesza of Worcester may say she likes flying but that wasn't the case last week when she and her parents boarded an Air Tran flight to return from a Florida vacation.
"When we picked up Elly to put her back in her seat that's when she started to cry."
"It was a strong solid waa, she wasn't really happy."
But Elly's parents were stunned by what airline employees told them next.
"They were talking to my husband, they said 'so you need to get off the plane now' and I looked up and I went are you serious?"
Serious they were, off the plane they went, their luggage and car seat headed to Boston without them.
"And to make matters worse, the Kuleszas were told since they were thrown off the plane they couldn't get on another plane for 24 hours."
Air Tran says: "It regrets the situation but that we have an obligation to the other 112 other passengers on the flight, and had to make an operational decision to ask the kulesza party to deplane so the flight could depart."
"I was outraged and embarrassed, I'm a full time EMT in Boston and if I treated anybody the way they treated me I would be out of a job.
"I just wanted to make the public aware of what happened and this too can happen to them if their child is crying too much."
Air Tran did refund the Kulesza's money and did offer them 3 free round trip business class tickets anywhere they wanted to go but the Kuleszas declined, saying they're never flying Air Tran again.
WHDH-TV, Boston, Massachusetts
I know it can be seen both ways, who wants to sit next to a crying kid..but, who is to say the kid would cry on and on...but, life sucks sometimes and it is no way to treat a paying customer. Of course Airtran is a cheap airline to fly on and they get what they offer...just glad I will never work for them or ever buy a ticket on them. But, this is just my opinion.
A Massachusetts couple was asked to get off a Boston-bound flight before takeoff in Florida because their little girl would not take her seat. The airline says it was following federal regulations but the couple says they were treated unfairly.
Three-year-old Elly Kulesza of Worcester may say she likes flying but that wasn't the case last week when she and her parents boarded an Air Tran flight to return from a Florida vacation.
"When we picked up Elly to put her back in her seat that's when she started to cry."
"It was a strong solid waa, she wasn't really happy."
But Elly's parents were stunned by what airline employees told them next.
"They were talking to my husband, they said 'so you need to get off the plane now' and I looked up and I went are you serious?"
Serious they were, off the plane they went, their luggage and car seat headed to Boston without them.
"And to make matters worse, the Kuleszas were told since they were thrown off the plane they couldn't get on another plane for 24 hours."
Air Tran says: "It regrets the situation but that we have an obligation to the other 112 other passengers on the flight, and had to make an operational decision to ask the kulesza party to deplane so the flight could depart."
"I was outraged and embarrassed, I'm a full time EMT in Boston and if I treated anybody the way they treated me I would be out of a job.
"I just wanted to make the public aware of what happened and this too can happen to them if their child is crying too much."
Air Tran did refund the Kulesza's money and did offer them 3 free round trip business class tickets anywhere they wanted to go but the Kuleszas declined, saying they're never flying Air Tran again.
WHDH-TV, Boston, Massachusetts
I know it can be seen both ways, who wants to sit next to a crying kid..but, who is to say the kid would cry on and on...but, life sucks sometimes and it is no way to treat a paying customer. Of course Airtran is a cheap airline to fly on and they get what they offer...just glad I will never work for them or ever buy a ticket on them. But, this is just my opinion.
