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Southwest apologies to deplaned mom
Pamela Root, who was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight Friday, will receive another chance to fly on the airline. She and her son were removed from a San Jose-bound plane when her two-year-old son wouldn't stop screaming "Go! Plane! Go!" and "I want Daddy!"
In addition to an apology, the airline gave her a refund and a travel voucher for $300. Root had hoped to be compensated for the portable crib and diapers she said she had to buy, but alas, that wasn't in the cards.
I have to admit, this seems like a tough call. While it's never easy to boot a paying passenger, you need to balance that against the eardrums of everyone else who shelled out for a ticket. Of course, a bit of compassion for kids (who don't know any better) is necessary, but that's little consolation to everyone else.
It looks to me like Southwest made the right call in both parts of this. It removed what was obviously a problem for the other passengers, and it more than compensated Root for the trouble. Southwest is out a few extra bucks for the decision, but that seems to be a small price to pay for the goodwill it earned with the remaining fliers. And, it swiftly apologized and compensated the mom.
Filed under: North America, United States, Airlines
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
stephen Nov 4th 2009 2:48AM
I can tell you don't have any kids.
Steve Nov 16th 2009 3:03PM
What does it matter whether someone has kids? Travel is not an inherent right, and the airlines are private companies. Where does the right of a parent to take their kids with them supersede other passenger's right to have a quiet flight? I've had flight attendants refuse to take intervene with parents of a kid that wouldn't stop screaming after more than an hour, and such behavior is not acceptable.
If parents want to hear their own kids yell and cry for a 4 hour trip, they can take their private car.
There are lots of parents out there who take the time to prepare in advance to ensure that their kids are acclimatized to flying and have enough toys or other items with them to keep them busy.
I agree. Southwest did the right thing, and I wish more airlines would do it.
ProPalin Nov 4th 2009 1:57PM
Here I admired SW Airlines for sending a message that wimp parents who have not taught their kids how to behave in public, will not be tolerated. Do these people not understand that the other passengers do not want to listen to their little limb of satan yelling so-called cute stuff? Go plane go and I want daddy is cute, once or twice but repetitive? Heck NO. We knew we could holler to our heart's content out in the yard and on the playground and places like that but we simply did not call attention to ourselves on airplanes. A big metal tube filled with hundreds of other passengers was not the place to yell. We were flying quite a bit when we were children, due to my father's job and disturbing people's quiet was not done. Nowadays, things are different. I have several friends and their babies have "manic/tourette" disorders. When flying to visit family (Houston to Chicago) their pediatricians recommend a VERY MILD does of benedryl. Settles them down nicely without drugging them senseless.
I'm disappointed in SWA but if this is what it takes to generate positive relations and look good to the public, fine. There were thousands of people who applauded SWA's action and we hope all loud disruptive children and their self-absorbed parents will be left at the gate more often.