Whoa, suddenly everything's white, and there's a pissed off be-hatted dude on the front of Consumerist!

We've been taken over by Detectivist?

Ooooo hot site. Much better. That dark background was depressing.

Good! Listen up Mr. Screamy Kid. If it were my airline you wouldn't get your refund. Your kid had to have been causing some serious trouble to GROUND A FREAKIN' PLANE. Teach your little monkey how to behave in public or kennel it.

More airlines should do this. I was on a Delta flight to Hawaii from Denver and had 3 kids and their dad behind me. For all but about 30 minutes the kids were screeching, kicking the seats and climbing on the backs of them. The father was repeatedly asked to control his children and finally said, "look they're kids" like that was an excuse. He was trying to quietly reason with his children who were about 3 - 6 and they just ignored him.
I would pay more for a childless flight.

Me, I says good for AirTran. Seriously.

1. They paid 585.00 for 3 tickets? (or am I reading that wrong?) If it's true, I gots to get me some AirTran!

2. I don't always love children, but I HATE smug, self-righteous parents who don't understand how their little darling's screaming physical incident would bother someone else or be a safety risk. When I behaved badly as a child in a restaurant, store, etc., I was taken out of the situation. Not coddled, not reasoned with, just removed without fanfair.

3. I wish more airlines did this. Maybe then there'd be less children (or less screaming children, anyhow) on flights.

there was an article on 11alive.com (local atlanta news) saying AirTran was getting a TON of positive feedback about this move.

I don't need to go anywhere, but all of a sudden I kind of feel like flying AirTran.

oh, and totally support the airline on this one. It's the same principle as people getting drunk in the business lounge and turning up an hour late to the gate. Your luggage has been offloaded, asshole.

I think it was George Carlin who made the suggestion that since flights are no smoking, why can't they have "no children" flights?

My only dissapointment is that AirTran felt like they owed these rubes something after kicking them off the plane. In a perfect world, the parents would have been held accountable for the time they wasted for the 200 other passengers on the plane.

Yeah, well, like many others I'm totally with AirTran on this one. A good deal of parents nowadays let their children get away with murder and then are all surprised when they get a negative reaction from the rest of society.

ha ha detectivist!
i want the blackness back!

Woohoo, go Airtran!

Pull the little fuckers. If people can't give their kids Nyquil to fly, then they can go charter. Nicely done AirTran!

Yeah, I've read several articles about this story. A few make it sound like it was just about the kid screaming and crying. But then others mention how the child would not get in her seat and was on the floor throwing a tantrum and beating on her parents' legs. An Air-Tran flight attendant advised the parents that for safety reasons, any child over 2 must be strapped into his/her own seat and may not ride in a parent's lap during takeoff. The flight had already been delayed for 15 minutes and there were over 100 other passengers and crew to consider.

The parents are doing some serious victim-playing, here. They whine about how the airline didn't give them an opportunity to console their child -- but there's usually quite a bit of time between boarding and takeoff, right? And a lot of airlines offer priority boarding to people traveling with small children.

Some articles have said that the family was "banned" from traveling for 24 hours, but I have read differing accounts on this. I've read that AirTran offered them seats on other flights that day, but that the family declined because they wanted a non-stop flight only. So it doesn't seem to be AirTran's fault that the family was in Orlando another 24 hours.

I love kids and I know that crying children on airplanes are a fact of life. Flying sucks, especially for little ones who can't regulate the pressure in their ears. However, it seems like this kid had issues unrelated to air pressure (plane hadn't taken off yet) and the parents expected AirTran to delay an already late departure so that they could reason with their three-year-old. That's pretty inconsiderate of the parents. The kid can cry and scream all the way to Boston as long as she's strapped in her seat and isn't holding up the whole flight.

And AirTran really went out of their way to make a goodwill gesture by offering the family refunds PLUS free extra tickets. That's more than the family deserves. They're very self-righteous, saying they'll never fly AirTran again. Sounds like a plus for AirTran and all of its passengers.

After seeing this couple making their rounds on the news interview circuit the past few days, I let out a groan of disgust when I saw their faces yet again this morning. But my disgust was immediately swept away when the newscaster said that public opinion has been something like 91% in favor of AirTran.

It's hard not to see the airline's side here. I'm sorry mommies and daddies but if you've decided to have kids that comes with EXTRA responsibility to be courteous to the people around you. If that means that you don't get to go to the opera, fine resturants or fly when your kid is out of control then that's part of the package.

You see, the other passengers paid for our tickets too and if your kid is keepingit from taking off, kicking you off the plane is the fairest thing to do for everyone else on the flight.

Now if we can just get movie theaters, resturants and playhouses to bring the hammer down on selfish parents.

I like how the woman said they just needed more time to console the child. Seriously, it's a shame, but strap the child in, and console her from there.

It sucks, but that's the price you pay for having children. Sometimes they aren't going to cooperate in social settings and YOU, repeat YOU, not everyone around you, but YOU, are going to have to adjust your (and their) behavior accordingly.

My parents had to leave many a movie and restaurant because I was an uncooperative child. It's what happens. They should be thankful that in this situation they were compensated for their flight, so they didn't have to make the difficult decision to leave on their on.

Side note: I bet most of our parents would have smacked us and told us to be quiet. This article says the girl was hitting her parents. Amazing that no one says anything when a child hits their parents in public, but if that same parent were to smack the child and tell it to be quiet everyone would be up in arms.

Call me old fashioned, but I think corporeal punishment and child abuse are two very different things.

I too, want to fly AirTran now. Especially considering if my kids act up, I'll get my tickets comped and free tickets for a future flight!

Seriously, though, those parents should be ashamed of themselves. I've had to pick my 2 year old up, kicking and screaming, to buckle him into his car seat. It happens. Sometimes you just can't console them. But you know what? I'm bigger than he is. That means his butt is getting strapped in no matter what his opinions on the matter are.

I'm so flying AirTran from now on.

The thing that really gets me about this story is that the family wanted "just a few more minutes" to calm the kid. The flight was already 15 minutes late!

I heard this mom complaining in a press conference. Is ti possible to reach through the radio to smack someone? Cause I tried but it didn't work. Dear Air Tran: I love you.

Do you think that Air Tran will be opening a restaurant anytime soon? I'm so there. Instead of giving those parents free tickets, Air Tran should have given them a gift certificate for a family psychilogist and a lifetime supply of Benadryl.

What, the parents would rather the plane take out without their little angel in a seat and prone to injury?

Agree with thwarted - if you can't calm your kid in 15 minutes, a few extra isn't going to get you anywhere.

Seems just like all the kids on Nanny 911 -- the perfect show for childless folks to feel infinitely superior to bad parents.

I think it was outrageous of Air Tran to basically reward these people for being unable to parent their kid. But I hardly blame the airline for asking them to leave the plane. The very most they owed the family was passage on the next flight. What they owed to the rest of the plane for having to put up with this nonsense is something else again.

RandomHookup, even we parents watch that show to feel superior. Sometimes it's the only chance we get. Those people are so horrible, it makes my stomach hurt to watch it.

When I heard this on my local news, my immediate thought was "What's the other side of the story". And, lo... Here it is.

I, too, agree that AirTran did the right thing in this circumstance (comping free tix may be over-the-top, but whatever). I am lucky in that my kids are awesome travelers and I don't have to consider what I would do in this circumstance (which would be to make them sit down, by force if necessary).

With that said, after reading the posts above, I came away with a taste of "keep yer brats quiet and no one gets hurt". Keep in mind, folks, that infants (< 18 mo) sometimes have a hard time traveling and will scream throughout the flight due to the air pressure, etc. That is no excuse in this instance, however. This kid was old enough to know what she was doing and was given a big pass by mom and dad.

I add my voice to the others cheering AirTran. I am NOT a kid person at all, and when children are acting like that it seriously makes me crazy. I also cannot stand parents who think that no one else has a right to say anything about their child's behavior even when the behavior is obviously affecting anyone nearby. These stupid breeders who think that their child is some sort of angel no matter what they're doing reassure me that we ought to make people take IQ and common-sense tests before being allowed to produce offspring.

To officedrone4, who said:
"Side note: I bet most of our parents would have smacked us and told us to be quiet. This article says the girl was hitting her parents. Amazing that no one says anything when a child hits their parents in public, but if that same parent were to smack the child and tell it to be quiet everyone would be up in arms."

--you are kidding, right? There's a wee bit of difference between a toddler slapping her parent's leg and an adult smacking a child in the face. If we were talking about a teenager beating up a parent, yes that is just as detestable as child abuse...but no 3 year old is actually going to cause any physica harm to a grown person.

I would like to see just one person here TRY to take the parents side. Just try....

What they owed to the rest of the plane for having to put up with this nonsense is something else again.

What they owed the other passengers is exactly what they gave them: a speedy resolution to an unforeseen problem.

That's the problem: many companies are so afriad of being seen as not 'family friendly' that their staff is not given the tools or authority to eject people who bring a disruptive child into the business.

And that's what people are reacting positively to: a company that does empower their employees to take care of those disruptions.

Kudos for AirTran (formerly known as Value Jet) on this issue. They are also the only airline to ever bump me and my bf up to first class after a particularly hellish flight caused us to miss our connection. And that was the first time we had ever flown them.

All the feedback and links to my post on my site, about this, has been pro AirTrans.

To spryte says: but no 3 year old is actually going to cause any physica harm to a grown person.

I have a friend who has a 3 year old who hits her and her husband and I have to tell ya, he does inflict damage. She has bruises on her legs and arms all the time. The boy not only hits them with fists but with objects and cut the husbands face. They do not spank, nor do they do much in the way of any sort of discipline. As a result I very rarely ever go to their home. His behavior is their fault, I just wanted to let you know a 3 year old can inflict damage. Just ask their 60 inch HDTV that has a huge crack from one of his tantrums.

My concern is that this will create a "me too" affect on other airlines, and give FA's the feeling of carte blanche to pull passengers as soon as a kid gives out a whimper.

Mind you, I agree fully with AirTran's decision, if the kid can't sit in the seat and the plane's ready to go, the kid's gotta go.

But, as a parent of a child who *sometimes* cries when made to sit strapped in a seat, but then gets over it when the plane starts moving and is generally fine, I worry that someone is going to get bumped just because of that.

Hopefully that won't happen. Again, good job Airtran.

I do think the airline has the flight to consider, but might have been a little sympathetic - instead of banning them for 24 hours - they could have simply said they'd put the on the next flight as long as seating was available. The 24 hour ban is debatable - but it if is true, then the airline could have been a little more sympathetic.

As far as calming the kid down - it's obvious that few of the commenters here have kids. Having a three year old - I know the volatile nature of a 3 year old's mind. They can go from screaming to calm in under two minutes - as long as the pressure's off. Kids sense tension in their parents and channel it into themselves. If the flight crew and any passengers standing around had been able to give the parents 5 more minutes without standing over them, shooting them glares and pouring on the pressure....they may have been able to calm the child. So I see the parents' side in this.

I also know that the airline had a schedule to keep, and if they couldn't accomodate the family, so be it. But making parenting judgements about these people without having been there and witnessing the situation is just wrong.

I have to say I'm a little disturbed by the "hang the parents" attitude I'm seeing here. That kind of mob mentality - "Booyah! AirTRAN ROCKS for kickin' them and their little rugrat to da curb!" - really folks....it's a bit much.

--*Rob

Wow it is so unusual to see people act correctly when dealing with parents who do not know how to control their kids. If we'd stop being so accepting of uncontrolled kids then we might have to endure less of this sort of thing.

I bet a cheer went up when they were escorted off.

I have two children. One of them was recently 3 and on an airplane. He is well behaved and properly (not corprally) disciplined. He didn't and would never have been allowed to do anything even remotely like that.

Rob, given what we know, these people are textbook ASSHAT parents.

Once when I was flying Southwest I was talking to one of the flight crew who told me that they had to kick off a family for an unruly kid on the leg before ours. Everyone around who heard it said they wished airlines would do it more often. Didn't hear anything about that incident on the news, these parents are just opportunists who can't control their own kid.

after having spent monday in disneyland with kids running up my back in almost every line i was in (minor, i know, but parents - have your little brats not touch strangers in line, please!); and then having been on the flight back from LA that included children - none of them disruptive - i say good for airtran.

also, as others have pointed out, parents with children are allowed to board first for this very reason - get the kid in his/her seat, get them prepared, calmed down, etc. etc.

if this were an adult holding up the flight for whatever reason, he/she would have been kicked off as well (didn't you guys report on the drunk broad from the boston-->sf flight earlier this week???)

It's one thing for a child to be crying and screaming before take off- let's face it, even the most well behaved three year old is going to have a temper tantrum once in a while. But if the kid won't take her seat, the plane can't take off. How is this any different than a belligerent adult preventing take-off?

Plus, the kid is three. Pick her up, put her in the seat, buckle her in, and physically hold her there until she calms down.

These people got to fly home, got their money refunded, and could have had another round trip flight. Seems like a pretty cushy deal, considering.

I am down with any airline who will put their foot down with parents who don't know how to control their kid. I would even pay a premium to ride on flights that were did not have children under the age of 10 on them. I also commend AirTran for not putting them on the next flight out either. What makes anyone think that these parents who couldn't control their child in the first place would've been able to get the kid to behave in the 45 minutes they had (or whatever arbitrary time window) until the next flight takes off. The kid needed a time out and got one courtesy of AirTran. The other passengers got a reprieve and the parents had a good 24 hours to think about how they failed their kid and themselves as parents. Now if restaurants could be convinced to do the same thing. This isn't about a prejudice against parents or children. This should be used as a wakeup call for parents who don't know how to discipline their children. It is not ok to have your child run AMOK and turn the lives of all of the people around you upside down too.

@RobUsdin

I've read in a few places that the family wasn't "banned" from the airline for 24 hours, but that AirTran offered other flights that day and that the parents chose not to take those flights because they weren't non-stop.

Sounds like the parents conveniently left that out when they were talking to the media.

i rad this on the msnbc site and 95% of posts were yay airtran (I totaly support the airline!!) but to read the small handful who were opposed to the action was entertainment on a whole new level!

Wow...do any of you have kids? Have you traveled with them? For a different take see this:

http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2007012...

I've seen this on both the Boston Globe and Chicago Trib's sites. Both had polls that were north of 90% favouring the airline too. Maybe this will be the tipping point for ones to start offering child-free zones

yeah, it's not at all clear that the kid was delaying the flight, the airline was doing that already.

then there's the part about the plane flying off with their car seat and luggage still onboard [of course, pulling it would've delayed the flt even more], and the unsolicited parenting lectures from the gate agent.

Somewhere in there, AirTran's offer sounds like a giant CYA. I mean, when has an airline--an airline!--EVER refunded your money AND still flown you home AND given you free tickets?

Still, gotta love AirTran's PR jiujitsu, realizing people hate screaming kids even more than they hate ghetto airlines.

That's an opinion piece, not a news story; the author inserts herself in to the story like a small town Cindy Adams. I don't care how heartwarming and wonderful their trip to Florida was, or that the Dad is in nursing school, that's not the issue at hand. The issue at hand is the child's behavior, the parents' inability to curb her tantrum, and their whining when they were presented with the only solution that would work to make the plane take off sort of on time and keep the other passengers happy. If they were mistreated by an employee of AirTran, that is another issue, and one that should be addressed, but the simple fact that they were taken off the plane was the correct decision by AirTran.
And why would you take a child who just had EAR SURGERY on a plane less than a month later? If it was that serious, they should have postponed the trip. That, and not the other stuff, makes me think they're not amazing parents.

That telegram article had a distinct John Stossel wannabe tone.

I'm a new parent, and I 100% side with AirTran on this one. Just crying is one thing, but the kid isn't in the seat, parents aren't willing to use superior size and strength, then they've gotta go. Asking an entire planeload of passengers to wait your daughter's screaming fit out is not reasonable.

On the other hand, fear of using force and having to deal with accusations of child abuse might have had something to with the parent's reluctance to just manhandle their daughter into their seat. There are always plenty of childless self-righteous types who will jump all over you with their ideas of how you should be handling the situation. Like spryte, who has obviously never had their nose bloodied by a furious toddler, or been punched in the balls.

I'm with Mr Grimes!

There are always two sides to a story. I absolutely do not condone parents who believe that everyone should be subjected to their kids' bad behavior. But kids are kids and is a part of our civilization and as such must be tolerated. I've read quite a few posts above about "selfish parents". Sounds like you're pretty selfish and immature to not understand that folks can sometimes have challenges with their children.

And yes, I have a 4 year old and a 1 year old, and we've flown quite a few national and international flights with our kid(s). I used to be much less understanding of parents' dilemmas with their kids, but I have toned that down a lot since having children of my own.

AirTran is definitely in the right on this one. You can't have a kid loose in the aisles during takeoff. One sharp bump and you have a meaty, smelly, screaming projectile whizzing through the cabin.

My parents would beat the hell out of me, usually with kitchen utensils (the spaghetti spoon with the little pegs in it was often the weapon of choice) and it kept me and my sister in line. If your kid needs a spanking, spank them. Mercilessly. Its for their own good.

On the topic of obnoxious kids/parents on a plane. I had the joy of a toddler pooping his diaper in the seat next to mine. Fair enough, it happens to the best of us. What does mommy do? Folds down the tray table and changes the little bastard right there, about 18 inches from my snack pack. Wonderful.