Well, I, for one, will support the young adult in this whole mess.

She, herself, didn't threaten anyone. She didn't act violently. She didn't melt down or cause a scene.

From her perspective, she travelled with and encountered a bunch of unaccomodating adults. She was humiliated by those who implied she may melt down or become violent. Everyone gets excited. The police removed her from a plane. The scene gets posted on YouTube. Someone gets on the news suggesting she might have tried to blow everyone out an open door.

Quite a day for any 15 year old girl. Quite a day for any human being.

As far as I'm concerned, her own behavior was above reproach and it would be a privilege to fly with her any day.

"IF (repeat IF) this plane doesn't land in CUBA, I MIGHT (repeat MIGHT) detonate the bomb in my attaché case"

Good point, she was definitely humiliated by her mother, who implied that she may melt down and become a danger.

I do feel for the girl. I would hate to have helpless parents also.

And this is exactly the issue that caused the diversion. The girl was fine, no one should be blaming her. The mother however in an attempt to get what she wanted in this situation said something off the cuff that came out as a threat. The threat being that her daughter might do something to harm herself or others. I think this was an unfortunate situation that was inevitable once those words were said.

Karma with a side of Schadenfreude. ;-)

Not anymore.... She and her brood will undoubtedly be banned for life from UA.

Amen. My read on this from the beginning is that this is a mother who asked for food for her child and was treated badly by airline staff. I admit it resonates, because I personally am so tired of being treated like airlines are doing me a huge favor to transport from A to B even though I've paid for my ticket and my household's taxes help fund the TSA, FAA, etc.

So sad to see that here, as in so many strata of society, something fundamental has changed - An amenity which in years past would have been no big deal to provide is apparently now a luxury reserved for the upper class, and the expectation of basic kindness is no longer the standard.

If the child was good enough for United to have booked her on another airline then the child is good enough to fly United, unless of course United chooses to discriminate against the autistic.

The mother and her threats were the deciding factor, not the child.

I bet the mother kept her {mouth} shut on the Delta flight.

From an article:
So the family:

1. Has a daughter that refuses to eat hot food during the layover and refuses to eat non-hot food on the plane.
2. Sits in a class of service where hot food is not generally available.
3. Asks an FA to microwave a cold sandwich (which the FA refuses to do because it will get soggy - given how upset the teen was before about not having warm food, it's not an invalid criticism.
4. Has the mom attempt to up the ante by saying if the daughter does not get a hot meal she may physically assault people.
5. Wonders why they are removed from the aircraft after telling the cabin crew that their daughter may pose a risk to the safety of others.

I'm sorry, but I have to side with UA on this one. The mom used the fact/belief that her daughter could potentially become violent towards other passengers if upset, and the daughter was apparently already "howling" and throwing a tantrum in a distressed emotional state. Captain gets informed of an agitated passenger that may get violent, they seek permission to divert, and do so.

As far as the degree of a threat she posed, that's really not relevant here. The threat was made. Y is not the land of gigantic seats or lots of passenger separation. United will be asked why and United will provide a written explanation that it was for safety reasons.

If there's a lawsuit- I guess they have the freedom to file one, but I cannot imagine it being fruitful given the context provided thus far.

Conversely, if the mother uses the child to make a safety threat, then neither of them should have been rebooked onto DL that same evening. In fact, DL flights departing after 8 pm would have had no meals on board and many DL aircraft have no ovens, even in the FC galley.

What shocks me is many comments like yours and on other sites frame this as a "class war". It's as if some evil, greedy, "Scrooge McDuck" / "Mr. Monopoly Moneybags" types with their monocles in First Class are enjoying their hot meals in first class while some poor family is forced to sit in the back of the plane with (horrors!) cold food! And isn't it awful that not one of these fat-cats in the front of the plane rushed over to volunteer his warm roast duck confit on a bed of farro risotto and glazed asparagus to help a poor little girl with emotional problems even after the girl's family offered to pay for a warm meal with the sweat of their brow!

Sorry, but "class war" arguments like this don't get any sympathy from me. First class is open to everyone who wants to pay for the ticket. For many people, it's not worth it. The benefits of each fare class are clearly described.

Did nobody read the entire story? The girl got her damn hot food. The mom made a threat and were kicked off. They were kicked off for making a threat. If a grown man said that he's gonna punch someone if he doesn't get a got meal, he would surely be taken off the plane.

Shockingly the mother says she plans to sue...

Here is the mother's story in her own words: https://www.facebook.com/donna.m.bee...16056981803855

Like many before me in this thread, I support UA here. As a parent, I know that I'm not putting my child's welfare (or the welfare of others) in someone else's hands. I take care of my children's needs rather than having to rely on "favors" or special dispensation. The child should have been fed on the layover, or the parents should have contacted UA ahead of flight time to address the special concerns/needs.

And warning that scratching is apt to follow a meltdown seems like enough of a "threat" that, as the pilot, I would have made an emergency landing elsewhere and asked the family to disembark, too.

Where was the father?
 

The mother of the potentially "beserk" teenager (mother claimed her daughter could meltdown,etc. if she didn't get her way) seems to be getting a lot of press in the media. But the father who was accompanying them has not been interviewed. Wonder why he isn't speaking out? Was he even sitting next to his daughter to help his wife if the daughter had a meltdown??

I have been in physical confrontations maybe 2-3 times in my life, all back during my teenage years. I don't start things; I'm probably as non-confrontational as you'll find in an American. Thing is, if someone else instigates, I will defend myself hard and with no regard for my attacker. If someone hits me, I do my best not to let myself get hit a second time.

If if was in my seat just reading a book on my phone minding my own business and hands came over the seatback and scratched my face, the seatbelt would come off and I would have done my best to deck the instigator.

I am not proud of this, but I'm hyper-defensive of my person and especially my face and this is the unthinking reaction you'd get from me. I suspect that many people would have a similar reaction to that kind of physical assault.

"If there was a physical incident, she would be subdued without violence," is not a given even that's what people like to say.

America is the land of lawsuits. (I think about 1/3 of the entire economy of Alabama consists of people suing each other.) So I would like to thank UA for not putting passengers in a situation where they would probably get personally sued by Mama Grizzly if they suffered from an unprovoked attack from their daughter and a hair on her head was harmed while the other passenger was defending themselves.

Everyone contributed to this cascade of events that resulted in a drama far exceeding where it needed to go. The family should have not boarded the plane since the autistic daughter had refused to eat on the layover, knowing they had nothing for her in flight. The mother could have bought a pizza or something at that airport. When asked politely, the FA would have reheated it had it been necessary (probably, FA dependent). The mother had the greatest knowledge of how best to travel with her daughter, and should have taken the responsibility to address anticipated issues ahead of time. Expecting the FA's to "solve" the problem she allowed to occur isn't appropriate, or responsible. There's no way to pay for a FC meal, no accounting for which to even structure said payment. This woman is teaching her daughter terrible lessons in personal responsibility.

The FA's could have been more empathetic and de-escalated the situation. The captain, likewise could have intervened, certainly he should not have diverted without having personally made an assessment of the risk, and attempting to de-escalate as well.

Everyone failed here, but the beginning of the failure was the mother, and her opinion that her lack of planning should constitute an emergency to be taken on by others.

United made an emergency diversion to SLC. They do not have direct flights from there to her final destination. The options were another airline, ground travel, or a multi flight reroute. A nonstop home on Delta was the most reasonable option.

And you would be facing civil and potentially also criminal charges if you did decide to "control" that kid. Good luck with that.

You touch that girl (or any other creature falling into category of 'child' according to legal books of US) and you have a good chance to be a sex offender rest of your life.

I know how it sounds but I see a child in distress in US - my first action would be to remove myself from the situation as soon as possible.

A well reasoned and level-headed argument.^

I was on a flight last year where an autistic child went ballistic in BF about two hours out of SFO, on the way to NRT. The rather large child somehow pried open a panel in the overhead and exposed the emergency oxygen masks in the center 4-seat section of the PMUA, 2-4-2, 777. His family was seated surrounding him, mother on one side, father on the other, and his brother next to him. When the father got up to go to the lav, the boy stood up on the arm rests/drink rails and started prying on the overhead panels with something (maybe a butter knife?) and before the mother could stop him, he had the panel open. I observed this from the next row forward in the rear-facing pair (row 8).

The FAs heard the commotion and responded immediately, whereupon they summoned a pilot, maybe the Captain, from the flight deck. He talked to the parents and admonished them to better control their son, and got the panel closed in concert with another deadheading? pilot.

He returned to the cockpit and we continued on our way to NRT. No announcements were ever made, and the FAs, while vigilant, were very kind to the family.

I believe that this was the better way to handle a situation like this. Our Captain assessed the risk and, seeing that he was dealing with an autistic child, decided that there was no safety issue with continuing on our flight.

I believe that the pilot in the case discussed here overreacted, and did not correctly assess the actual risk.

Perhaps this was exactly what the FA and Captain were thinking, and the captain decided to divert the flight out of an abundance of caution, to de-escalate the situation, and to allow the family to get home with a certain amount of dignity, all without putting other passengers in danger or forcing them or the crew to have to restrain the child.

If the child would have attacked someone, she would have been restrained. Very likely, as this was taking place, the mother would have jumped into the fray. Perhaps she'd have to be restrained as well. And it's possible at that point the flight would have diverted anyway.

I do wish people would stop blaming the FA. The sequence of events doesn't warrant it:

1. Mother asks FA for hot food.
2. FA refuses, not necessarily understanding the need at that point.
3. Mother warns that child might attack other passengers.
4. FA gets a hot meal.
5. FA informs the captain of the situation. Although we don't know what was said, it's likely the FA just explained the situation to the captain.
6. CAPTAIN decides to divert. The FA can't order a diversion.

Clearly, UA was correct in how it handled this situation. But for those of you who believe UA acted inappropriately, it's not a very intelligent argument to blame the FA for the diversion.

wonder if there is a different risk assessment when u are talking about someone essentially vandalizing a non-essential (to the plane's ability to fly) component of the plane v a potential physical assault of a passenger.

again...aware that the girl did not assault anyone or even threaten anyone...but once the mom made the statement, UAs liability in case anything did happen went thru the roof

United is unquestionably the worst network airline in the U.S. these days. Terrible management has created a ghastly corporate culture where employees act like the customers who build their revenue are "overentitled" despicable creatures who do not deserve any sympathy or even basic mercy.

I do believe that the mother blew things out of proportion but so did the United crew.

It's interesting to see that these incidents don't have at AA/US and DL nearly as often as UA. Again, the company's culture continues to foster a negative environment for everyone in it.

If I'm a DL passenger at risk of being scratched by the kid, UA not having nonstop service isn't my problem. If UA feels that the kid is safe to fly, they put them onto UA flights instead of just rebooking the UA problem over to another carrier. Better yet, let them rent a car and drive home so that they can stop at restaurants for hot meals when needed. Then if the kid howls the whole way, it doesn't disturb other people either.

Google the mother's name and you'll see lots of references to antipoverty activism.

To respond to another post, the father was right there sitting next to the girl, who was in a window seat. Mother apparently had the aisle seat in the same row. There also apparently was a son, but I don't think where he was sitting has been mentioned.

Which is why I'm glad that UA acted to protect other passengers from possibly ending up in a bad criminal/civil legal scenario.

Why does it happen less on other airlines? Because UA is a garbage airline these days, with lots of barely sentient employees. That FA had a hissy fit and should have been ejected as well.

So, so true. The TSA drones have annoyed the FBI so much at DCA that the agents on site have no problems now yelling at them when they pull stupid, idiotic asinine things and demand the FBI intervene. TSA are not sworn officers and neither are pilots, GAs or FAs, no matter what fancy schmancy uniform they wear.

I'd like to buy a hot business-class meal on my next UA TATL in economy so I don't get cranky. Anyone know how much it costs and what forms for payment are accepted?

That's exactly what the FA did.

Link for that?

Yea, it's all about class warfare, and nothing to do with threats of violence.

How about some basic kindness from the doctor and her daughter?

UA doesn't have any nonstop flights SLC-PDX, so in keeping with *A guidelines and the passengers best interest, DL is the obvious choice on that route.

As to the request to microwave, there aren't real microwaves onboard like the average person thinks about. So it's not as easy as popping something in for a minute and voila it's hot.

I can understand the mother's plight, honestly. I am not a parent, but I have dealt with autistic kids before. They are a handful, and not wholly predictable.

People on here say she should have brought the right food. Yeah, ok...try determining what is right for an autistic kid at any given moment, and I'll show you proof of ESP.

She brought food, and it was obviously food that normally works, but the kid refused it. Try forcing or reasoning with an autistic kid in regards to eating. Good luck with that, btw.

So, she noticed her little flower is starting to fade. She knows what that will lead to. She knows the child either wants/needs a hot meal, AND SHE OFFERS TO BUY ONE!

And gets told no

The food is on the plane, she is offering to pay (and probably will pay a good chunk more than it's worth), and is doing what she can to solve the situation...

And the flight attendant wants to be ......?

And finally, with a chip on their shoulder, they give her the meal...and then out of spite divert the plane and inconvenience all the pax, to make a point.

That, is some .........

This woman, the girl's mother, allegedly has a Ed.D or a Ph.D. (her own organization's website claims both or either, see http://www.combarriers.com/pdf/the_crossing.pdf ). You would think an educated woman would know that a flight attendant is not the proprietor of an independent restaurant, and has no way to provision, price, or sell food items that are already reserved for other customers.

Regardless of this, the FA did supply a hot meal, to try to accommodate this request. But the "Mother" here made a specific threat of violence. That's what brought down the plane.

There's no hot food for sale on the plane. Premium cabin meals are not for sale AFAIK. If they are, perhaps you can answer my post above: I'd like to buy a hot business-class meal on my next UA TATL in economy so I don't get cranky. Anyone know how much it costs and what forms for payment are accepted?

You can offer all you want to buy a product that's not being sold, but it's not going to do you any good. I can offer UA all I want to buy overhead bin space, they're not selling it, even though it's on board.

Ed.D.

A number of questions have been posed in this thread that haven't been answered. I think we know why. Your question is a good one.

I've also asked questions such as what happens if the child eats the last hot meal, and later in the flight decides she needs another one?

It's an emotional topic, but we need to look at it from the FA and Captain's point of view. They aren't trying to be mean to anyone or discriminate against anyone. They're applying logic to a situation that occurred 35k feet in the air, and trying to mitigate a risk that the mother identified for them.

Interesting! From her "story"


Does this account ring true to you? How often are United flights making unscheduled landings because of passenger issues? Do you think it happens often enough so a paramedic might say "this happens more often than you might imagine?" I think it should be easy to tell how often this happens by looking at public flight records.

Do you believe a paramedic would say that he has "real work [he] should be doing" while rolling his eyes?

Nothing this Mother says is credible. And then she goes off on a strange tangent, comparing her plight to that of "people facing poverty!".

Does this seem like a sane woman to you? She just enjoyed a Disney World vacation, and she's comparing herself to "people facing poverty!" It's a sad world we live in where people like this "Mother" get the attention of the media.

So the Officer asked her to leave the plane and she didn't. Instead she stood up and shouted. Shame on the officer for not restraining her in handcuffs, and/or not using a a taser to make her comply.

I also think UA made the right call. I'm a teacher and routinely deal with kids all over the autism spectrum. Kids on the spectrum exhibit different behaviors (occasionally violent), but how many people know that? Plenty of kids on the spectrum could easily handle this situation.

After viewing brief news footage showing the girl rocking wildly in her airline seat, the situation doesn't seem as innocuous as the mom frames it. I certainly wouldn't have liked being in an adjacent seat. How many people really want to make public statements to tv stations or newspapers in support of the flight attendant? They would look like total jerks because the girl deserves compassion.

The mom made a statement insinuating a violent reaction might occur. I wouldn't expect the FA would really know what the result would be. 15 year olds are usually adult sized so they aren't easily controlled like a younger kid.

Clearly the mom should have done a better job preparing for the journey. Travelling with an insulated bag and purchasing hot food in Houston might have been the key in this situation.

If you've ever dealt with airport paramedics, 9 times out of 10 (or maybe even more) they are dealing with non-issues. So yes, I can understand that comment.

These are not paramedics who are called by people who legitimately think they or someone needs medical attention. They are paramedics called out by procedure for the most minor of issues so the airline can cover their butts:

Someone with food poisoning, someone feeling a little faint or tired, someone who drank too much, a slip and fall, etc.

These are all issues that had they happened outside of an airplane, would not have summoned professional medical attention.

Someone tripping and falling on a plane is a medical emergency with the plane met by paramedics. If it happened on a subway or bus, someone would have given him a seat, he would have kept going.

I thought that was weird too at first. But if you look at her profile, you'll see that her life's work is all about poverty. She has studied poverty and is the president of an organization that "is dedicated to broadening and improving opportunities for people who live in the war zone of poverty."