A bit over a week ago a couple and their two year old daughter got kicked off a United Airlines flight because the daughter refused to wear a face mask. Well, the couple was back on a plane a few days later, this time without their daughter.
What happened on the couple’s United flight
For context, a couple was flying from Denver to Newark with their two year old daughter. The couple was violating New York’s quarantine requirement to spend a weekend there to see Rockefeller, because it’s a “tradition” they wanted their two year old daughter to experience (because, you know, when she’s grown up she’ll think back to all the fun things she did at the age of two).
The couple had apparently already flown United several times with their daughter during the pandemic, and didn’t have issues when the daughter wasn’t wearing a mask. However, this time around the crew decided to enforce the policy. Since the daughter couldn’t keep her mask on, the family was kicked off the plane.
As I noted at the time:
- The couple’s real problem was their choice to fly United rather than Delta; United requires everyone two years old and up to wear a mask at all times, while Delta’s policy notes that young children unwilling to wear a mask are exempt as well
- I think United could have shown a bit of grace here, but then again, I can appreciate the concept of having zero exceptions when it comes to coronavirus policy enforcement
- I don’t blame the couple for not being able to “force” their two year old to wear a mask, though perhaps they could have prepared a bit better; their real mistake was not understanding United’s face mask policy
- I wouldn’t think the couple was being unreasonable if it wasn’t for a) the dad’s inability to wear his mask correctly b) that the dad tried to turn this into something political by claiming that most people survive coronavirus c) the family’s clear disregard for travel restrictions
The couple made two Fox News appearances (including on Hannity). The wife stated that she and her husband are both immigrants from Europe, and “coming here has just been a huge blessing, you know, living the American dream, and living in free America, and I just have to say the past year has been a huge PTSD for us and very very scary with everything going on.”
Okay, I think the past year has been pretty scary for just about everyone. But if I’m understanding her point correctly, she’s suggesting she has PTSD because some of her freedoms have been taken away in the past year?
Couple flies Delta without daughter
Just days after being kicked off United, the couple is back in the sky, this time flying Delta first class, thanks to someone gifting them tickets. Yet they left their daughter behind. The mom’s Instagram (which describes her as a health coach, biz mentor, and patriot) has a picture of the couple under a Delta check-in sign, and says the following:
It’s hard to comprehend the past couple of days, and all I’ve been doing is praying that God would speak through us, use this story, and give us strength to keep going despite all the evil we have encountered.
It breaks our heart that we couldn’t bring our daughter, 💔 we tried calling the airlines and couldn’t get a straight answer from anyone and we could honestly just not go through again what we went through on Friday. Just driving to the airport today was super triggering.
Our daughter is in the best hands at home, and as hard as it is that she’s not here- knowing how much love she is surrounded by gives us so much peace. We couldn’t bear to take her through what we went through again.
I STILL feel humiliated, traumatized, and triggered by what happened. But the amount of messages I have gotten by people being on our side and experiencing similar situations has truly been overwhelmingly beautiful.
And the reason we are able to be on this Delta flight in the boujiest first class, is because @bryant_s_ellis reached out and offered to get us to our next destination AND in first class.
I balled my eyes out. And here we are. ✈️🧡
I can’t disclose exactly all the reasons we had to get down to Palm Beach for, but you bet there are a lot of things in the works, stay tuned for the next couple of days.
And for all the people calling us morons for traveling in a pandemic, please slide to the next picture posted BY @united and remember there are hundreds of thousands of people flying every single day- but if it makes you happy to single us out, then whatever floats your boat. 🛶
I… I’m not even going to address:
- God giving them the strength to make the decision to fly to Palm Beach
- Her lack of understanding that the reason the risk of catching coronavirus on planes is small is in part due to good face mask compliance
- Her inability to disclose “exactly all the reasons” they had to get down to Palm Beach (“bIg ThInGs CoMiNg WaTcH ThIs SpAcE!”)
- What makes Delta’s first class “the boujiest”
- Why someone is gifting them a free ticket in first class, specifically on Delta
What I want to briefly focus on is the reason they give for leaving their daughter behind. It breaks their heart to leave their daughter behind, but:
We tried calling the airlines and couldn’t get a straight answer from anyone and we could honestly just not go through again what we went through on Friday.
When I go to Google and search “Delta child face mask policy,” this handy page is the first result:
Children under the age two and young children who cannot maintain a face covering are exempt from the mask requirement.
Just so the couple understands, you can fly with your daughter, you just need to choose Delta over United, because it’s fine if your daughter doesn’t wear a face mask on Delta.
Bottom line
A family was recently kicked off United because a two year old wouldn’t wear a mask. While I can appreciate that forcing a two year old to do anything is nearly impossible, the parents also set themselves up for failure.
Now the couple is back flying, this time without their daughter, because someone gifted them Delta first class tickets. The irony is that they actually could have brought their daughter along, because Delta has a bit more leniency for smaller children than United does.
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