Chrisean Rose Atlanta father and 2 year old daughter removed from Frontier Airlines flight after dad insisted on letting ’emotional’ daughter sit on his lap.
An Atlanta man was removed from a recent Frontier Airlines flight after insisting on letting his 2 year old ‘emotional’ daughter sit on his lap.
Chrisean Rose had taken his 2 year old, Rayana, for a quick trip to Orlando, with father and daughter heading back home, when a flight attendant prior to take off noticed the girl sitting on her father’s lap.
The flight attendant according to the father, threatened to have him arrested, if he didn’t have the girl returned to her seat, next to her father.
At 25 months old, Rayana is one month too old to be held during departure as per FAA rules. FAA policies mandate children older than 2 years old be required to sit in their own seat for the child’s own safety, particularly in the event of severe turbulence.
Rose who had booked with another airline during his travels to Orlando, said he was shocked when Frontier Airlines took exception to him seeking to calm his emotional daughter.
I’m just trying to comfort her,’
‘Spirit allowed for me to fly with her in my lap,’ the dad told WSB-TV.
Frontier staff insisted Rayana had to return to her seat.
‘She’s a small kid; she’s nervous. I explained to the flight attendant that this is only our first time traveling and she’s a little bit nervous,’ Rose said in video he recorded of the incident.
When Chrisean couldn’t get the toddler back in her seat, matters escalated.
‘It’s wrong for you to do that, I’m just trying to comfort her,’ the dad recalled telling the attendant.
The flight was taxiing, only to return to the gate, where the father and daughter were made to get off the flight.
Frontier Airlines released a statement saying in part:
‘It is an FAA requirement that all passengers over the age of 24 months must be buckled into their own seat for takeoff and landing. The parent refused to comply and therefore was asked to exit the aircraft with the child.’
‘Babies don’t understand policies,’ the Atlanta dad said.
Chrisean upon being forced off Frontier, bought another flight with Delta, where he says Rayana sat with him the entire time.
While acknowledged that there is a policy, the father had hoping Frontier would be flexible like the other airline carriers.
‘I did not think it needed to be that far. I mean, arrest for what? For a kid crying?’ the dad said.
