A husband and wife who say they are Silver elite members of United’s MileagePlus program report their family has been banned from United Airlines “forever” because their two year old was unwilling to keep a mask on. The child’s mother, a trainer and health coach, shares on Instagram that they ‘always fly United’ and have flown with their child four times during the pandemic without issue. So why now?
Of course if the child was unwilling to wear a mask when it was required and United’s rules weren’t enforced earlier, that’s on the airline.
The family was flying Denver to Newark on Friday after making the two and a half hour drive from their home in Breckenridge, Colorado. They didn’t get to take their flight, and didn’t get their luggage back right away either. United wasn’t going to delay the flight longer than it took to remove the family’s car seat so they could drive home.
The family’s video has been viewed 2.3 million times in less than a day.
American Airlines by the way is thrilled that this time it’s not them.
Your concerns are appreciated. This was another carrier.
— americanair (@AmericanAir) December 12, 2020
When the family got off the flight, the father asked that they be re-accommodated on another flight in first class. This was refused. He argued that the airline’s policy is ridiculous, since “the virus has a 99% survival rate.”
However United is very clear about their mask rules. The family should have flown Delta, which allows young children unable to wear masks not to do so. Delta flies Denver – New York JFK non-stop.
I’m in favor of mask-wearing, though most of the masks people wear aren’t very good. They may offer limited source protection. Travelers should make an effort to wear better masks. I’m not in favor of kicking off families whose two year olds can’t wear masks. The preponderance of evidence highly suggests that the risk of spread from a two year old is very low.
More problematic is that the family planned to violate New York’s coronavirus restrictions and not quarantine on arrival. The family was flying to New York for the weekend (so not long enough to be released from quarantine requirements) to go see the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center and visit with friends who were coming into the city from Cleveland. Perhaps it’s better they turned around.
I suspect that the family was refused transportation on Friday but not yet added to the list of passengers to deny future travel to, and that if they are indeed banned as they report that this will not be ‘forever’ as they believe but until the mask requirement is lifted.
Update: As I expected, despite being told by a United agent that they aren’t welcome to fly the airline, they are not actually banned. That’s not a decision made on the spot at the airport. United offers,
The health and safety of our employees and customers is our highest priority, which is why we have a multi-layered set of policies, including mandating that everyone onboard two and older wears a mask. These procedures are not only backed by guidance from the CDC and our partners at the Cleveland Clinic, but they’re also consistent across every major airline.
We are investigating this specific incident and have made contact with the family. We also refunded their tickets and returned their car seat and bags.
United’s claim, however, that their policy on two year old mask wearing is “consistent across every major airline” is not accurate. It’s similar to American’s policy and Southwest’s. However Delta’s policy says “young children who cannot maintain a face covering are exempt from the mask requirement.”
This is the most absurd abuse of power. The child is 2 years old. Was she tired? Did she have an upset stomach? This whole mask issue has been so overblown that it’s just absurd. All of this is going to come back to haunt the US airlines and quite likely the entire US business community. These shutdowns have devastated the US Economy and congress is playing political games with the relief money.
They just HAD to go to NYC for the WEEKEND to see a Christmas tree?
They wanted to put themselves and others at risk for that?
A two-year-old isn’t going to remember that trip either.
If you can’t follow the rules for mask wearing on United, don’t fly United. Or drive.
Ridiculous. Both the family trip AND United’s reaction to a 2 yr old.
It’s clearly not only United’s rules that this family ignores but also NY’s laws and also sound advice. I would be inclined to disbelieve their account in these circumstances and inclined to think that there is far more to this story than they are admitting. To paraphrase a legal expression, they are coming to the court of public opinion with dirty hands.
I don’t like any of this. I have a 2 year old and I can’t fathom trying to put a mask on him. Even my 4 year old is nearly impossible. With that said, I personally wouldn’t want to travel with them for leisure, especially knowing the rules for age/mask. If I really needed to travel with the little ones during the peak of of a pandemic, I’d probably bite the bullet and fly an airline I normally wouldn’t if their rules aligned with my children that are impossible to mask. Easy for me to say from the comforts of my home.
Their trip to NYC with a quarantine is another issue as is her tearful rant with her mask down still in the airport. Something leads me to believe they might kind of think the rules don’t apply until they get the hammer dropped on them. Don’t mean to character judge, but it’s just something that has crossed my mind.
Slaves refused to wear a mask were killed, it is going to happen soon. What about that 15 days of shut down? Didin’t get better. wake up people. Masks doesn’t work, just see arround, people still get sick of a “plague” of 99% survival rate.
This is about take control of your life, your business and make you a slave.
Having silver status is pretty much irrelevant. I’m sure United isn’t going to give people with the lowest status any special treatment.
This is nuts! People with 2yr old children are obviously above the rules. I almost want to have kids so I can have rules not apply to me. The fact that they brought a 2yr old on a cross country trip durning a pandemic, knowing it can’t wear a mask, and United NOT upgrade them is worse than 47 judges telling Trump and his election legal team to GFY.
Who isn’t going to New York for the holidays? Are we really expected to skip the Rockefeller Center in favor quarantining?
So, basically, the parents are jerks, with zero regard for other people, and no intention of following rules wherever they are. I have zero sympathy for them.
I appreciate the United is going out of their way to keep travelers safe. This family should not have been on United, if they’re not able to follow the rules.
It wasn’t the two year old that got them banned. It was the fact that they wouldn’t have the kid wear a mask, they wouldn’t a mask themselves in the airport, and the father argued it didn’t matter based on covid denialism. It is pretty clear airlines are not banning you because your kid is fussy but you are doing your best…
I highly doubt their removal was because their 2 year old refused to wear a mask. These people are making a non essential trip and thumbing their noses at New York’s quarantine rules for out of state visitors. If they’re taking those kinds of liberties with rules they likely weren’t complying themselves and using their kid as a scapegoat.
100% agree with all the statements about the illegality of this family’s travel. 100% agree that masks are essential right now and anyone who doesn’t wear one is not civically minded and selfish. Also I have a 2 year + 2 week old. She maybe 150 words. Doesn’t understand commands or rules yet. The rule is unbelievably stupid. 4 year old? Yes – you can and should be able to enforce things. 2 year old? That’s basically a baby who can walk. Only way to get her to wear mask would be to hog tie her and duct tape it to her face. Seriously United – go after the 60 year old in a MAGA hat with the mask under their nose!
Just another family of crybaby mask deniers, Good for United! People who spoil their children end up with entitled brats like Don Jr.
@OneXMarine
Face it, you are just upset that your candidate LOST! If the moronic mask-deniers would have followed the science we would have been past this long ago and recovered from the economic downturn.
Its a ridiculous rule and the parents lacked common sense bringing the kid knowing the airline had this ridiculous rule.
The most ridiculous part of the rule is that its not science based as liberals frequently reminds to follow. Transmission by and serious complications for children under age 10 is very rare and the risk is negligible. Science says they should be able to travel and not wear masks. Very low risk to themselves and others.
United’s mask rules are in plain f*cking English on its website. If these people didn’t want to comply with or disagreed with those rules, they didn’t have to fly United. It’s not any more complicated than that.
United is in the right. That family is absolute scum.
I have witnessed plenty of 2 year olds wear their mask better than adults without so much of a whine. But then again their parents are being just that parents. They are not trying to push their “it is my right not to give a crap if I spread Corona” agenda through their kids. When younpurchase a ticket on ANY airline YOU and YOUR family agree to wear a mask the ENTIRE time. If you can’t rent a car or RV and get to moving.
This year we all should pretty much stay put and not travel. I know it is easier said then done.
Because of coronavirus I did the following:
1) postponed a December trip from Arizona to Greece. I would not be admitted anyway. I had to argue that fact with my airline. They relented.
2) I made the difficult decision to not go to Chicago to see my sister and parents. I have not seen them in 1.5 years.
3) my wife chose not to travel to Vietnam to see her parents.
I know it is tough, but perhaps come next year, we can carefully resume, with more people being vaccinated.
It is particularly difficult to travel with children. Perhaps more of a reason to plan further… dotting i’s and crossing t’s… perhaps more then once.
For me, I would travel by car right now, until there are more vaccinated people in the general population.
.
When I flew a gator was not considered a mask so the airline letting several people wearing them is worse than a 2 year old not wearing one.
This family should be cheering this early Christmas gift. Not having to fly United again in your life should be celebrated. What an amazing gift.
Stories like these are hilarious!!! Airlines and private businesses have policies, pure and simple.
Having a child doesn’t make anyone deserving of special treatment – pre or post-Covid. I
The family is a problem. If he wants to argue having a hard time getting a 2 year old to listen, then I have no objections. But case in point his statement of “the virus has a 99% survival rate.” Apparently 3k deaths a day is an acceptable 1% fatality rate to him.
I’m glad to see United enforcing their rules and putting these people in their place. They thought they could flaunt the rules, and they lost. I hate entitled scum like them.
Parent of a just-now-3yr-old. It’s really not hard for them if you have them wear it consistently, also wear it consistently yourself to set an example, and don’t let them go anywhere without wearing one. They catch on.
Example from having to fly to Seattle (and subsequently quarantine with family):
https://i.imgur.com/DYvB02R.jpg
If your a silver member, then you know what the rules are. Even if, as you state, survival rate is 99%, that still means the one person who got sick, misses work and money, has to pay for hospital and possibly be the one percent to die, just so your “privileged “ self can see a tree. Follow the rules like everyone else.
I was convinced that the people were jerks is when I read about how they demanded to be upgraded to first class. The rest just proved that point but the icing on the cake was when they got called out for not following the rules they responded by whining on social media. I feel badly for the kid being brought up by these snowflakes.
These comments are coming from a sheep herd. If they want to travel and wear masks with an unmasked 2 yr old then they should be able to. If they are in good health and are wearing a mask that doesn’t even prevent anything from the people in the row behind them from getting what they might have then let them travel. It’s a ridiculous rule that a 2 yr old has to wear one when most people mess with an irrelevant mask most of the time their wearing it which only helps germs spread from their hands. If your sick stay home and if your at risk stay home. Other than that live your life and protect your self the best you can just like this family did. Nobody knows the right rules but are quick to jump on what the guy on the most inaccurate news channel tells them to do. Wake up people. Keep nana and papa at home and take care of their needs. Other than that, LIVE.
That’s the rules of the Airline no mask no flying period. Drive next time.
The fact that the father asked United for an upgrade to first class on another flight speaks volumes about their character. Clearly opportunists.
United spells out the rules clearly in advance. The rules are repeated at check-in, again during boarding and again multiple times on board.
If they cannot play by the rules then don’t fly. Flying is not a right. The rules are the airlines and they all have them.
They should get a refund on their tickets and donate the money to charity.
Stories like this are ridiculous. They wouldn’t even accommodate the family who are members. All due to their 2-year old daughter over a mask. You should be ashamed at what you wrote. You are a joke. Take your stupid rules and lock yourself in a closet or attic. Anyone who defends this crap is brainwashed. That airline should lose business.
So many Covidiots arguing “b..bu..but…but…the CHILDREEEENNNN!!!”
Ya jerk, a kid (yours, mine and all the rest) are a super-vector of snot and other assorted germ-friendly characteristics. Some people’s kids should be masked even when not in a pandemic.
And the “b..bu…but…but…FREEEEDOOOOMMMM!” argument is just pathetic.
Stop dying, stop killing other people and stop being a selfish ***er.
Peace.
Spoiled Yuppies raising a brat. It has 99% survival rate? Clearly morons who think they are about the rules. Thank you United for enforcing the rules.
Rules are rules. Follow them or stay home.
As a former UA employee, I think it’s unusual for a Customer Service Supervisor to tell a passenger they are banned. That is something that would come in writing from Customer Relations. I think the Supervisor meant they cannot fly with United for that day, which is how they would handle a passenger too drunk to fly. No big deal. Most likely they would be reaccomodated next day in Economy. First is out of the question. But I doubt they are banned for life nor will they be. They will probably get some miles for the inconvenience.
Being in NYC I am absolutely thrilled that these people were thrown off the flight. Its clear they were going to come here and violate the quarantine. Seriously they are talking about how they been flying all around all summer. The guy wasn’t even wearing his mask properly.
First of all, all you people that comment are just fucking retarded following what next person above you says. First of all, its a 2 year old. Do you really expect a 2 year old to follow directions and keep a mask on their face when they don’t even know what their name is? You make other accommodations, you try putting something more breathable and comfortable on their face. Not kick an entire family off an airline. Yeah, ill admit, what they were doing though was pretty shitty in regards to why they were taking a trip and they should have been delt with strictly for that. It’s a kid. Highly unlikely for a 2 year old to spread some puny little cold. Grow the fuck up. Everybody wears masks everyday and yet people are still getting this ” plague “. We shut down a whole economy for a cold. Get over yourselves. I got it even while wearing a mask everywhere i went but that didn’t prevent shit. I barelt had any symptoms. Just a runny nose and a slight body ache. Just like a regular cold. Whatever people are dying from, it’s from their underlying problems they had and this thing just amplifies it. Like the guy said, 99% recovery rate. Id like to see the fucking black death come back and see how everybody would react. All this panic for something so miniscule. Fuck off with this bullshit. All of you.
If the father were sitting next to me with that porous gator over his nose rather than a mask, I would have raised hell. A 2 year old with NO mask- no way. 300,000 DEAD
the parents should not blame the airline for their parenting issue. the parents should not go to airport if they can’t get their kid to follow rules. I understand airlines are being strict, and many people feel the rule is not necessary. but, these parents are letting the child do as the child wants, which means they are not being authority over the child as they should be.
I agree with BR. Most of you are sheeples. 20 years of the best science shows that masks don’t stop the transmission of respiratory viruses. Ridiculous rules. But so many of you are so gullible. You attack this family instead of the fascist authorities implementing these non evidence based rules. Wake up people before you give all our rights away!
Something about Newark that gives this story a whole different twist .
United let a 20 year old keep.his mask off on the whole flight while he ate candy.
Parents were lucky and got away with it the previous 4 times, but their luck finally ended. Dumb rule IMO trying to get a 2 year old to wear a mask, but at the time, the parents should of have been prepared for this and instead flown an airline with a more reasonable and forgiving mask policy for kids, like Delta.
Whomever turned this into a political thing and saying go after the 60 yr old in a MAGA hat and other similar comments are just ignorant at best and add absolutely zero value to this conversation. Reminds me of schoolyard kids with, “well my mommy or Daddy etc.say” when they have nothing else to say. You all resort to making judgement of something you don’t have all the facts, but show your true colors when you offer up such hateful suggestions about elder people because of their political fees. Hmmm. Feel like I’ve read of someone like that before back in school.
World has gone mad. 99% survival rate yet whenever my patients come to my office and see me without a mask they are terrified. Been seeing patients ever since it all started with no mask, still haven’t gotten sick of anything and I’m 68. Whole thing is politics unfortunately.
We’ve decided not to travel on planes since January because it’s just not worth the risk of getting Covid, and there’s much to enjoy doing day-trips in Colorado, but if we did then this could have easily been us with our very independent toddler.
Toddlers don’t understand or give a flip about airline policy. You could offer a toddler $1B in cash to simply wave to you and there’s a 50/50 chance they’d shut you down. They aren’t terrible children, their responses are just very random. A 2 year-old’s mind isn’t developed enough to understand this, and no reasonable parent is going to straight-jacket their child for hours, hence this is a dumb UA policy.
They want attention and a lawsuit period.
Silver status, talk about wannabe irrelevant individuals. Maybe if they were global services they’d have some merit to complain lol
As a long-time teacher—and mom and grandmom—I’ve come upon many young parents with the mindset “My child has ‘rights.’ I’ve endured many sleepless night flights due to kids’ incessant hollering and crying. Please understand, this is not the time for lollipop power. Folks, if you can’t get a mask on that child of yours, plan to leave him/her home with sitters, or don’t travel at this time. Your inconsiderate behavior is a health threat to all on the plane.
As a long-time teacher—and mom and grandmom—I’ve come upon many young parents with the mindset “My child has ‘rights.’ I’ve endured many sleepless night flights due to kids’ incessant hollering and crying. Please understand, this is not the time for lollipop power. Folks, if you can’t get a mask on that child of yours, plan to leave him/her home with sitters, or don’t travel right now. Your inconsiderate behavior is a health threat to all on the plane.
It’s United’s airline, their planes, their employees. United has the right to tell people what to do on their flights. It may be stupid or overreacting but they own the plane so they get to make their rules. Maybe these parents should buy their own plane and learn to fly it. Then they won’t have any problems when they travel and ignore state substantive quarantine orders.
The parents knowing the rules required by the airline, still boarded with a 2 year old that, would be near impossible to keep masked. They are supposing that they are entitled, and have no concern about the other passengers on the flight. When you fly, all need to comply for the safety and greater good of all aboard.
If ur kid refuses to comply, go see a Xmas tree in ur own damn neighborhood!
I will never ever fly United !
Dum Dum parents. These are your typical ” I’d rather be friended than PARENT.” So sad..
I just watched the first 5 seconds of that ‘video’… totally staged…and ‘elite’…lol…wow so you flew 25k miles on United! That’s not elite…it is the first tier of 5 levels (counting G S)…I’ve been 1K for the last 5 years and would never ever consider sitting on the pity pot like you have.
Look at all tge commies piling on the family yet it’s ok to riot and burn down LA for. Championship. Typical left scumbag hypocrites.
I’m flying United next weekend to spend with my just under 2 year old and my 11 year old. My youngest grandmothers heart is failing & she’s only seen him once in his life. She wants to see him again incase her health takes a turn for the worst. I’m terrified of United trying to kick us off. My son just barley falls below their 2 year old rule. He will be 2 in Feb. And my oldest is Autisic. Fingers crossed they aren’t assholes to us.
Hmmm did anyone notice that the United employee had a mask on BUT, it was not covering his nose so it is ok? Airlines are amazing American Airlines stewards are terrible too!
Jessica Coultrop: good luck, you will need it. Humanity has gone out the window.
To everyone else inc the columnist piling on the parents. God, you are disgusting. “comply for the safety for everyone”! Who was that kid hurting? WHO discourages masks for kids under 5 and yet here you are talking about “health”. The virus is VERY hard to catch from a young child so your health argument makes no sense.
On top of that, listen to your self. You sound like communist robots: “Blip blop, everyone needs to be the same, we cant use our minds to think on a case to case basis, blip, if i am forced to comply and suffer so should a small child”
SHAME on you.
Amazing…. scream and scream and scream in a first class east all the way from LHR-SFO and it’s ‘that’s just what kids do’ can’t get kid to keep a mask on it’s face and it’s ‘bad parenting’ and ‘shame on them for boarding a plane with a kid they couldn’t keep masked’
Never seen such hypocrisy in my life and I hang around with the frequent flyer set, the people the word schadenfreude was invented for.
The parents tried so for all you ass holes that think they where wrong take a hike !!!! Screw United airline there a bunch of ass holes I hope they go bankrupt
One airline does this, and another makes their employees work when they should be in 12 day quarantine after testing positive. What’s the END goal here folks? Stuffed planes but ok to close restaurants? We’re all gonna look back at this and realize we were sheep.
United airlines consists of liberal animals with only liberal animals working for them. Absolutely disgusting behavior by a public company no wonder they are on the blacklist for many investors. Don’t worry about united airlines, they will not be in business much longer. Seriously, they are a dying company and it’s easy to see why.
Hopefully you guys are taking the common sense fight to her IG posting. 17,000 comments from people pouring out their sympathies for these JO’s. The more I watch this video the more these two bother me. Dude can’t wear his mask right and that entitlement for first class while mask under nose just boils my blood. Go fly NetJets you entitled pricks!
They should be ashamed for using the 2 year old as the scapegoat to their poor decision making to travel with a kid who clearly Isn’t going to wear a mask which is a rule (silly rule but it’s United’s sandbox), and have zero regard for New York quarantine. Silly rules or not, they should accept the fact they pushed the envelope with a no tolerance policy and got busted.
Remember when we were free.
Well looks like your none compliant 2 year old got your buts kicked off the flight. Dad’s not even wearing his mask correctly. Parents today want to be cool and there child’s friend. 2 she’s ready for a f n cell phone..
We will never fly United ever again!!! Let’s see if we can an example out of them and put them out of business!
Well looks like your none compliant 2 year old got your buts kicked off the flight. Dad’s not even wearing his mask correctly. Parents today want to be cool and there child’s friend. 2 she’s ready for a f n cell phone..
It’s best that the airline stays consistent with enforcing the mask policy. If at any point they begin to make exceptions on a case by case basis, that allows for discrimination and privilege to take hold. No matter if the customer is 2 or 60, no mask then you do not get to fly! It’s simple.
Public airlines have been polluting the atmosphere, controlling oil prices, spreading diseases across the planet, and passengers still complain when the airline doesn’t steal their money?
Pathetic by united.
99% survival rate? That is a baseless comment. Ignorant, entitled and selfish! Over 290,000 dead Americans is okay? Stay home!
Poor american babies…lol…We have a 1 1/2 yr.old that wore his mask for 4 hours east to west.
coast domestically,12 hours to China. Then 4 hrs to his final destination.All with his grandmother. Nobody forced or coerced him! His parents were intelligent enough to prepare & familiarize him with mask wearing at home.Are ALL American babies stupid? Obviously NOT! But some American parents are obviously proof that U can’t fix stupid,whiney,or entitled idiots..lol…i wonder if they always let the 2 yr.old “call the shots “..lol…mealy mouth whiners like these are little wonder why USA makes up 5% of world’s population & has 25% of the world’s Covid19 cases. 5% of the world,yet make up 25% of the world’s energy carbon footprint too! 0.05% of the US population volunteers to serve this country. Following the decline of the Roman Empire is the path this country is ON! Reversing these trends is the ONLY way” America will be great!” again.YES! Mandatory service to country for ALL 18-25 yr.olds ,male& female! 1-2 years In social OR military service programs is the ONLY way this trend will be reversed! Confused? Find any 75+ yr.old citizens left & ask them how we unified as a nation to become the world’s dominant superpower! ONLY way we will ever make “America great again!” In the meantime we are in decline
Selfish idiots got what they deserved. As if silver status means anything. Hope they are actually banned for life. All the anti mask, trumper morons can suck it.
If I’m supposed to feel outraged at United, I’m not- at least over this. Lol
Daddy’s flippant remarks about the survival rate of covid, and then demanding first class speaks volumes. Sorry, you know the rules. We are months into this now. Unfortunately some people think the rules are for other people.
If you would have been having her wear a mask for the last 9 months this would not have been an issue. My 2 year old grandson wears his all the time without hesitation. His parents have made it a standard thing he has to do and has explained to him as well as a 2 year old can understand that it’s to keep him from getting really sick. The father says “you realize the virus is 99% curable right? ” which leads me to believe they only wear the mask when required to as they don’t believe the virus is deadly. I don’t know anyone who is risking flying with a child right now, so either risk it by complying or don’t fly
Coming from a United employee, this mess needs to stop. Most of us are cool, look away or pretend the toddler is just a big baby. We work with these overzealous clowns that want to be heroes. Anytime I encounter them Im happy to put them in check. Don’t be afraid to fly on our airline, just bring lots of skittles so in case your child encounters one of these overzealous assholes they can’t do anything about it. Sorry to all the families having to drive days because they are afraid of this bs policy
No sympathy for these people. No 60+ year old would be comfortable nor safe. Why should they be the exception? They knew the rules. Stay home if your child has a problem keeping the mask on and don’t inconvenience everyone else on the flight.
Yes, we will all be in decline and go down hill because you designated mask/word police/ thought police/ business police/etc. and followed like a bunch of dumb sheep! But, this is brilliant! Thank you to all the Democrats and Never- Trumpers!
Pitty pot for sure. I side with United 100% Parents think they can break the rules with their misbehaving children who were not prepared to fly to begin with.
Judging by some of these comments some people are just not taking Covid-19 seriously and that is
why the US leads the world in cases and deaths with the numbers increasing
daily. Tough rules have to be enforced to keep people safe. Wake up !
This should not have happened and is another example of airline employees being unable to exercise “common sense” and think on their feet when confronted with a situation which doesn’t exactly fit the rules. The possibility of a two year old baby being able to spread covid-19 is practically zero whether wearing a mask or not. Everyone loses in this situation, the family, the other passengers, and the airline itself.
THAT LITTLE GIRL IS MY HERO AND SO ARE HER PARENTS FOR NOT FORCING HER TO WEAR A FACE DIAPER THAT THE WORLD HAS ADOPTED TO SHOW IT’S SUPREME STUPIDITY OF ACQUIESCENCE !
First off, a 99% survival rate with full spread to the population (which would occur eventually without mitigation) means over 6 million American lives.
Secondly, airlines only have to have no-tolerance rules because such a large percentage of the population refuse to wear masks to protect their fellow Americans. If all people would reasonably could wear a mask did so, there would not be hard rules and such incidents would not occur.
Stay home why is everyone getting on a plane it’s so stupid right now or drive I have driven ny to Az countless times .
These parents were aware of the rules. They should have been working with their child to wear a mask. It is difficult to get a 2 year old to comply with anything the don’t want to do. So the other option would be to check into other means of travel. Or as many of us do…DRIVE, I have flown all over lots of times, I enjoy it, until there are passengers that have crying children the entire way, or drunk unruly passengers.
It doesn’t make flying fun for the remaining passengers to have their flights held at the gate because of non compliance.
@YELLOWHAWK, Airlines can no longer say its their planes, without taxpayers footing 100s of billions during this very pandemic. All airlines would have long declared bankruptcy.
Dear Donna in decline , U missed the point! U are part & parcel & in lockstep of our present decline! Had our forebears been egocentric ignorant idiots like U. ALL top scientific studies & standards & language worldwide would still be in German.As they were before WW2! I’d hate to defend in WE & make this country great again with the likes of U! Sacrifice 4 the greater good in decline too! “Ignorance is a choice in the information age” Selfish sheep like U, can ONLY $urvive in a country like ” OURS” as we spiral down into the laziest,fattest,egocentric & ignorant through choice …specimens on the planet
Regardless of what the parents did, their reasons, or their motivations, the airline could have handled this situation better. Children are unpredictable, especially that young. Sometimes they do as they are told, and other times they just won’t. For sure the planes are not fully loaded at this point. Airline should provide a specific section where those with children who are unable to wear a mask can sit during the flight.
The whole argument against masks is stupid since the porousness of any mask allows particles 10X larger than THE virus pass through. In addition, requiring a 2-yr old to wear a mask when they cannot get the virus or pass the virus also denies science. Sooooo, it is STUPID to support UNITED and all you who do are just helpless and stupid as our politicians want you to be.
Everyone in this comment section is an idiot. Do research. United airlines website states masks are required by anyone OVER the age of 2. There’s no reason these people should have been kicked off the plane. They were following United airlines rules.
@BlackHill – You are spot on! This is the 3rd time in less than 20 years that the taxpayer has stepped up and bailed out the poorly run airlines with their childish union leadership. And there is probably going to be another bailout. IMO we are headed for an economic crash that will make the 30’s a day in the park.
Selfish woman. People are dying of this terrible virus and she feels her family are above regulations and policy. What if that family is contagious- disgusting that her family’s little vacation is more important than someone’s LIFE! WOW. Seems a little questionable- taking pictures of your 2 year old refusing to wear a mask – They would have known in advance. The mother’s tears looked like crocodile tears (fake tears). I’ll bet money that she’s going to sue – seems she may have had it thought out before hand. Shame on her for not taking others safety and risk to other passengers families with any consideration. If policy is 2 years old – POLICY IS TWO YEARS OLD! Wear masks and save lives – period!!!!!
Why the f are people flying with babies and toddlers right now? If it’s *that* important to go, they should drive to their destination. Even from LA to NY it’d only take a couple days. I’m so tired of hearing about parents and their toddlers getting kicked off flights. Of course toddlers aren’t going to comply. For now, either drive or stay home, unless you’re going outside the US.. it’s not worth the anxiety.
Absolutely no sympathy for the family. If you’re upset you can’t take your child to see a Christmas tree in NYC using public transport, then rent a freakin private jet.
So if a policeman allowed me to speed four times before but now I’m caught, does that make him bad for enforcing rules? Yes large companies can be inconsistent. All of us readers who fly regularly know that. But these silver elites clearly have other expectations of reality.
Boo hoo. Take your little Princess to see a Christmas tree at the mall like the rest of America. Be glad you still have a job and money and can travel unlike an extremely sickening and growing amount of people in the US whose lives have been turned upside down this year.
Good job United. Even if your staff didn’t enforce it a few times before (allegedly, of course, per the customer side of the story), I’m glad you enforced it this time.
2009 United Breaks Guitars
2017 United Breaks Asian’s Face
2020 United Breaks mother’s heart.
The WHINING in this country is truly epic. Keep your snotty little brat at home you entitled, selfish Covidiot plague monkeys!
Christian Cherniss, you sound like a typical rightwing Trumper who attends KKK meetings to learn about the virus
Anytime screaming crotch-droppings are kicked off planes is fine by me. But still…. shove your useless masks up your collective ass.
First of all i would like to say this child is 2 years old not 12 so yes it would be impossible to keep a child masked if any of you clowns have kids you should know this. So lets not come down so hard on these parents because these arent God fearing people but covid 19 fearing people. This is ridiculous and their policy should be like other airlines when it comes to small children. Delta airlines policy stated that young children who cannot maintain face coverings should be exempt.
You give way to much leeway to the airline. That was disgusting. Their policy is not in line with real science.
I’m not driving or flying from MA to VA to see my end-of-life grandparent one last time because I don’t want to accidentally expose the rest of my family or otherwise contribute to spread.
I understand that my family’s calculus is a bit more conservative than others and it’s always interesting to see new stories explaining why other families are choosing to fly this year. Thanks for the interesting perspective on these people’s choices.
I am very sympathetic to the child being unable to comply. On the other hand, the father was not wearing his mask properly. And traveling during a pandemic mainly to see a Christmas tree with a 2 year old who won’t remember it seems a little irresponsible to me as well.
While I have empathy for the families situation, this could have been one of the first times the parents asked their child to wear a mask.
Knowing the policy, parents should work with their children before the flight to get the accustomed to wearing a mask. If they are accustomed to wearing one it is much less likely for them to refuse when they are on the plane.
Thank you United Airlines for enforcing the mask policy for the greater good. This family’s feeble attempt to garner sympathy is truly a tone deaf, pathetic, selfish stunt. On a side note, I was disappointed to see gaiters worn and the display of noses by the father and UA representative. Half-a@@ mask coverage is theater at best.
I totally agree with the airline.
These parents are now looking for media attention and trying to crucify the airline. Stay home…or drive your 2 year old to see the Chrstmas tree. Parents like this give parents a bad name.
Neanderthal body-builder mom along with a dad who can’t figure out how to wear a mask? Fly to NYC for the weekend? What else could anyone possibly expect from such selfish jerks? (other than the big top drama performance they gave?) Good riddance.
This so bad that United added a discretionary rule after boarding started. How do you get a 2 year old to understand and wear a mask when it is not used to it? Oh wait, this rule has been there for a while, if you are not training your kid to wear a mask they are not ready to fly. I’m not saying it is easy to train kids. It takes time, effort and patience (a lot of it). After all of this, the kids might still get fussy for various reasons and don’t know how to express it so instead go in tangents. It is our responsibility as parents to figure out what a kid needs and how to make them understand.
My school district says if kids are not potty trained they can’t be admitted to the school. Same thing goes here. No mask, no boarding. The same social media police would come down heavily if there was a immuno-compromised person sitting in the seat in front of them and the mask policy was not enforced. You knew the policy on the private property and failed to comply. I feel bad for the family but it was their own making. So, please take responsibility and no dramas.
You are 100% right Gary. United’s rules were clear and they should also evenly enforce it.
@Gary: This isn’t a child who CANNOT wear a mask. This is two parents who think they are exempt from rules that apply to everyone on United.
It’s a fat head problem — and that is not a virus.
I was on this flight…the kid screamed bloody murder for 15 minutes. They calmed her down, we pulled off the gate and then the kid became inconsolable. They reattached the jet bridge and the family de-planed. We ended up arriving in Newark 90 minutes late. I am NOT in favor of masks, but United is extremely clear when you book, before you board and once you’re on the plane. I wear the mask because I have to fly and I know United’s rules/policies.
BTW, I fly every week and am 1K with United, so I have seen it all in the last 10 years. United personnel were patient with this family, but there comes a point where they have to draw the line.
@Gary, please get Amazing Larry to say his amazingly idiotic comments on another site.
Crazy world we are living in! There is a lack of common sense and empathy. Lack of flexibility and understanding! Come on man! a two year old… hello! world of incredible inflexibility of the situation we are living in. Incredible story!
@Amazing Larry – must be hard to be both incredibly stupid AND beyond ignorant
The reason why they want to fly it’s they problem ,trying to force a two year’s old to wear a mask, that’s insane when kids refuse, it’s hard to force them. I don’t think any airline should force a 5 years old or younger kids to wear a face mask, they could sugges it. If the airlines worry so much because of the virus they should have more space between each passenger less people in the airplane
Amazing Larry: Please proceed to the nearest mirror, stand there, look into it, and say: “I am the reason–I share personal responsibility for hospitals running out of ICU beds this week with all the other people who hold my idiotic viewpoint. I am helping us become a country of abject morons.
I am amazing. I am proud of myself.”
We need to get rid of masks all together. They offer a false sense of security anyways. Live life like a normal person. I will be damned if I let mask wearing become the new normal.
Drama queen mom is too busy filming to deal with her child. Shame on her privileged self thinking she deserves sympathy trying to fly to NYC for a non-essential recreational weekend.
The bigger question going to NYC for weekend and not quarantining like they are supposed to… Their child did not want to wear a mask? Rules are for other people!
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Well said laffinatlarry! And here’s a suggestion for you Amazing (ly stupid) Larry, the next time you have to have any kind of surgical procedure done to you (God forbid) make sure you insist that the surgeon and all of his or her surgical staff take their mask off and stick it up their collective ass’es. And do let us all know how that turned out, if you’re still around that is!
This being United, they would have flown into Newark which is New Jersey, which doesn’t enforce signing quarantine declaration before departing airport. From there they could have entered Manhattan and never be screened entering NYS.
But since today Cuomo has been declared a sexual harasser, it no longer matters what Cuomo dictates.
Wait until this child is 12, and finds this archived video of her when she was two. Massive embarrassment.
I disagree with much of your personal opinions in this “article”. Mostly, I think United is on the wrong side of this. Anyone who has ever been a parent orf a 2 year old knows that you cannot reason well with them. There should ALWAYS be leeway with tiny people.
@NMK countries where people make a fuss or throw a tantrum over the need to wear masks aren’t being hit as hard as the US. They’re lives are pretty normal with businesses and schools being open…. Hmmm.
With that said, I see fault in both parties here. These parents could have introduced masks to their kid before they fly so the kids could at least get used to masks for a shor time do they could avoid a situation like this. Wear the mask for take off, after that you let the kid take it off and put it back on when the staff comes. It’s not ideal but hey they’re kids. And airlines need to be more understanding and flexible, or be consistent on how strictly they enforce the mask rules.
Let’s be safe, let’s be smart and get through this.
Correction for my careless mistakes in my earlier comment:
@NMK countries where people AREN’T making a fuss or throwing a tantrum over the need to wear masks aren’t being hit as hard as the US….
My bad, hope this gets seen or people would know what I’m trying to say…
A two year old might not want to wear a mask, but they’re certainly old enough to mind their parents. The parents have had eight months to get their toddler used to wearing a mask, so it’s hard for me to have empathy here. Sometimes children have to do what they don’t want to do because it’s for their own good. I think parents need to start putting some effort into getting the child used to wearing a mask because we are still in the middle of a pandemic and many businesses are going to require this for children over two. I would also like to say that traveling for a weekend and not giving yourself time to isolate is very irresponsible, especially when your little one won’t wear a mask. Isolation precautions are there for a reason.
They banned a 2 years old child ? Since Noew I bann UNITED . bye bye United…will use another company even if will be more expensive
What happens when this child wants McDonalds every meal? Teach, parents!
You all are heartless. As for “making a scene” This dad should be canonized for not losing his cool with these assholes. I’d love to see the stats on people who train their 1.5 -2 year olds to wear masks around the house.
And I think most of these comments completely miss point. The girls face was completely covered by her fathers mask. She was compliant and still asked to leave. What example does that set?
NYC should be begging for tourists before the whole place goes to shit.
@Tory – It’s been a long time since I had a 2 year old in the house but they don’t call them the “terrible two’s” for nothing. What they are content doing 1 minute isn’t the next. They are “children” unlike the spoiled F/A’s on this blog that spew their hatred towards passengers. The government and the airlines have weaponized the flight crews and they like to wield their power because they can, not because it’s common sense or an effort towards safety. It will take some lawsuits and some terminations before things become more balanced.
And it’s too late, NY has already turned to shit!
The child was screaming and throwing a fit and held up the flight. If there’s a .00001% chance that I will catch Covid from that child, I have no problem with them putting her off. If she didn’t infect the plane, the father was going to. He couldn’t wear the mask correctly and the other mask was a gaiter which is on the list of mask you should NOT wear. The family is risky. Ban them all! My two year old wears his mask. When he takes it off, I look at him and say “put it back on”. It’s that simple. Weak parents who do not believe Covid can kill should be banned from all airlines. SMH
They deserved to be pulled off. They probably knew for a while that they was going to a problem. They did not even bother to get the kid used to wearing a mask. So the day comes, and now the kid doesn’t want to wear any mask. Why does anyone think they didn’t know this was going to be a problem?