AirTran Airways Tosses Toddler

Airline Forces Parents and Toddler to Leave Plane After Toddler Throws Tantrum

By Alisha Christian, published Jan 26, 2007
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The Kulesza family had a very rude awakening recently when they were kicked off an AirTran Airways flight from Florida to Massachusetts. AirTran Airways made the Kulesza family leave the plane when their daughter, three-year-old Elly, began to cry.

Gerry Kulesza, Elly's father and an EMT, said a flight attendant first asked if they had purchased a seat for their daughter, to which they said yes. Moments later, Gerry said he was approached again and told, "You need to get her in control and in her seat."

The Kulesza family asked if they could hold their daughter instead of putting her in her seat, but were told no. Shortly afterwards, the family was approached by an AirTran Airways flight attendant and asked to leave the plane.

Elly's mother, Julie Kulesza, was shocked when the flight attendant told her husband that they had to leave the plane. "They were talking to my husband. They said, 'So, you need to get off the plane now.' I looked up and I went, 'Are you serious?'"

The family of three was not allowed to board another flight for twenty-four hours, per AirTran Airways safety rules, and was stranded in Florida without their luggage or diapers.

Gerry Kulesza, embarrassed and forced to miss a day of work, said, "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."

Julie Kulesza, explaining why she wanted her story told, said, "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."

AirTran Airways offered the Kulesza family a full refund of their tickets after the family arrived at home. The Kulesza's turned down AirTran Airways offer of three round-trip tickets to anywhere the airline flies saying they would never fly AirTran Airways again.

Judy Graham-Weaver, AirTran Airways spokesperson, said the flight was already 15 minutes late and that the toddler was removed because, "she was climbing under the seat and hitting the parents and wouldn't get in her seat".

 
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AirTran Airways Tosses Toddler

When Kids Cry

Credit: Alisha Christian

Copyright: Alisha Christian

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Takeaways
  • AirTran Airlines forced family to leave plane and wait 24 hours before being allowed to fly with them again.
  • AirTran Airlines stands by their decision to toss toddler and family from plane.
  • Family refused the offer of three free tickets to anywhere AirTran Airlines flies.
Did You Know?
You can be removed from an airplane if you can't get your child settled in his or her seat during boarding.
Resources
  • USA Today
  • MSNBC
  • Yahoo! News
Comments
Showing Comments 1 - 15 of 38
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Look, the kid was 3 years old. Sometimes 3 year-olds have tantrums. It's hard to know whether or not it was the right call by the airline without seeing it first had. Yes it's true that some kids are out of control because their parents lack discipline. BUT, YOU DON"T KNOW WHAT THE SITUATION WAS! Quit being judgmental pricks.

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Posted on 03/30/2008 at 7:03:57 PM

 
As a 20 year flight attendant, I can say that Airtran was NOT out-of-line in asking the family to deplane. A 3-year-old child must be fastened into a seat before the plane will be allowed to depart the gate (FAA reg). This family was causing delay to an entire planeload of passengers and then getting angry at the airline for not indulging them and their unruly child. Seems the public rarely hears the airline's side of the story. Just the rude (and usually wrong) passenger.

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Posted on 12/18/2007 at 8:12:26 PM

 
wait a minute - I just read on old posting on the 3 year old being removed from the plane - and I just read on another new press - the 3 year old was in a row in front of the mother - AIRTRAN - AIRSCAM - I think we are all missing a point here...... did airtran try to make them all fly in separate seats... here is why I ask... I just flew with airtran last week - with my wife and 3 kids - 7,4 & 2 - Airtran had us all in separate rows. I dont know how you all feel about that - but I thought is sucked. To make it even better - after we boarded the plane I asked the steward if he could help. He called the agent to help - she came on board, locked at me and said - "you either take your seats or we will remove you from the plane". The steward was so disturbed by her actions he asked for my tickets - so he could have her written up. I think there is more to the story on the 3 year old and her family than we are being told....

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Posted on 09/09/2007 at 9:09:00 PM

 
Yay Air Tran! They did exactly the right thing. Why should other passengers be subjected to that an safety issued compromised just because the childs parents couldn't control her?

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Posted on 03/11/2007 at 5:03:00 AM

 
From the parents comments it sounds like they are down playing what really happened. Passengers are not removed from an airplane for a minor reason. Many parents today justify their childrens behavior by blaming others. It's the "not me" syndrome. Hurray to AirTran for sticking to their policy and not discriminating for bad parenting

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Posted on 03/08/2007 at 4:03:00 PM

 
Nothing surprises me. Kudos to Air Tran. I am a public school teacher, and parents today aren't like parents 20 years ago. Today, parents want everything their children do be overlooked. They'd rather give their children a pill to make them behave than have the children assume the responsibility for their own behavior. I promise you, this was not the first tantrum in public this child has ever thrown.

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Posted on 02/06/2007 at 1:02:00 PM

 
Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read my article and comment. I really appreciate it. Also, thanks to all who offered correction to the statement that the family wasn't able to fly again that same day. Did the fact that they weren't offered nonstop flights have anything to do with the airline rules or is that whole thing just a red herring? Thanks again!

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Posted on 02/04/2007 at 4:02:00 PM

 
I agree with the airlines too. Parents NEED to take control and, of course, a three year old should be in her own seat, buckled in until the plane has taken off.

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Posted on 02/03/2007 at 9:02:00 AM

 
They weren't forced to wait 24 hours. They refused all flights that were not nonstop, and the next nonstop flight was 24 hours later.

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Posted on 02/01/2007 at 5:02:00 PM

 
I would have put my child in her seat because after about one minute I would have been completely embarrassed with all eyes on me. And I'm not for any restraining devices (strollers, kiddie leashes, etc.) except car seats, and in this case, there really is no other choice.

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Posted on 02/01/2007 at 2:02:00 PM

 
I don't believe the customer service issue is pertinent. The flight attendants in our post 9-11 world are concerned with far more important duties in preparing for take-off nowadays. Safety regulations, FAA rules, flight preparations and passenger screening are paramount - it is difficult at best to deal with a situation like this with crying kids, boarding passengers and pre-flight prep. I want the FA's on my flights to be able to concentrate on safety and getting me in the air ASAP - and the parents should not need to be told the obvious - "YOU NEED TO CONTROL YOUR CHILD AND GET HER IN HER SEAT". Speaking of courtesy - I am far more bewildered by the parents lack of courtesy toward their fellow passengers, and I am completely bewildered about your theory that the FA's could or should have handled this differently. There is a great deal of information "out there" re: the parents' refusal to accept anything other than a non-stop flight being the reason for the long delay in return

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Posted on 02/01/2007 at 12:02:00 PM

 
I don't know what else the airline could have done. I think they had to do "what they had to do" to keep things moving. Great article!

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Posted on 01/31/2007 at 11:01:00 AM

 
The last time I flew with my children ages (at the time) of 4 and 6, I took coloring books, bribe candy and presents to be opened along the way IF they were good. They behaved like Angels. I am not above bribing my children in situations like that, though I was lucky. My children are well behaved and don't show out like that in public.

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Posted on 01/29/2007 at 10:01:00 PM

 
I have two children of my own (boy and girl now 11 and 8). The parents should have buckled her in. Period. Children will be children and oh well, she would've been screaming, but THEY are the parents. Permissive parents are what give the poor kids the bad reputation. I think those parents need lessons in assertive parenting.

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Posted on 01/29/2007 at 8:01:00 PM

 
As a frequent long-haul flyer, I am completely on the side of the airline in this. If that family cannot control their child, then perhaps they should not be taking him/her on flights until the child is old enough to behave. Flying is not a divine right.

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Posted on 01/28/2007 at 10:01:00 PM

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