ORLANDO, Fla. - AirTran Airways on Tuesday defended its decision to remove a Massachusetts couple from a flight after their crying 3-year-old daughter refused to take her seat before takeoff.

AirTran officials said they followed Federal Aviation Administration rules that children age 2 and above must have their own seat and be wearing a seat belt upon takeoff.

"The flight was already delayed 15 minutes and in fairness to the other 112 passengers on the plane, the crew made an operational decision to remove the family," AirTran spokeswoman Judy Graham-Weaver said.

Julie and Gerry Kulesza, who were headed home to Boston on Jan. 14 from Fort Myers, said they just needed a little more time to calm their daughter, Elly.

"We weren't given an opportunity to hold her, console her or anything," Julie Kulesza said in a telephone interview Tuesday.

The Kuleszas said they told a flight attendant they had paid for their daughter's seat, but asked whether she could sit in her mother's lap. The request was denied.

She was removed because "she was climbing under the seat and hitting the parents and wouldn't get in her seat" during boarding, Graham-Weaver said.

The Orlando-based carrier reimbursed the family $595.80, the cost of the three tickets, and the Kuleszas flew home the next day.

They also were offered three roundtrip tickets anywhere the airline flies, Graham-Weaver said.
The father said his family would never fly AirTran again.

hey, anybody got a toddler i can borrow?

I've seen grown men have tandrums when flight attendants have told them to take their seats....

exactly why I have never flown anywhere with any of my kids (except Oscar, but he was only 10 months). I don't care much for people who look at you with hatred, impatience and disgust - and you know they are not parents themselves and have no way to understand, so why are they so judgemental? 2-3 year olds have no control over their emotions yet, they live in the here and now with no thought to consequence. Give little kids and parents a break sometimes, when you can. It's tough enough being the parent, let alone having everyone on your back about it.


and yeah yeah yeah we brough it on ourselves, we dug our grave now we can lie in it

You are mostly correct, but I would like to add that it is the PARENT who needs to reign-in and teach the immature 2-3 year old ettiquette.

My wife and I have always gone to restaurants, etc. with our kids since they were babies. Yeah there are occassional flare-ups, but you deal with it accordingly and teach them proper behavior.

My wife has flown to Florida numerous times with the kids - with no other adult - and she gets more compliments than scorns.

We are actually - if you can believe it - having MORE of an issue with them now that they are 5 - 8 years of age than when they were younger, since now they can think more for themselves and are constantly testing the boundaries.

So don't be scared to fly with kids, just be prepared to be stern with them, and be prepared to ignore the ignorant adults around you who will never understand.

I have 3 boys, I would be more than happy to take one at a time, but together? Forget it!

My kids are fairly mellow, so I wouldn't have a problem taking them on a plane. Now if my brother-in-law had to take either one of his two boys (or both!), now THERE'S someone getting kicked off a plane!

when my littlest is about 21 I am sure I would be happy to as well

when my littlest is about 21 I am sure I would be happy to as well

no don't wait that long
because then they are afraid of flying
and have to gather their courage to get on a plane

and we can't afford it

There's that, too.

you tempt fate, do you???

how are ya, BB?

I am good! I am thinking that I know for sure our child will not be on a plane any time soon!

Cheers to Zombiekitten and all who have toddlers.....more power to ya!