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Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Should airlines remove disruptive passengers?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you fly a lot, you’ve probably shared a flight with an unruly kid - one who repeatedly kicks your seat or tries to run the length of the aisle.
At least one airline has had enough.
A family was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight in Phoenix because the children were being too unruly, according to a story on KPHO in Arizona. and CNN.com.
Wendy Slaughter admits her kids were being disruptive. But she said it was their first flight and were excited. She said they were loud and kept walking the aisles. They were asked twice by flight attendants to quiet the children, but they didn’t expect to find themselves grounded, according to news reports.
Slaughter said a son has autism and a daughter has cerebral palsy.
The family complained they were left stranded, although Southwest officials later said they would be reimbursed for the cost of six one-way tickets.
Slaughter said Phoenix police officers detained them and said they would be unable to catch a connecting flight at Sky Harbor International Airport.
Was Southwest right to boot the family from the flight? Should the airlines have been more understanding, given some of the children had disabilities? Have you had a similar experience and how did airline personnel handle the situation?
