JetBlue Kicks Frum Family Off Plane For 2 Year Old Not Wearing A Mask

[iluv2travel]

Why? If they hold not wearing a mask is dangerous than even a 2 day old should have to wear one.
If you can’t comply then don’t fly

they should raise it bc you think thats a good age? and if the rule was age 4 and you didnt agree with that you'd say age 6 is reasonable right?
this argument is so classic and comes in endless forms: they make rules, people break them, then complain that the rulesmakers are wrong

No, not because its a "good age", but because its rational. Ask anyone who was ever a parent if you can reason with a 2 year old.

When they're 4 or 5 you can reason with them. Not that I think a 4 or 5 year old does need a mask (see @Lurker 's comment a few posts above), but at least you can get them to wear it.  This has been repeatedly explained to people who I'm assuming were never parents but somehow they think if a rule was decided on by someone in power then its set in stone even if its completely irrational.

I strongly disagree with the policy. If it's dangerous for a two yr old then it's dangerous for an infant as well. Two make the mandate apply specifically at an age known as "terrible" (twos), seems pathetically ridiculous.
That said, basics in conflict resolution is to de-escalate. Explaining to the person in control why they're wrong and your right is the exact opposite.
My two yr old would never keep a mask on for 30 seconds let alone a whole flight, but I wouldn't argue with the FA. I would apologize and stick it on his face knowing full well that he's going to rip it off in a minute. I would do that every time it was requested.
I would also try and shield him from view of the aisle by sitting him in the window seat and trying to entertain him facing the window.

Well said!

[bettyblue]

According to the dailymaily article, they updated their website today

From what I can glean, this new policy requiring masks for all passenger aged 2 and above went into effect on August 10, and JetBlue put out a blog post on the media section of their website laying out the new policy. JetBlue didn’t update their website under “Travel Alerts” until today at 2:00 pm, and I’m not sure when they updated other sections of their website which discuss mask policies. Due to all the unclarity surrounding the policy, I understand the mother’s confusion and frustration, and the flight attendant should have acknowledged that the policy wasn’t clear and that the website was not up to date. I’m sure JetBlue will claim that before taking a flight one is required to read and acknowledge that they understand the updated health and safety policies, but let’s be real, most people don’t read those. So while the mother may have technically been in the wrong, it was handled the wrong way by the flight attendant. As with most viral moments these days, a little grace could have gone a long way.

[justaregularguy]

No, not because its a "good age", but because its rational. Ask anyone who was ever a parent if you can reason with a 2 year old.

When they're 4 or 5 you can reason with them. Not that I think a 4 or 5 year old does need a mask (see @Lurker 's comment a few posts above), but at least you can get them to wear it.  This has been repeatedly explained to people who I'm assuming were never parents but somehow they think if a rule was decided on by someone in power then its set in stone even if its completely irrational.

all I’m saying is if the rules are clear one way there’s no use arguing or even using ‘rational’ that kids won’t listen-the rules are the rules. That being said I hadn’t read what the official policy was and now that I did I see the rules were actually NOT clear which is disadvantageous to both sides as they can each say it means like they believe.
To top it all off when the passenger offered to finally put on a mask on the kid the  flight attendant Said it’s too late- what the heck does that mean!? What is she a school teacher and he lost patience? If she puts a mask on the kid then she listened what’s the problem? That’s my question. (You can argue that they’ll feel she’s not going to be a behaving passenger and a distruption but I don’t buy that-she listens to the rule she’s good)

[Yehuda57]

Correct.

When I saw the story, I Googled to find Jetblue policy and it definitely said kids are exempt. Looks like they edited it after the story broke. If you read the news stories from the beginning of August when they announced a change to the mask policy, they all say that kids are exempt.

[Toasted]

I strongly disagree with the policy. If it's dangerous for a two yr old then it's dangerous for an infant as well. Two make the mandate apply specifically at an age known as "terrible" (twos), seems pathetically ridiculous.
That said, basics in conflict resolution is to de-escalate. Explaining to the person in control why they're wrong and your right is the exact opposite.
My two yr old would never keep a mask on for 30 seconds let alone a whole flight, but I wouldn't argue with the FA. I would apologize and stick it on his face knowing full well that he's going to rip it off in a minute. I would do that every time it was requested.
I would also try and shield him from view of the aisle by sitting him in the window seat and trying to entertain him facing the window.

+2020
It's August already and most people figured out how to live under the mask regime by now. The rule is very simple: JUST PLAY ALONG.  I was in a store with a 3 year old and was being chased around by this employee that his mask isn't over his nose etc. You just apologize every time and try to fix it. The people who try to win will keep getting kicked off flights and out of everywhere.

As the saying goes. Pick your battles, big enough that they matter and small enough that you can win. This is neither.

[elimmm]

As the saying goes. Pick your battles, big enough that they matter and small enough that you can win. This is neither.

agreed, however if in truth they find out that the male FA recognized her from outbound flight and told the other FA to go after her, i think she will end up with some $$ (they'll subpoena JB's records and see if he worked the outbound. if yes, her story will be more likely believed)

[Dan]

Anyone want to proofread my story on this?
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/airlines/jetblue/jetblue-kicks-mother-6-kids-off-flight-due-non-compliant-2-year-old-fixes-website-policy-time-airlines-raisetheminimumage/

[Dan]

When I saw the story, I Googled to find Jetblue policy and it definitely said kids are exempt. Looks like they edited it after the story broke. If you read the news stories from the beginning of August when they announced a change to the mask policy, they all say that kids are exempt.

Thanks, dug into it and you are correct.

[yitzgar]

Is "blunder" the right term? It seems more intentional....

[Dan]

Is "blunder" the right term? It seems more intentional....

It's a blunder that it wasn't updated last week.

[Euclid]

Is George a male or female?

whispering to her colleagues

[Dan]

Is George a male or female?

Are we even allowed to assume anymore?
Fixed, thanks.

[yaakov35]

Anyone want to proofread my story on this?
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/airlines/jetblue/jetblue-kicks-mother-6-kids-off-flight-due-non-compliant-2-year-old-fixes-website-policy-time-airlines-raisetheminimumage/

An Orlando based ground agent then came on the plane to ask her if they she was going to come off the plane or have the whole plane deboard.
Not sure what it should say but I think the they shouldn't be there.

[Toasted]

Great post. Maybe add mask somewhere in the already run-on title?

[biobook]

When I saw the story, I Googled to find Jetblue policy and it definitely said kids are exempt. Looks like they edited it after the story broke. If you read the news stories from the beginning of August when they announced a change to the mask policy, they all say that kids are exempt.[/]

Not exactly.  What I see is: Small children who are not able to maintain a face covering are exempt from this requirement.  That's not the same as saying kids are exempt.  One could read that as referring to the CDC and AAP announcements that children under the age of 2 are not able to maintain a face covering.

[Dan]

Great post. Maybe add mask somewhere in the already run-on title?

Thanks, updated. Unless anyone else has a suggestion for it.

[biobook]

Current science shows there is a much lower rate of transmission from and to children under the age of 9 or 10. Coupled with the recent JAMA study showing the low risk of contracting the virus while on the actual airplane due to the advanced air filtration system, the regs should not require masks on toddlers. There just isn't enough science to back up that requirement.

That might be true (lower transmission), but the 2-yr-old cutoff seems to be based on the small airways at younger ages:

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/coronavirus-young-kids.html

Babies and toddlers under 2 years old shouldn't wear a mask because:

    They have smaller airways, so breathing through a mask is harder for them.
    If it's hard for them to breathe and they can't tell anyone or take the mask off by themselves, they could suffocate.
    Some homemade masks might have pieces that a baby could choke on, such as strings or elastic bands.
    They will likely try to remove the mask, causing them to touch their face a lot. This can increase their risk of catching and spreading the virus.

The American Academy of Pediatrics gives advice for parents:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Cloth-Face-Coverings-for-Children-During-COVID-19.aspx

What if my child is scared of wearing a face covering?

It is understandable that children may be afraid of cloth face coverings at first. Here are a few ideas to help make them seem less scary:

    Look in the mirror with the face coverings on and talk about it.

    Put a cloth face covering on a favorite stuffed animal.

    Decorate them so they're more personalized and fun.

    Show your child pictures of other children wearing them.

    Draw one on their favorite book character.

    Practice wearing the face covering at home to help your child get used to it.

[EliJelly]

Thanks, updated. Unless anyone else has a suggestion for it.

Refusing mask? Not really the right word for a 2 year old. Perhaps "fails to wear/ keep on"

[EliJelly]

Crazy story. What a ruthless behavior towards a family with kids.
Btw, I would advise her, since this story is getting a lot of exposure, to strictly adhere to the NY's mandated quarantine so she's not getting into additional trouble.

[iluv2travel]

Great post. Maybe add mask somewhere in the already run-on title?

Agree that it's a great post, very clear-cut.

When is it going live?