An Allegiant Air flight turned into a viral controversy after a couple says it was unjustly removed from a flight over concerns their infant was sick. But while the outrage is understandable, this situation strikes me as more complicated than it first appears.
Couple Removed From Allegiant Flight Over Crying Baby. Overreaction Or Legitimate Concern?
An Indiana couple says they were kicked off an Allegiant Air flight from Punta Gorda, Florida (PGD) to Indianapolis (IND) on after their infant daughter began crying prior to departure.
According to the parents, the baby had been fussy for a few minutes and had a red face, which they attributed to normal crying. However, a flight attendant reportedly became concerned the child was feverish and contacted the airline’s medical advisory service.
The couple says no one physically examined the baby or even took her temperature. Instead, they were told that medical professionals had not cleared the infant to fly and that they would need to deplane or face removal by law enforcement (suggesting they initially refused to get off the aircraft).
@quarantinecutiee @Allegiant Air We were unable to fly back home to Indiana with Allegiant on Friday 3/27 at 9pm due to a baby being naturally pale and red in the face from crying on a plane. First they didn’t believe our babies birth certificate from Indiana at check in and they had several people look at it. We went through TSA just fine no issues. We boarded our flight like normal. Before boarding we took off babies shirt because she was hot on the flight from Indy to Florida we figured she’d probably be sweaty then too. She had also just ate baby food. Anybody with a child knows they are messy. They removed the gentleman in the aisle seat told him there was a seat up front away from kids. The whole two rows we were in were full of children and their parents. Someone in a vest came onto the plane and ask for our boarding pass again. I handed it over. They then asked me how old the baby was, her name, her birthdate and went back by the bathrooms and kept talking into the phone and walkie talkie. They called her an unidentified infant over the walkie. Then they told us a flight attendant reported us for a baby being feverish… said medical professionals wouldn’t clear her to tly and that we were going to have to get off. Nobody would come and see her. Nobody on the flight was required to have a temperature checked. Nobody would even come and take her temperature. They said well she looks red and it looks like a rash. Several other babies were on the flight and also crying. We were told to get off the flight or police would take us off of it even though we weren’t arguing or cussing. As we walked off we asked again why are we getting kicked off the plane and they stated we weren’t getting kicked off. I asked to speak to a supervisor. I told the lady I’m not mad at you I’m mad at the situation. Im not complaining about you specifically. A supervisor wouldn’t come and talk to us in person only on a phone. We got on the next flight they had which was 11am the next day. No accommodations, no car to get around, no place to stay other than to call family back to grab us from the airport again. We were so lucky we hadn’t been just in town by ourselves. We waited an hour for them to drive back and grab us. We have no luggage as they wouldn’t grab it off the plane. No car seat or stroller for the baby. They gave us an unclaimed car seat that has no padding and isn’t age appropriate. Car seat was way too big had to hold her head the whole ride back to Kyle’s grandparents house because it was too big. We missed work the next day, had to get our pet sitter to stay another day, didn’t get to pick up our two other kids that were at dads for spring break and missed our foster care class which was the only one that aligned with our schedule for the next two months. We got on our next flight no issues. When we checked in they did state usually you can’t tly tor 24 hours if there’s illness when I asked if there were notes in for the night previous for when I called customer care. However we were put on the next flight 12 hours later. They even tried to make it better putting us in priority boarding and extra leg room which we didn’t care about. We chose the back of the plane on purpose, less windows, it’s usually darker for the baby to nap, and usually other people with kids chose the back. There was such a difference in the second flight sitting up front. Everyone was so much nicer and friendlier. We called Allegiant and they just keep telling us we are not able to get any sort of compensation for our time or experience. They wouldn’t email or give me any policies on traveling with infants and they wouldn’t connect me to a supervisor of any kind. @Allegiant Air also if you’re just here to make comments about a baby being naked or there being more to the story get fucked
The family was escorted off the aircraft, rebooked on a flight the next day, and left without their checked luggage, stroller, or car seat. They had to call family to pick them up.
The following day, they flew home on Allegiant without issue.
Here’s their side of the story (posted on TikTok along with the video above):
We were unable to fly back home to Indiana with Allegiant on Friday 3/27 at 9pm due to a baby being naturally pale and red in the face from crying on a plane. First they didn’t believe our babies birth certificate from Indiana at check in and they had several people look at it. We went through TSA just fine no issues. We boarded our flight like normal.
Before boarding we took off babies shirt because she was hot on the flight from Indy to Florida we figured she’d probably be sweaty then too. She had also just ate baby food. Anybody with a child knows they are messy. They removed the gentleman in the aisle seat told him there was a seat up front away from kids. The whole two rows we were in were full of children and their parents. Someone in a vest came onto the plane and ask for our boarding pass again. I handed it over. T
hey then asked me how old the baby was, her name, her birthdate and went back by the bathrooms and kept talking into the phone and walkie talkie. They called her an unidentified infant over the walkie. Then they told us a flight attendant reported us for a baby being feverish… said medical professionals wouldn’t clear her to tly and that we were going to have to get off. Nobody would come and see her.
Nobody on the flight was required to have a temperature checked. Nobody would even come and take her temperature. They said well she looks red and it looks like a rash. Several other babies were on the flight and also crying. We were told to get off the flight or police would take us off of it even though we weren’t arguing or cussing.
As we walked off we asked again why are we getting kicked off the plane and they stated we weren’t getting kicked off. I asked to speak to a supervisor. I told the lady I’m not mad at you I’m mad at the situation. Im not complaining about you specifically. A supervisor wouldn’t come and talk to us in person only on a phone. We got on the next flight they had which was 11am the next day.
No accommodations, no car to get around, no place to stay other than to call family back to grab us from the airport again. We were so lucky we hadn’t been just in town by ourselves. We waited an hour for them to drive back and grab us. We have no luggage as they wouldn’t grab it off the plane. No car seat or stroller for the baby. They gave us an unclaimed car seat that has no padding and isn’t age appropriate. Car seat was way too big had to hold her head the whole ride back to Kyle’s grandparents house because it was too big.
We missed work the next day, had to get our pet sitter to stay another day, didn’t get to pick up our two other kids that were at dads for spring break and missed our foster care class which was the only one that aligned with our schedule for the next two months. We got on our next flight no issues.
When we checked in they did state usually you can’t [f]ly tor 24 hours if there’s illness when I asked if there were notes in for the night previous for when I called customer care. However we were put on the next flight 12 hours later. They even tried to make it better putting us in priority boarding and extra leg room which we didn’t care about.
We chose the back of the plane on purpose, less windows, it’s usually darker for the baby to nap, and usually other people with kids chose the back. There was such a difference in the second flight sitting up front. Everyone was so much nicer and friendlier. We called Allegiant and they just keep telling us we are not able to get any sort of compensation for our time or experience. They wouldn’t email or give me any policies on traveling with infants and they wouldn’t connect me to a supervisor of any kind.
Allegiant, for its part, insists the decision was made out of concern for the child.
“Our crews are responsible for making real-time decisions that prioritize the safety and well-being of all passengers on board. If a crew member has concerns about a passenger’s ability to travel, especially when an infant or potential medical issue is involved, they may pause boarding to consult our medical information service provider, MedLink.
Allegiant does not make medical diagnoses, and flight attendants are not medical professionals. MedLink connects flight crews directly to aviation-trained emergency medicine physicians with extensive experience managing in-flight medical events. In this instance, our crew consulted MedLink after observing symptoms that raised concern, which is standard procedure and consistent with industry practice across many airlines when a passenger health issue arises. Based on the information available, MedLink advised that it was not in the child’s best interest to continue travel.”
What Actually Happened Here?
I wasn’t there, and viral videos rarely tell the full story. It is entirely possible this was an overreaction. The parents insist their child was fine, and the fact that they were allowed to fly the next day without issue raises legitimate questions.
At the same time, it’s also worth acknowledging what may have triggered concern in the first place. A baby crying is normal…every frequent flyer knows that. Airlines deal with it every day and, for the most part, tolerate it without issue.
But this wasn’t just a baby crying. By the parents’ own account, the child was crying loudly, had a red face, and had her clothing removed because she was hot.
Now put yourself in the position of a flight attendant. You see an infant with high-pitched, persistent crying, visible redness, and minimal clothing. You are not a doctor and cannot diagnose what is going on, but you are responsible for the safety of everyone onboard, including that child.
Is it really unreasonable to pause and ask questions?
MedLink is a standard tool across the airline industry, connecting crews to physicians on the ground. But in this case, those physicians were not examining the child directly. They were relying on second-hand descriptions from crew members.
That’s not ideal and it helps explain why the parents felt frustrated, especially the mom who is an ICU nurse. No temperature was taken. No in-person assessment occurred. A decision was made remotely that had immediate consequences.
Even so, that is how the system is designed to work.
Overreaction Or Reasonable Caution?
I’m not going to defend Allegiant here. The lack of flexibility, the removal of the family, and the apparent lack of support afterward all deserve at the very least, scrutiny.
But I also think it is too easy to dismiss this as airline incompetence. The combination of intense crying, redness, and the removal of clothing may have created the perception of a medical issue even if none existed.
And we know that when it comes to these sorts of things, airlines tend to err on the side of caution. That caution can feel excessive, but maybe it was better than taking off and risking us a diversion if the child was actually not fit to fly?
CONCLUSION
This may very well have been an overreaction, but Allegiant’s reaction does not strike me as irrational.
Airlines are not equipped to diagnose infants onboard, and when something appears even slightly off, they will often default to the safest possible option even if that means removing passengers who ultimately turn out to be fine.
In this case, Allegiant certainly made a frustrating call for the family, but it is hard to say it made an indefensible one…
images: @quarantinecutiee / TikTok
Wow, that feels like a first: An airline actually ditching a family with a crying child. Every flight I’ve ever been on, the babies can do no wrong, and the parents get a pass, regardless. But, heavens, if a dog barks, it’s immediate euthanasia, no appeal, no questions asked.
Because it’s a dog. The human baby is a passenger and can’t be removed without just cause. The dog (other than a service dog) is not a passenger
I’m a utilitarian. The service dog provides more benefit to the whole than a crying baby. Ditch the infant, keep the dog.
ORD… the utilitarian… bah!
I’m with Allegiant here and agree this is how the system works. Now I will say the lack of service afterwards wasn’t appropriate but it’s also what you expect when you book Allegiant.
They are well known for instant refunds when cancelling a flight and leaving you on your own. Its buyer beware when booking them or other low cost carriers.
First spring is measles season. Fever watery eyes and blotchy skin being early signs. Florida has a low vaccination rate. Measles are also highly contagious. Given what FA was told ( baby too warm for clothing ), It was a good idea not to board the infant rather than expose the rest of the passengers
I found the best thing to do with a crying baby is to get up and walk around. The motion appears to soothe them. I think it’s a combination of factors in that their tummy also feels strange when sedentary. Why my daughter was that age, I was armed (perhaps not the best word to use in this circumstance!) with gripe-water. I also prepped my daughter for her first flight.
I wanted to tell you that I’m so sorry for your recent loss – I’m praying for you “PolishKnight” and Mrs. PolishKnight (since I don’t know what your real name is!)
Thank you! My wife wrapped up affairs at the family apartment in Odessa which is in a relatively safe location. She is flying back soon via a MileagePlus points fight which I’m glad we have under these current economic circumstances. I thought you could contact us via our email on the forum? I’ve also sent you emails in the past with tips on all the clickbait posts made with you and your father’s image.
I’ll send you an email.
There should be an airline that only flies grumpy old adults with no kids, because that is apparently most people that fly.