NEWS Autistic girl and family removed from United flight

[Tycho_Brohe]

Heard about this story early this morning. Before we delve into this quagmire that I'm sure the news agencies will attempt to dissect for the next few weeks, allow me to point out a part that made me chuckle, sigh, and facepalm all at the same time...

This one passenger who supports the decision because she was worried that the 15-year-old girl might "[go] crazy and [get] up and [open] an exit door at 36,000 feet."

It boggles my mind how many people believe that somebody could, on a whim, get up and pull that handle at altitude, and just propel everyone in that cabin out into the stratosphere. But that's a different issue.

Things that will probably be asked as this thing makes the rounds through the 24-hr news cycle: was this girl really such a threat to the safety of the other passengers, some of whom later objected to her family's removal from the flight? If the mother knew her daughter was prone to fits when she's hungry and that she only eats hot food, why didn't she just get her something to eat before the flight, and why was the crew so resistant to bringing her some hot food, etc etc.

One thing I think should be asked: what basis did the captain have to make an "emergency landing" when he diverted to Salt Lake City? Did s/he simply take the flight attendant's word that they would need to divert, despite the fact that the girl hadn't done anything wrong?

 

[Spekkio]

If you take out the 'autistic girl' shock value of the story, you have parents who requested to buy a first-class hot meal without having bought a first class ticket. The flight attendants informed the parents that those meals were for the first-class passengers. They then threatened/warned that if they didn't get a first class meal, that their daughter would throw a tantrum and start scratching other passengers. So the flight attendants gave them a meal and landed the plane. Also, according to other passengers the flight attendants were busy tending to this family for an hour prior to the incident.

It seems ridiculous, but it's always been very clear to me that if you argue with the flight attendants about airline policy, then they are going to diffuse the situation, land the plane and have you get off. Doesn't seem like there's much of an allowance for exceptions in that rule.

United doesn't carry hot meals for its economy class passengers on domestic flights, and they make it pretty clear on their website that meal service is only provided for 'premium cabin passengers.' This is something the parents should have known and planned ahead for. I bet if they brought their own TV dinner on board the flight attendants would have been more than willing to heat it up in the microwave for them.

 

[Hopeful Hoya]

Well one thing is certain: no matter the outcome, the only winners here will be the lawyers.

Parent's should have planned ahead and flight attendants probably could have handled the situation better, although it seems like it was a lack of training on how to recognize/deal with such a situation.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a section when you book your tickets where you can request special accommodations for dietary or other types of needs?

 

[A7Dave]

No kidding, from the evening news, the mother seemed to be daring the flight attendants to refuse her demands. She's just trolling for a lawsuit and a quick settlement by the airline. Hope the airline and ALPA back up the crew.

 

[Uncle Fester]

I feel for the parents...raising a special-needs kid can be extraordinarily difficult, particularly once they're grownup-sized, and travelling with autistic kids is double-plus difficult. We have a friend with an autistic grade-schooler; we haven't seen her in years because even taking a car trip out of town can be a nightmare for her and her kid. Never mind dealing with air travel - an unfamiliar, stressful, high-stimulus environment? Forget it.

However comma.

- This was a known issue for the kid. Most kids on the spectrum typically need routine and predictability and can get very upset when anything is out of the ordinary. That's one reason why traveling with them can be so tough. The burden was on the parents to make arrangements beforehand - if lack of hot food is a 'trigger' and they knew that (as by the mother's own account, they did), then why the hell didn't they contact the airline and make arrangements beforehand? I would find it very difficult to believe they wouldn't accommodate a request like that. SWA even recently put together a program at BWI for families with autistic kids - families could bring the kids aboard a jet on the jetway, run through all the routines from takeoff to landing, so that the kids would not be in a totally unfamiliar environment for the real trip.
- When you make any sort of suggestion or insinuation that a passenger might hurt someone...are you really surprised when the crew decides to take you off the plane? It's a new era, and the crew is not going to fuck around with even the slightest hint of danger from or to passengers.

 

[Flash]

...When you make any sort of suggestion or insinuation that a passenger might hurt someone...are you really surprised when the crew decides to take you off the plane? It's a new era, and the crew is not going to fuck around with even the slightest hint of danger from or to passengers.

^This. Any suggestion or hint of something like this and I would not question a Captain for landing and getting the folks off the plane.

 

[Spekkio]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a section when you book your tickets where you can request special accommodations for dietary or other types of needs?

Special meals are only offered on International flights or for 1st class customers on direct flights from ny to sfo/lax on United, and special means kosher/vegan/etc. Maybe a call to the airline would have gotten an exception, but normally United does not provide any meal service to economy class customers on domestic flights. They have some sandwiches or snacks for purchase on flights that run during breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but they don't carry enough to support more than a few passangers.

If you're looking for so much as a free small bag of crackers on a 7 hour flight, United is not your airline of choice. They will take you from A to B and that's about it.

 

[Pags]

Special meals are only offered on International flights or for 1st class customers on direct flights from ny to sfo/lax on United, and special means kosher/vegan/etc. Maybe a call to the airline would have gotten an exception, but normally United does not provide any meal service to economy class customers on domestic flights. They have some sandwiches or snacks for purchase on flights that run during breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but they don't carry enough to support more than a few passangers.

If you're looking for so much as a free small bag of crackers on a 7 hour flight, United is not your airline of choice. They will take you from A to B and that's about it.

I find it hard to believe that any airline would not work with a customer with special needs to avoid any sort of public issue like this of they were given advance notice.

When I PCS'd to Japan with a 3mo old the airline was happy to work with me to ensure that my family was in one group of seats and had access to the bulkhead so we could make use of the bassinet. All it took was a phone call.

 

[Fallonflyr]

Once the threat was made by the mother that the girl could become violent, the crew did exactly what they should have done...defuse the situation (give them a hot meal they were not entitled to) and get on the ground before the situation escalates. Seems the Dr. mother (PhD in communications) could have done a better job of communicating.

 

[HAL Pilot]

As a major airline Captain, if that Mom had told me or my FAs that the kid could become hysterical one of two things would have happened. The kid stayed calm and we land at the closest field to take her off, or the kid went hysterical and she got zip tied to a seat.

Either way sucks but I am more worried about the safety and security of my passengers than the kid and her Mom.