Are rowdy kids enough to get you kicked off the plane? One family says yes.
According to a report on Yahoo Lifestyle, a Los Angeles couple was booted off of a connecting flight because their children created "a disturbance" during the previous leg of the trip.
At Chicago's Midway Airport, the family was told the next leg of their journey was canceled and, according to the parents, were met by a dozen police officers and a K-9 unit once they disembarked the aircraft.
Craig Schilling and Erin Gatling took to Facebook Live to share their frustration and they blame the video for the husband's subsequent arrest on assault charges.
In the video, the couple explains they don't understand what is going on and that their children weren't particularly rowdy during the flight, with their 1-year-old daughter just taking a few steps down the aisle to meet her mom for a trip to the bathroom.
In the Facebook post, Schilling explains his frustration, detailing how he perceived the incident as well as what resulted.
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"I didn't touch anyone so not really sure who they think I assaulted. One airline employee said one of us made 'physical contact with a supervisor.' A police officer told my wife I was being arrested for bumping someone with the stroller. I never bumped anyone with our stroller. I didn't get out of my seat the whole flight or order any refreshments. The kids were better behaved than usual and nobody from the airline talked to me about anything during the flight," read Schilling's post.
Friends and family go on to vouch for the family in the comments section, and the couple further note that they are frequent fliers on Southwest Airlines and their kids have been on more than 100 flights combined without incident.
For its part, Southwest released a statement about the incident that provided insight into how the airline perceived the situation.
"In addition to providing legendary customer service to each customer onboard, our flight attendants are responsible for enforcing regulations as well as our policies to ensure the safety of those traveling with us. Our reports indicate customers traveling onboard flight 102 were not following in-flight instructions.
"A Southwest supervisor met the customers upon arrival at their connecting city, Chicago, to discuss the events that occurred onboard. The customers were unwilling to be approached by our employees in the airport and when the situation escalated, local authorities became involved."
The statement continues: "We made the decision to issue a refund to the customers based on the reaction to our attempts to discuss safe travel to their final destination. The safety and well-being of our customers and employees is of the utmost importance to all of us at Southwest Airlines, and we are disheartened by the way this situation unfolded."
Ultimately, it seems that the events that took place on flight 102 will remain another "he said, she said" tale of modern air travel.
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