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Couple Removed from Flight for Two-Year-Old Not Wearing a Face Mask, But Travels Anyways

What happened to one couple who were refused service by United Airlines because their two-year-old child was removed from a flight for not wearing a face mask? Thanks to a podcaster, the pair went on their trip after all – with an upgrade to first class.

After a Colorado couple say they were removed from a flight because a United Airlines attendant said their two-year-old child was not wearing a face mask, the two decided to go on their vacation after all without the toddler. In a series of social media posts, personal trainer Eliz Orban shared their story of “humiliation,” and the justification for completing the trip.

Family Claims They “Tried Everything” Before Being Removed, Later Decided to Complete the Trip

The incident took place aboard a United flight on Dec. 11, 2020. In a two-minute video, an emotional Orban claims her family was escorted off their flight by a gate supervisor, because their two-year-old was not wearing a face covering secured by ear loops. She claims all of her luggage and the child’s car seat was not removed from the aircraft, and ultimately sent to New York.

 

During an interview with Fox News, Orban claims that she is a United MileagePlus Premier elite, and has flown with their child during the pandemic. She claims that she was singled out by the flight crew, describing her treatment as “traumatizing” and “very humiliating.”

“We’ve just flown two months ago because all of our family lives on the East Coast, so this is the only way for them to see their granddaughter,” Orban said during an interview with Fox News. “And this time was just extremely different.”

Although Orban and her husband were rebuked by United, they ultimately decided to take a trip anyways. Thanking a podcaster on an Instagram post dated Dec. 16, 2020, she announced the couple would ultimately travel to Palm Beach, Florida on Delta Air Lines in the first class cabin – but without the child.

 

“Our daughter is in the best hands at home, and as hard as it is that she’s not here, knowing how much love she is surrounded by gives us so much peace,” Orban wrote on her Instagram post. “We couldn’t bear to take her through what we went through again.”

Orban said she couldn’t “disclose all the reasons we had to get down to Palm Beach,” but noted it was potentially for future projects. She closed her note calling out those who doubted her decision to travel.

“And for all the people calling us morons for traveling in a pandemic, please slide to the next picture posted BY United [on her Instagram story] and remember there are hundreds of thousands of people flying every single day,” she writes. “But if it makes you happy to single us out, then whatever floats your boat.”

Travel Decision Comes as Airlines Continue to Fight with Families over Face Coverings

Orban’s story isn’t the first time families have clashed with airlines over face mask policies. In August 2020, a family cried foul against Southwest Airlines after they claim the flight crew removed them because their toddler with autism and sensory processing disorders refused to wear a face covering. By September 2020, another family expressed their frustration with the policies, calling for airlines to loosen face mask requirements for toddlers.

In a statement to Fox News, United noted that the family was not banned from flying with the airline, and their policy of requiring everyone two and older to wear a face covering is “consistent across every major airline.”

21 Comments
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mvoight January 5, 2021

I am quite sure they knew the over 2 meant they had to pay for the child to travel. So, yes, that same thing meant the over 2 year old had to wear a mask once they had reached age 2. This is not something knew for air travel

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J S January 4, 2021

I have a 2 year old. He wears a mask. So do millions of other toddlers. It isn't that complicated. No 2 year old has an essential need to travel (possible exception would be to see a medical specialist). This one certainly had no essential reason since the parents went without her. Also, the Dad is wearing his mask under his nose in the video. The whole things smells of a couple of publicity-seeking, self-centered anti-maskers trying to drive traffic to an instagram or twitter profile. The fact that they are using their toddler makes it even more disgusting.

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budsbuds January 3, 2021

So Eliz, let me help you with some basic parenting skills. First, know the rules before you fly. If your two-year-is required to wear a face mask while flying and there is any doubt that she will comply, practice at home. If she doesn’t follow your rules at home, then plan to leave her at home or make other travel arrangements. Second, be the parent. It’s pretty obvious from the video that your daughter is controlling you, not the other way around. In this paedocentric culture, parents kowtow to their child’s every wants, desires and fits. You’re not doing her any favors. Do you seriously want her to negotiate with you when you tell her to stop when she’s heading to the street to play in traffic? Teach her to obey you…that’s the loving thing to do. Third, why were you videoing this? Did you know in advance that your daughter was going to be non-compliant and the video was your way of perhaps wresting some undeserved compensation from United? Or was this your personal statement about the inconvenience of having to wear masks? Finally, I agree with you, there are a lot of evil events in the world today. But this event isn’t one of them. You were a bit inconvenienced. Get over it. Grownups take personal responsibility for their decisions (to travel with a two-year-old) and aren’t triggered, traumatized or humiliated when things go awry.

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jamesteroh January 2, 2021

So these people make non-essential trips during a pandemic when you are supposed to be staying home risking catching covid and spreading it older family members and then their kid doesn't comply with the requirement and probably delays the flight while they get removed causing the rest of the plane to get delayed (not to mention their kid putting the entire cabin and flight crew at risk by not masking up if she was positive) and then they are made to look like the victims and get a first class trip out of it? I'm sure that two year old is going to grow up to an overentitled selifsh brat like her parents

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Transpacificflyer January 1, 2021

Did they really need to take a non essential flight?