A Colorado mother said her family were kicked off a United Airlines flight after her 2-year-old daughter refused to keep a mask.
Eliz Orban took cell video on Friday of a crew member speaking with her husband as he was trying to keep the mask on their daughter. The video, which Orban posted on Twitter, shows her husband telling the crew member that he was holding the mask on his daughter’s face.
“We are premier members with United, so we’ve flown many times, even during the pandemic we’ve flown with our 2-year-old,” Orban said.
She went on to say that “the staff was rude” from “the get-go.”
“We felt like we got no warning, no working with us, no asking questions, nothing to help in the situation,” Orban added. “It was just like, ‘Oh, well your 2-year-old is not complying, you guys are off the plane.’”
She went on to say that she has “never been more confused in my life,” adding that she thinks “everyone else on the plane was also just watching this and thinking, like, ‘What is happening?’”
Orban explained that when she and her husband boarded the airplane on Friday, a flight attendant immediately asked how old their daughter is and demanded she wear a mask given she was over the age of 2. Orban said they asked for a mask since her daughter didn’t have one and the flight attendant gave them one before they went to their seats.
A United Airlines spokesperson said, “The health and safety of our employees and customers is our highest priority, which is why we have a multi-layered set of policies, including mandating that everyone on board 2 and older wears a mask.”
“These procedures are not only backed by guidance from the CDC [The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and our partners at the Cleveland Clinic, but they’re also consistent across every major airline,” the statement continued.
The spokesperson also noted that the Orban family has not been banned from flying with the airline.
