Advertisement

Mother kicked off flight after her two-year-old son refuses to wear mask

American Airlines requires all passengers over the age of two to wear a mask (Getty Images)
American Airlines requires all passengers over the age of two to wear a mask (Getty Images)

A mother was left “bawling her eyes out and hyperventilating” after she and her two-year-old son were kicked off an American Airlines flight because he refused to wear a mask.

Rachel Starr Davis was travelling from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Manchester, New Hampshire, on 17 September when a flight attendant told her that all passengers over the age of two were required to wear a face covering.

“I tried repeatedly, begged him, bribed him, pleaded with him, did everything I could while he was screaming,” Davis, 34, wrote on Instagram.

The single mother said she was “lost for words” and that the experience had left her “feeling my absolute lowest of lows as a mother.”

Davis claims that she was approached before she had managed to take her seat, with a member of cabin crew asking how old her son Lyon was, and demanding he wears a mask as per the airline’s policy.

According to Davis, she overheard the flight attendant on the phone saying it was clear there would be “a problem” and that she needed a colleague to join her.

“I’ll save you the rest of the horror that happened on the plane, as I continued trying to get him to wear the mask, bawling my eyes out and hyperventilating behind my own suffocating mask,” said Davis.

“Desperate to get home after the worst week. He would have been asleep before we even pushed back if they had just been humans.”

Rather than remove the pair from the flight individually, cabin crew instructeed all passengers to deplane.

Everyone was permitted to reboard barring Davis and Lyon under the captain’s instructions.

Mother and son were moved to a flight later the same day at no extra charge.

View this post on Instagram

I’m at a complete loss of words. The eyes of a mama-bear who just bawled her eyes out as she was forced off an airplane because her 2 year old wouldn’t keep his mask on. I tried repeatedly, begged him, bribed him, pleaded with him, did everything I could while he was screaming and crying as I tried to hold him and put the mask on, feeling my absolute lowest of lows as a mother. Before I even sat in my seat, flight attendant Terry on American Airlines flight 5595 from Charlotte, NC to Manchester, NH on September 17th, approached me and asked how old my son is, and demanded according to their policy he wear a mask. I told her this is our fourth American Airlines flight this week, and he has never been asked to wear a mask. She informed me he (my overtired two year old son) would need to comply with their company policy or we would be asked to leave the aircraft. As I tried to put down my things and get a mask out, I heard Terry on the phone saying “yea it’s clear there is going to be a problem and we will need you to come down”. The nastiest smug look on her face. I’ll save you the rest of the horror that happened on the plane, as I continued trying to get him to wear the mask, bawling my eyes out and hyperventilating behind my own suffocating mask. Desperate to get home after the worst week. He would have been asleep before we even pushed back if they had just been humans. The pilot had the final say, Lyon wears the mask or they will escort us off the plane. Rather than get themselves any bad press by escorting a crying mom and two year old off the plane, they forced everyone to deplane, and wouldn’t let us back on the flight home. Apparently before we got off the plane everyone who left before us lit up the crew in the gate area. The Captain walking right by me as I screamed my head off in my absolute worst moment. They moved us to a flight tonight, on the same airline who’s company policy kicked us off the last flight, because my two year old son wouldn’t keep a mask securely over his nose and mouth at all times. This is the world we live in? This is not a mask debate. This is a ‘be a god damned human’ debate. I will NEVER fly AA again.

A post shared by Rachel Starr Davis (@rachelstarrdavis) on Sep 17, 2020 at 1:50pm PDT

Davis is now demanding an apology from the airline, reports the Plymouth Herald.

She concluded her impassioned Instagram post: “This is the world we live in? This is not a mask debate. This is a ‘be a god damned human’ debate.

“I will NEVER fly AA again.”

Davis confirmed American Airlines has since been in touch to try to resolve the issue.

“Policies are enforced and approved face coverings are made available at key points throughout the customer journey,” an American Airlines spokesperson told the Plymouth Herald. “We’ve reached out to the family to learn more about their recent travel experience and to address their concerns.”

The Independent has requested further comment from the carrier.

Read more

Mother and two-year-old escorted from flight after toddler removed mask to eat snacks

‘Traumatising’: Entire JetBlue flight forced to deplane after two-year-old refuses to wear mask

‘Disruptive’ passenger kicked off plane after demanding flight attendant wear a mask