Southwest faces outrage after a father and toddler were kicked off a flight for the child throwing a tantrum
- A man and his young daughter were kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight Wednesday evening after the toddler became upset and threw a fit as other passengers were boarding.
- But a Facebook video taken by another passenger shows the toddler being calm and quiet as Southwest employees remove her and her father from the aircraft.
- The video shows other passengers coming to the man's defense before an airline employee threatens to put them on the next flight.
A man and his young daughter were kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight after the toddler became upset and threw a fit as other passengers were boarding the flight.
But a Facebook video taken by another passenger, Alexis Armstrong, on Flight 1683 from Chicago to Atlanta shows the toddler being calm and quiet as Southwest employees remove her and her father from the aircraft.
"#southwest #airlines kicked a man off the plane with his two year old daughter because she was afraid and not sitting in her own seat," Armstrong wrote in a post that accompanies the video. "he asked the lady for a minute to calm her down she walked away and called people to remove him. The baby was already calm by now and sitting in her own seat."
The video begins with a Southwest employee telling the man to leave the flight with his daughter. The man argues that his daughter has calmed down before another airline employee also tells the man to leave the flight. Other passengers can be heard coming to the man's defense before one of the employees threatens to put them on the next flight.
"I'm glad you screwed up everyone's day," the man says before he leaves the plane.
"After departure Wednesday evening, Flight 1683 to Atlanta returned to the gate at Chicago Midway to allow Supervisors to board the aircraft," Southwest said in a statement for Business Insider.
"Our initial reports indicate a conversation escalated onboard between the Crew and a Customer traveling with a small child. We always aim for a welcoming and hospitable experience and regret the inconvenience to all involved. The traveling party was booked on the next flight to Atlanta after the original flight continued as planned. We will reach out to the Customer to listen to any concerns they have about their experience and look forward to welcoming them onboard again soon."