The airline said this:


Marlene Leung, CTVNews.ca
@MarleneLeung

Published Thursday, May 28, 2015 10:13AM EDT
Last Updated Thursday, May 28, 2015 12:56PM EDT

Sarah Blackwood, member of the popular Canadian band Walk Off The Earth, says she was humiliated when she was kicked off a United Airlines flight over the behaviour of her toddler son, who the airline said was causing "safety concerns."
The singer, who is currently seven-months pregnant and on tour with the band, told CTVNews.ca she was kicked off United Airlines Flight 6223 from San Francisco to Vancouver on Wednesday because her 23-month-old son was being "fussy." The flight was operated by United's regional partner, SkyWest Airlines.
Blackwood said during the first leg of the journey, her son, Giorgio, was upset.

Sarah Blackwood says she and her son were asked to leave a United Airlines flight because her son was crying. (Sarah Blackwood / Facebook)
But it was during the second leg of the flight from San Francisco to Vancouver that she was warned by a flight attendant before takeoff that if she couldn't "control" her child, the pilot would be turning the plane around.
"I had to hold him, he was being very squirmy and was crying very loud," she said.
She said her son was sitting in her lap, as she hadn’t purchased a ticket for her child since he was under two years of age. Passengers are only required to purchase a ticket for their children if they’re two or older.

"I looked at her and said 'I'm doing what I can here, I'm holding him. This is what I'm supposed to do,'" Blackwood told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview from Vancouver.
As another flight attendant came up to her and started to speak with her, Blackwood said she started to get emotional.
"My eyes were welling up, I was so embarrassed," she said, adding that the man next to her was assuring her that it was OK, and that he had three children of his own.
Blackwood said that as the plane was taxiing, it suddenly came to a stop, turned around and headed back to the airport. She said the captain told the passengers that the plane needed to refuel.
But when the plane reached the airport, a different flight attendant came up to Blackwood and asked her and her son to leave. By this point, she said her son had fallen asleep on her lap.
When the singer asked why she was being forced off the flight, she was told it was because the flight attendants felt "unsafe" because her son was causing some kind of "threat" to the plane.
She said she felt humiliated as she was escorted off the aircraft, along with her nanny.
"It felt like it was in slow motion. I was in tears, it was so embarrassing. It was awful," she said.

In a statement to CTVNews.ca, SkyWest said the flight crew made the "difficult decision" to remove Blackwood and her son from the flight based on "safety concerns."
"Despite numerous requests, the child was not seated, as required by federal regulation to ensure passenger safety, and was repeatedly in the aisle of the aircraft before departure and during taxi," the statement said.
"While our crews work to make travelling safe and comfortable for all travellers, particularly families, the crew made the appropriate decision to return to the gate in the interest of safety."
But Blackwood said she had a window seat, so it wasn't possible for her son to be in the aisle of the plane.
While waiting to be put on another flight to Vancouver back at the San Francisco airport, the singer asked United employees for an explanation.

A video of her speaking to another employee was posted to YouTube. In it, the employee said she was shocked and had never heard of a mother being forced off due to a crying child.
Blackwood was eventually told by a supervisor that she was asked to leave because she refused to put a seatbelt around her son's lap – a claim she disputes.

"If I had the chance to put a seatbelt over him I would," she said, noting that she'd do "anything" so as to not delay the flight.
Blackwood was eventually put on another flight and reached Vancouver at about midnight. She said she had no problems on the second flight

-- Edited by Tignanello on Friday 29th of May 2015 12:39:13 AM

Two YEARS old?

I can understand an infant--but a two year old? That's pretty old to be crying for long enough to get kicked off a plane.

Well, if you read the whole article it says that the boy wouldn't sit in the seat and wear the seat belt. I don't think it was as much about crying as about safety.

If he wasn't restrained during take off I totally understand. Even the stewards and stuff have to be buckled in then.

Turning a plane around would also seem like an expensive decision as well? I would assume the airlines are reviewing this type of thing.

Yes, a threat? Absurd.

How much of a threat can a 2 year old be?

Kids are part of the human race. They have meltdowns. Anyone who wants to pretend their kids never did are either deluding themselves or have short memories. As adults, we used to understand that children have limited abilities to cope with things. But, now we expect kids to act like adults when they can't.

Fort Worth Mom wrote:

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You know what needs to be changed, IMHO?

The lap baby exception.

We flew with all of our children, prior to the age of two.

We bought them a ticket, and used a car seat, every single time.

No fuss, no muss. Our babies knew, that when they were in their car seat, they were not going to squirm around, or get up and run around.

The airlines need to put an end to this stupid rule.

Require a ticket, and a seat, for everyone. Regardless of age.

It would solve a lot of problems.

Again, just my opinion.

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 I agree. 

Another article -

A Canadian singer-songwriter was kicked off a United Airlines flight in San Francisco because her two-year-old toddler would not stop crying, triggering outrage from her supporters.

"Just got kicked off a @united flight because my son was crying really loud," Sarah Blackwood from the band Walk Off the Earth wrote Wednesday on Twitter, accusing the airline of hating mothers.

"Apparently my little two-year-old crying son was a big threat."

Canadian music award-nominated Walk Off the Earth gained international fame recording covers such as Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball," Pharrel Williams's "Happy," and Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off," and original tunes.

Blackwood, who is also seven months pregnant with another child, was booked to fly late Wednesday from San Francisco to Vancouver with her son Giorgio.

The flight was operated by SkyWest Airlines, which said the crew ordered the plane back to the gate over "safety concerns."

"Despite numerous requests, the child was not seated, as required by federal regulation to ensure passenger safety, and was repeatedly in the aisle of the aircraft before departure and during taxi," the airline said in a statement defending its decision.

Fellow passengers, however, denounced the move on United's Facebook page, saying the mother tried her best to calm her son and that the flight attendant had been "unprofessional, unreasonable and insensitive."

By the time the jetliner reached the gate, they noted, the toddler had fallen asleep.

But Blackwood and her son were still forced to disembark, while crews spent 75 minutes sifting through luggage to retrieve her bags from the plane, one passenger said.

Dozens of supporters reacted angrily on Twitter.

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:

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Kids are part of the human race. They have meltdowns. Anyone who wants to pretend their kids never did are either deluding themselves or have short memories. As adults, we used to understand that children have limited abilities to cope with things. But, now we expect kids to act like adults when they can't.

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 This. All the way. 

Lexxy wrote:

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Fort Worth Mom wrote:

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You know what needs to be changed, IMHO?

The lap baby exception.

We flew with all of our children, prior to the age of two.

We bought them a ticket, and used a car seat, every single time.

No fuss, no muss. Our babies knew, that when they were in their car seat, they were not going to squirm around, or get up and run around.

The airlines need to put an end to this stupid rule.

Require a ticket, and a seat, for everyone. Regardless of age.

It would solve a lot of problems.

Again, just my opinion.

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 I totally agree.  Aside from them needing to be secure there is also the issue of one air mask per seat in the event of an emergency.

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 Each section of 3 has 4.  I was on a flight were two lap babies were in the section of 3 and they moved one parent and lap baby when it was explained.

Lexxy wrote:

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Fort Worth Mom wrote:

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You know what needs to be changed, IMHO?

The lap baby exception.

We flew with all of our children, prior to the age of two.

We bought them a ticket, and used a car seat, every single time.

No fuss, no muss. Our babies knew, that when they were in their car seat, they were not going to squirm around, or get up and run around.

The airlines need to put an end to this stupid rule.

Require a ticket, and a seat, for everyone. Regardless of age.

It would solve a lot of problems.

Again, just my opinion.

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 I totally agree.  Aside from them needing to be secure there is also the issue of one air mask per seat in the event of an emergency.

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 But then, what excuse will the flight attendants use to kick them off when the kid is being annoying??

I was trying to be funny :)

But, I will say, that Baby A hates the car seat. She would cry the entire flight unless I took her out.. Hopefully she grows out of that.

Yes, she is. DD7 was always content in her seat. Baby A makes even short trips difficult. But, she is such a happy, easy going baby except for that, so I can't complain :)

My child hates the car-seat and cries. Babies cry. People need to get over it. We fly alot and luckily all the flight attendants have been nice. It looks like she unfortunately dealt with a very bad one.

Bonny22Pye wrote:

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My child hates the car-seat and cries. Babies cry. People need to get over it. We fly alot and luckily all the flight attendants have been nice. It looks like she unfortunately dealt with a very bad one.

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 I agree.

I can't count the number of flights I've been on with a crying child.

flan

Bonny22Pye wrote:

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My child hates the car-seat and cries. Babies cry. People need to get over it. We fly alot and luckily all the flight attendants have been nice. It looks like she unfortunately dealt with a very bad one.

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This WAS NOT a "baby".  This was a toddler. Old enough to understand the phrase "quit that crying or I'll give you something to cry about".  

flan327 wrote:

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huskerbb wrote:

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Bonny22Pye wrote:

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My child hates the car-seat and cries. Babies cry. People need to get over it. We fly alot and luckily all the flight attendants have been nice. It looks like she unfortunately dealt with a very bad one.

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This WAS NOT a "baby".  This was a toddler. Old enough to understand the phrase "quit that crying or I'll give you something to cry about".  

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 Yeah, the only thing worse than having to listen to a fussy toddler is having to hear him being spanked...

flan

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If you've carried through with it before--you won't have to at that time.   

Lawyerlady wrote:

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huskerbb wrote:

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Bonny22Pye wrote:

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My child hates the car-seat and cries. Babies cry. People need to get over it. We fly alot and luckily all the flight attendants have been nice. It looks like she unfortunately dealt with a very bad one.

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This WAS NOT a "baby".  This was a toddler. Old enough to understand the phrase "quit that crying or I'll give you something to cry about".  

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 So, what?  You do realize planes make little kids' ears hurt, right?  They cannot adjust to the pressurization as easily.  And since he's older than a little baby - he's not breastfeeding or sucking on a bottle to relieve the pressure.  THAT is why so many babies and toddlers cry on planes. 

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Note that the plane was still on the ground, so pressure changes were not the problem. 

Bonny22Pye wrote:

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ed11563 wrote:

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Lawyerlady wrote:

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huskerbb wrote:

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Bonny22Pye wrote:

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My child hates the car-seat and cries. Babies cry. People need to get over it. We fly alot and luckily all the flight attendants have been nice. It looks like she unfortunately dealt with a very bad one.

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This WAS NOT a "baby".  This was a toddler. Old enough to understand the phrase "quit that crying or I'll give you something to cry about".  

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 So, what?  You do realize planes make little kids' ears hurt, right?  They cannot adjust to the pressurization as easily.  And since he's older than a little baby - he's not breastfeeding or sucking on a bottle to relieve the pressure.  THAT is why so many babies and toddlers cry on planes. 

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Note that the plane was still on the ground, so pressure changes were not the problem. 

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Even so..big effing deal.  Maybe he was scared, or tired or hungry...he's a little kid. Be the bigger person and be helpful and not some judgmental jackass. 

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 He is wrong anyway - they had already flown the first leg of the flight, that's when he was fussing.  He was actually asleep when he got kicked off.

 

"Blackwood said during the first leg of the journey, her son, Giorgio, was upset.
Sarah Blackwood says she and her son were asked to leave a United Airlines flight because her son was crying. (Sarah Blackwood / Facebook)
But it was during the second leg of the flight from San Francisco to Vancouver that she was warned by a flight attendant before takeoff that if she couldn't "control" her child, the pilot would be turning the plane around."

Lady Gaga Snerd wrote:

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It's a crying baby. I mean really? We have lost all common sense.

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 Yes.