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JetBlue Complaint - Where do I begin?? - Las Vegas to New York JFK
Las Vegas to New York JFK - Complaint
I fly often between Las Vegas and New York and normally fly on Virgin America (GREAT airline!). However I had a credit from a cancelled flight last year, so I booked on Jet Blue. I paid their extra $40 to be able to fold my body into the somewhat less cramped space of the first 5 rows. I had an aisle seat in the 4th row. As the passengers arrived, I looked in horror as a family or group who had 6 children with them under the age of 4, including the screeching baby in a child seat approached. My entreaties to various Deities went unanswered as they plopped next to me, behind me, and in front of me. The apparent father knew better and sought refuge across the aisle on the window. I realize everyone has the right to fly with their litters. The same folks also have the right to turn a movie theater into a noisy day care center. Don't get me started on the appropriateness of breast feeding in an elegant restaurant. But as we took off into the wild blue yonder, the wailing and screeching began in earnest. And it didn't stop except for a brief interlude about 3 hours into the flight, only to resume for the remainder. The mother, on the window seat, at one point decided to change the baby's diapers, and folded down the tray table, plopped the baby onto it, and did her motherly thing. That's the tray table that food is consumed upon. As I wretched in horror, the flight attendant came down the aisle holding her blue bag for refuse open. Unbelievably, the mother hurled her soggy stinking diaper with her best Kobe Bryant rim shot across my lap and into the bag. The flight attendant only smiled at the mother's expertise, and continued on her quest for less odiferous refuse. I couldn't wait for the plane to land. The various children (they couldn't possibly all be hers; probably a family reunion or wedding or some sort of west coast fertility rite) climbed over the seats, kicked the back of seats in front of them (during the brief moments they were actually seated), and at one moment there were a total of 6 adults and children in our row of 3 seats. Thank the good Lord for Bose noise canceling ear phones! To be clear, I adore well behaved children. Occasional relapses of behavior are normal and expected, but there is a line that is crossed when children are allowed by their parents to terrorize a flight, a restaurant, or movie theater. I wrote to Jet Blue about this flight from Hell, and in response received a credit towards a future flight. (Which you can probably guess by now, I will not be taking.) Jet Blue was a great idea in its conception. But no longer. The surliness, the unwillingness to assist, the cattle car ambiance of their flights, and their passengers-be-damned attitude have compelled me to never fly with them again. I realize most of this is not Jet Blue's fault. I fault the oblivious parents who haven't yet figured out what grandparents are for when the desire to travel overwhelms them. Anyone want my $50 off credit? I will not be using it.
Comments:
Posted by goduke on 2010-04-21:
I'm really not seeing how any of this was Jet Blue's fault. I don't know that they could have done anything (maybe pass out earplugs).
Reminds me of a flight I took where a baby wailed virtually the entire 3 hours. Really nice young Mom was just about it tears becauase nothing she tried would calm the kid. People around her even tried. As we were getting near landing, she stated to those of us around here that she really apologized for the child, and that her husband was waiting and she was going to hand the child to him and make him deal with it. Someone remarked "well, he'd better be there with roses and chocolates," to which she responded "that's how we got in this situation in the first place."
Reminds me of a flight I took where a baby wailed virtually the entire 3 hours. Really nice young Mom was just about it tears becauase nothing she tried would calm the kid. People around her even tried. As we were getting near landing, she stated to those of us around here that she really apologized for the child, and that her husband was waiting and she was going to hand the child to him and make him deal with it. Someone remarked "well, he'd better be there with roses and chocolates," to which she responded "that's how we got in this situation in the first place."
Posted by Ben There on 2010-04-21:
Does Virgin America have a ban on small children?
Posted by whatsthe_prob on 2010-04-21:
I agree that JetBlue didn't do anything wrong. It sounds like you should be traveling on a major airline in first class so no one can bother you.
Posted by Anonymous on 2010-04-22:
The OP sounds like a good chap/chapette but no way, no how Jet Blue is to blame for the parenting skills of the children's elders. If there was a safety issue or the seat belt sign was on, I would change my tune but if it's off and the munchkins aren't trying to open emergency doors, there is really not much Jet Blue can do. This seems to be an issue with the parents.
Posted by skelly39 on 2010-04-22:
Funny, the only times my children were well-behaved when they were smaller was on an airplane.
I agree-this isn't the airline's fault. Use your credit. It was nice of them to give it to you for something they couldn't really control.
I agree-this isn't the airline's fault. Use your credit. It was nice of them to give it to you for something they couldn't really control.
Posted by Anonymous on 2010-04-22:
Posted by idontthinkso on 2010-04-22:
Flight attendants are not referees, marriage counselors, nor babysitters. As a paying passenger, you are entitled to a reasonable amount of (un)common courtesy. No-where in your review does it mention you asking anyone (child, adult, flight attendant) for anything.
Children talking and making noise? They are CHILDREN. Even properly raised and disciplined children get bored. Perhaps saying something to the parents would have gotten you a rude response. Perhaps asking the flight attendant to garner you even a modicum of relief would have been ignored. You apparently will never know, because you didn't ask.
This falls into the realm of YOUR FAULT. Yes, the flight attendants probably should have intervened. Why they did not, is something you, again, will never know.
Everyone complains about the weather, but no-one does anything about it. There doesn't need to be an argument or even a confrontation. "Ma'am.. they are getting a little loud.." is an acceptable communication. "Stewardess.. I've asked them to control their children and I've been ignored.. Could you please talk to them?"
No-one said the children must be duct-taped silent. No-one got into fisticuffs. IF any of that happened, THEN you deserve a rebate/free ticket/apology...
You need to be a more communicative person, seemingly.
Children talking and making noise? They are CHILDREN. Even properly raised and disciplined children get bored. Perhaps saying something to the parents would have gotten you a rude response. Perhaps asking the flight attendant to garner you even a modicum of relief would have been ignored. You apparently will never know, because you didn't ask.
This falls into the realm of YOUR FAULT. Yes, the flight attendants probably should have intervened. Why they did not, is something you, again, will never know.
Everyone complains about the weather, but no-one does anything about it. There doesn't need to be an argument or even a confrontation. "Ma'am.. they are getting a little loud.." is an acceptable communication. "Stewardess.. I've asked them to control their children and I've been ignored.. Could you please talk to them?"
No-one said the children must be duct-taped silent. No-one got into fisticuffs. IF any of that happened, THEN you deserve a rebate/free ticket/apology...
You need to be a more communicative person, seemingly.
Posted by PepperElf on 2010-04-22:
children under the age of 4 often do not know better - especially the ones that are still infants.
although you are angry, there is nothing the airline can reasonably do.
or even legally do
If someone here knows of a good - and legal - solution to prevent a child under 4 from crying (especially a child undergoing stress, air pressure changes, etc) then I would like to know what it is.
and no, legally you can't just kick the family off the flight for having a crying children either.
although you are angry, there is nothing the airline can reasonably do.
or even legally do
If someone here knows of a good - and legal - solution to prevent a child under 4 from crying (especially a child undergoing stress, air pressure changes, etc) then I would like to know what it is.
and no, legally you can't just kick the family off the flight for having a crying children either.
Posted by Anonymous on 2010-04-22:
PepperElf, Not true. The airlines most certainly can kick a family off the plane for a crying baby however as Southwest found out a few months ago it's a PR disaster. But all the same it is legal.
Posted by PepperElf on 2010-04-22:
good point - a disaster
plus you can't kick them out once the flight has started.... you might be able to make them deplane at the next stop, but that's about it.
but really the only way i can imagine forcing a child under 4 to be quiet involves alcohol and or duct tape
which qualifies as being both illegal and a PR nightmare
as for what i'd do personally... my noise-reduction headphones (i've done that before when a guy in the computer lab was yelling & raging) and... well after sleeping with jets practically landing in my face, i have an ability to block unwanted noise
plus you can't kick them out once the flight has started.... you might be able to make them deplane at the next stop, but that's about it.
but really the only way i can imagine forcing a child under 4 to be quiet involves alcohol and or duct tape
which qualifies as being both illegal and a PR nightmare
as for what i'd do personally... my noise-reduction headphones (i've done that before when a guy in the computer lab was yelling & raging) and... well after sleeping with jets practically landing in my face, i have an ability to block unwanted noise
Posted by jktshff1 on 2010-04-22:
While being mostly deaf, I still carry earplugs on a flight for this very reason.
Posted by Anonymous on 2010-04-22:
Yes duct taping or giving alcohol to a child under 4 is illegal although I don't know what that has to do with an airline being able to legally remove a screaming baby from a plane.
Maybe I'm lucky but most of the time when I'm flying with babies around they're fairly tame. I've never been around one who cried non-stop.
Maybe I'm lucky but most of the time when I'm flying with babies around they're fairly tame. I've never been around one who cried non-stop.
Posted by PepperElf on 2010-04-22:
well since it's a PR nightmare to kick them off the airline you know it wont happen.
there's no other reasonable thing to do.
and there's no real legal way to stop a child from crying in a situation like that.
the only real option is one of our other suggestions
headphones mainly, tuning them out etc.
there's no other reasonable thing to do.
and there's no real legal way to stop a child from crying in a situation like that.
the only real option is one of our other suggestions
headphones mainly, tuning them out etc.
Posted by Anonymous on 2010-04-22:
But it has happened. It happened just a few months ago on a Southwest flight. It will happen again some day because the airlines are within their legal rights to remove a parent and baby for no other reason than the baby is crying.
Posted by PepperElf on 2010-04-22:
is that what you want to have happen?
and again it's not something you can do once a flight is in the air, all you can do after the flight takes off is to kick them off at the next stop.
but is that something you would ask the airlines to do over crying kids?
and again it's not something you can do once a flight is in the air, all you can do after the flight takes off is to kick them off at the next stop.
but is that something you would ask the airlines to do over crying kids?
Posted by Anonymous on 2010-04-22:
No, and I never said any of that. Let's recap. You stated and I quote, "and no, legally you can't just kick the family off the flight for having a crying children either."
I was merely pointing out that indeed an airline can legally 'kick' a crying baby from a flight. I don't know how duct taping a baby, intoxicating a baby or punting a baby out of a plane at 30,000 feet made it's way into the discussion.
I was merely pointing out that indeed an airline can legally 'kick' a crying baby from a flight. I don't know how duct taping a baby, intoxicating a baby or punting a baby out of a plane at 30,000 feet made it's way into the discussion.
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