Two adults and a toddler were kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight Wednesday because the 2-year-old girl was scared as the plane began taxiing and had yet to sit in her designated seat.
A video posted by a fellow passenger shows flight attendants insisting the travelers deplane even after the young girl’s father had calmed his daughter down and placed her in her assigned seat.
The video of Flight 1683, which was headed to Atlanta from Chicago, also shows surrounding customers defending the pair and their toddler as they leave the aircraft.
At one point, flight attendant tells a passenger to stay out of it, because the situation “has nothing to do with you.”
The airline said they regret the inconvenience to everyone involved, and they booked the passengers on on the next available flight to Atlanta.
“Our initial reports indicate a conversation escalated onboard between the crew and a customer traveling with a small child,” Southwest said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “We always aim for a welcoming and hospitable experience and regret the inconvenience to all involved. The traveling party was booked on the next flight to Atlanta after the original flight continued as planned.”
