Family kicked off flight because crying toddler, 2, refused to wear mask
A mum claimed her family was kicked off a United Airlines flight because their toddler daughter would not put on a mask.
Eliz Orban shared a video showing herself and her husband trying to persuade two-year-old Edeline to put on a mask before a flight attendant tells them they need to get off the plane.
The family was flying from Colorado to New Jersey to see relatives and friends in the state her husband grew up in.
Ms Orban posted the footage on social media with the caption: ‘Today, we were asked to leave the plane after it had rolled out, and they had to bring it back to the gate, because our two-year-old daughter would not “comply” and keep her mask on.
‘Since our bags weren’t taken off the plane (they did get our child seat) – we have to wait until tomorrow till they deliver it to our house in Breckenridge, which is two hours from the DIA airport.’
In the video Edeline is visibly upset and blocks her mouth with her hands so the mask cannot sit on her face.
Her parents try multiple times but she continues to refuse the mask and is tearful.
Then a gate agent boards the plane and says to Ms Orban’s husband: ‘Hello sir. I’m going to have to ask you to grab your belongings and exit the aircraft.’
The father says: ‘You gotta be kidding me. Why? We’re over here holding this mask on her face.’
The couple protest that they cannot force their daughter to wear the mask because she is crying.
They then collect their things and walk off the plane before the agent tells them that their luggage and car seat will have to stay on the plane and be delivered to its destination.
Ms Orban asks how they are supposed to get home if they do not have their child seat – which the airline did end up giving them.
In the mum’s video she told her followers that her and her husband are are premier silver members at United and ‘always fly with them’.
‘In fact, we had flown with Edeline four times already since the pandemic, without ever having an issue,’ she said.
Ms Orban referenced the World Health Organisation’s advice which is to leave children under the age of five without a mask.
‘And this decision was “based on expert opinion on childhood developmental milestones, challenges with mask compliance, and the autonomy required to wear a mask properly”,’ the health coach quoted.
Although this is the WHO’s advice, the Center for Disease Prevention and Control says parents should help their children ‘two years of age or older wear a mask correctly when in public and when around people they don’t live with’.
United Airlines told US outlet MailOnline the family are not banned from flying with them in the future.
They said in a statement: ‘The health and safety of our employees and customers is our highest priority, which is why we have a multi-layered set of policies, including mandating that everyone onboard two and older wears a mask.
‘These procedures are not only backed by guidance from the CDC and our partners at the Cleveland Clinic, but they’re also consistent across every major airline.
‘We are investigating this specific incident and have made contact with the family. We also refunded their tickets and returned their car seat and bags.’
The airline’s mask policy does enforce this, and states travellers who are two years of age or older have to cover their face.
Metro.co.uk has contacted United Airlines for comment.
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