Hurray For AirTran Airways

Sometimes I think the airlines do over react. In fact I KNOW they do. I have experienced it first hand. The conduct of a flight attendant was phenomenally atrocious and over the top. The incident didn’t concern me but I was sitting right next to the person it did. The flight attendant should have been fired.

But that doesn’t mean they’re always wrong and AirTran Airways got it right when a three year old girl wouldn’t settle down and take her seat as the plane was ready to depart.

Little Elly Kalesza “was climbing under the seat and hitting the parents and wouldn't get in her seat" during boarding. The parents of course are crying “Victim!” and of course the big mean airlines just wouldn’t cooperate with the family’s schedule who wanted more chances to hold the girl and calm her down even though the flight was already 15 minutes late. The parents said they just needed a little more time. Talk about self-absorbed.

Were they willing to pay the fines the airline must pay if they do not leave the gate within a determined length of time from their scheduled departure? Apparently the schedules and connections of the other 112 passengers didn’t concern the Kulesza’s.

The parent’s were irate that the flight attendants wouldn’t let them hold their little girl on their lap. If you fly at all, you know that FAA regulations prohibit such action.

The Orlando-based carrier reimbursed the family the cost of the three tickets, and offered them three roundtrip tickets anywhere the airline flies. Frankly, that was not necessary.

Now call me cynical but I’ll lay you ten to one that the three year old has never experienced loving, corporal punishment.

Certainly if you are given to violent, uncontrolled behavior, you shouldn’t spank your child at all. But most people know the difference between a beating and a swat unless your name is Sally Lieber, a Calfornia legislator trying to outlaw any corporal punishment of a child three and under.

"I think it's pretty hard to argue you need to beat a child three years old or younger." Lieber said.

And there you see how language is perverted to abuse truth. We went from a swat to a “beating” in the time it takes to say “time out chair!

Kudo’s to AirTran Airways. Next opportunity I have, I’m with you!