There is something people without kids must know about what it's like to be a parent and fly with children: It's hell. You think it's annoying for you when our kid cries or kicks your seat, but you have no idea how much stress it is just to get through security with the stroller and the car seats and the coats and the breast milk being eyed by TSA or the formula being questioned and the tantrum at the candy counter all before we even board the plane. The sound of our kid's cries are louder for us, because we don't want them to be so upset, and truly don't want to make a scene and upset all our fellow passengers.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about Kathy and Jason Fickes, parents of a 3-year-old, almost 2-year-old twins, and an 8-month-old, who got kicked off a US AIrways flight as they were trying to get home to Chicago from Charlotte, NC, for the holidays. Yes, kicked off the flight.
Kicked off after they all went through security with the three kids in tow and got on the plane ready for takeoff! If it was not allowed, shouldn't they have been stopped before they boarded? Aren't people paying attention to who is walking around airports and getting on planes? You know how agonizing and challenging that must have been for the family? When I traveled with my twins who were 1 at the time, I was sweating by the time I got to the gate from all the wrangling and stroller folding and car seat carrying I had to do. The Fickes have four kids!
The family says that they were all cleared to board, that the airline knew they bought three tickets for six people (kids under 2 fly for free). But once they were on board and seated, they got the boot because US Airways said they couldn't all sit in the same row together since there weren't enough oxygen masks -- only four per row. One amazingly kind passenger offered to hold one of the children on the flight, but that didn't work out -- why I don't know. Another good samaritan in First Class was going to buy a fourth seat for the family so they could take off, but there was an issue with that, too.
I get the safety thing, I do. There is nothing more I want than safety on an airplane, but what is a family whose kids outnumber the parents to do in a situation like this? And how is it that I just saw an episode of one of those family with multiples shows a few weeks ago and they traveled with all their kids who were 2?
Maybe kid-centric flights are really needed. And not just to keep the non-parent passengers happy, but to really cater to families. Maybe this is why so many airlines are going out of business or bankrupt. Flying isn't just for fancy, rich people anymore. This isn't the Pan Am era of the 60s.
Do you think more should be done to HELP families travel with small kids?
Image via Sean MacEntee/Flickr
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Comments 105
Well, it states clearly that lap passangers must be in the lap of an adult. There weren't enough adults for all the kids. However, I have no idea why another passenger who offered to hold one wouldn't be allowed. That seems stupid.
I agree that's not right. I also sympathize with mothers and fathers who have to fly with kids. I understand it isnt any fun and it's a rather big headache sometimes. I am pregnant with my first so I might have a different perspective on the issue when my child is 3-4 years old. I was on a plane to Portland, a long flight and happened to be sitting right in front of a young boy, possibly between the ages of four and six. He started almost immediately kicking the back of my seat, right into my lower back, I calmy turned around and told his mother that his son was kicking the back of my seat and it was rather uncomfortable. Her pleasant response? "Well I dont see him kicking the back of your seat." I told her he most certainly was. When I turned back around he did it again and she saw and said something to him but that was the only time she managed to say anything as he did it for hours and I felt it absolutely useless saying anything more to his uncooperative mother.
So I stuffed clothing inbetween myself and the seat so as not to feel his kicks. Some people are ridiculous. It is not my job to talk to your kid about behaving! It ruined the flight for me. That was addressing your initial comment about how hard it is to travel with kids. I get it, seriously but when a parent seems unwilling to discipline their child I have no patience for that. I managed to notice his mom comfortably reading a magazine throughout the flight while I had to tolerate her sons misbahvior. Total vent, sorry.
Ps I get that this womens behavior dpe snot speak for all parents who travel with kids. :)
Well, Evil,I hope a stranger never helps you when you need it. I also you don't pass those feeling onto your kids. GOD FORBID we are kind to others,right.
We've already had this story on The Stir. They weren't discriminated against; they tried to squish young children together in plane seats. Dangerous, illegal, and just asking for trouble. They should have either drove to their destination or bought enough tickets for each child to have their own seat.