Denver Family Booted From Southwest Flight Over Mask Concerns
A family from Northglenn is upset after they said they were tossed off a Southwest Airlines flight after fears that their 3-year-old wouldn't wear a mask for the entire flight. The FAA requires all passengers over the age of 2 to wear a mask.
According to KDVR, the Scott family’s son, Orion, has a sensory processing disorder and his parents feared he would have trouble wearing his mask throughout the flight.
Orion’s mother, Caroline Scott, says they alerted Southwest Airlines about their son’s disability, even providing a note from his doctor and an occupational therapist.
This past Friday, the family boarded the plane for their flight to Fort Lauderdale. They say Orion had his mask on and was buckled up when suddenly a Southwest employee approached them and ordered them off the plane at the request of the captain.
The Mom went on to say the flight attendant told them they have to get off the plane because the captain did not feel comfortable with her family on it.
The family was furious and were forced to re-book their flight on United for an extra $1700.
The Fox 31 Problem Solvers (which I LOVE) reached out to Southwest who DID provide a statement about the situation, and here's what they had to say:
"Southwest Airlines regrets any inconvenience this family experienced while traveling, and our Customer Relations Team is contacting the family directly regarding their experience. Southwest Employees are working each day to ensure the requirements of the federal mask mandate with sensitivity during these challenging times. We appreciate the ongoing understanding and cooperation among our Customers and Employees as we work collectively to support the comfort and wellbeing of all who travel with us during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic."