A string of airline brutality cases, plus angry lawmakers could come to a head as CA family kicked off Delta flight.
Delta Air Lines seems to be following in the disastrous footsteps of fellow carrier, United Airlines.
As such their own customer service gaffe includes a hostile confrontation with a Californian family.
The airline kicked off the Schears after they refused to give up their son’s reserved seat. Brian and Brittany Schear had placed their toddler in a car seat on that of the airline’s.
Due to overbooking, Delta staff told the parents that they had to hold their son on one of their laps.
However, Brian Schear refused to give up the seat he paid for.
Consequently, staff and security threated both parents with jail time, and their children being put into foster care.
They claimed that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prohibits toddlers from sitting in car or regular airline seats.
CA family kicked off Delta flight: Staff forgot Delta regulations
Yet, it seems as if they misquoted their own rules.
The Delta airline website specifies:
“You may use an FAA-approved child restraint system (CRS) or child safety seat in certain seats on board the aircraft if you have purchased a seat for your child.”
In regards to what constitutes a CRS, the FAA also approves car seats.
Child safety technology expert Britax, explains the following on its site:
“While the FAA does permit children under the age of 2 to sit on your lap during a flight, they strongly recommend that children be secured in a car seat that is installed on an aircraft seat to protect from injury during take-off, periods of in-flight turbulence, and landing.”
Alarmingly, the recent Delta debacle is a recent case of many.
Apart form the United blunder, a customer is also suing American Airlines.
In light of the increasingly frequent cases of airline brutality against customers, lawmakers in the industry highly criticise carriers.
Is a monopoly causing airline brutality?
They point to a monopoly on flight routes as the root cause of these grievances.
American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, and United control 80% of air traffic throughout the United States.
Thus, experts criticise the airline industry for limiting consumer choice in booking flights throughout the nation.
In fact, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee met with airline representatives over these unnerving customer service incidents.
They blame lack of competition for the events, citing that the industry needs tougher regulations.
As of yet, the Committee’s meeting has not resulted in any move for legislative action.
However, pundits believe that airlines sorely need to self-regulate. Should they continue not to do so, then it’s only a matter of time before Congress intervenes.
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