Family kicked off flight for 2-year-old's tantrum

CRANSTON, R.I. (WHDH) -- A Rhode Island family says they were kicked off a flight to Boston because they didn't buckle their 2-year old daughter’s seat belt in time.

The family of four enjoyed their Caribbean vacation up until it was time to head home.

“We were just trying to control a 2-year-old child who was scared and wanted to be held by her mother,” said Dr. Colette Vieau.

Vieau says her 2-year-old daughter, Natalie, didn’t want to sit in her seat with her safety belt securely fastened, as FAA regulations require during takeoff. The family had just completed a sunny vacation to the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. But on Feb. 18, it was time to fly back to chilly Boston.

The parents, who are both doctors, say that when they finally their toddler to sit, security appeared along with a JetBlue representative. Vieau said some people seated around the family were understanding, and so was security. But, the pilot was not, and the flight attendant delivered the bad news; they’d be pulling back to the gate.

“We weren’t yelling and swearing. My child wasn’t running up and down the aisles. We were trying, we were putting in an effort. We didn’t just say, ‘so what?’ we were doing our best, and she decided that was the way it was going to go,” Vieau said.

Vieau says there was no flight until the next day, which went through JFK in New York. She says the whole ordeal cost them around $2,000.

“I don’t like the way it was handled,” Vieau said.

JetBlue released a statement saying in part:

“…did not comply with crewmember instructions for a prolonged time period. The Captain elected to remove the customers involved for the safety of all customers and crewmembers on board.”

“It’s just airplane travel today. There’s no humanity in it, there’s no decency. I really think that this could have gone a different way,” said Vieau.

The FAA requires children two-years-old and up to be in their own seats.

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