Emily
Editor, Senior Moderator
https://www.wthr.com/article/news/na...c-c77390dc6edf
4-year-old boy with autism kicked off plane for not wearing mask
On a return flight home to Little Rock, the Kimball family was removed from a plane after their 4-year old son wasn't wearing a mask, who is non-verbal with autism.
...
"He had a medical note from his physician stating that he's exempt from wearing masks because whenever he wears a mask he holds his breath or he starts freaking out and he will harm himself," said Kimball.
She says they've always flown with Spirit and never had any issues until now.
She says they were on board the plane and her husband showed them the note, but Spirit employees still kicked them off.
"He has a disability. It's protected under the American Disability Act and they go 'No no no no. Autism's not a disability. He has to wear a mask or he has to get off the plane.'"
Carter loves planes, and to be removed from one upset the 4-year old.
"Kids on the spectrum, they're usually very obsessed with something. He is obsessed with airplanes. So he was sitting in his seat being quietly and looking out the window, and this lady was like 'Get off!'"
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/3-...go-family-says
3-year-old with autism banned from airline over not wearing mask, Chicago family says
By Tia Ewing
Published September 28, 2020
Chicago
FOX 32 Chicago
...
Cebastian Lewis, 3, is nonverbal and at his age cannot read yet.
?It was a layover and everything, so it was two flights that we took to go there and he didn?t wear a mask,? Zana said.
Zana, her son and two other family members took the 1,700 mile trek to visit family when it was time to return on Spirit.
?On the way back, she stopped us. She said if he doesn?t wear a mask he can?t get on the plane. I?m like well he?s autistic and we didn?t have this problem coming up here,? Zana said.
The family got the 3-year-old to wear the mask right before takeoff, but it did not last long.
?Soon as he sat in the seat he took it right back off,? Zana said. ?Everybody had to deplane and then the police were called and they put in a police report on him.?
...
Days later, letters arrived in the mail, one to Zana?s sister and another addressed to 3-year-old Cebastian, banning the toddler from flying Spirit for non-compliance of the airlines face-covering policy. In 2 years, he can write a letter explaining why the carrier should reconsider...
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...nes-World.html
?Wouldn't Help Autistic Boy?
Review of Spirit Airlines
nbalsanders
Springfield, Virginia 21
Reviewed November 21, 2020
Wouldn't Help Autistic Boy
Family vacation where we paid extra for expedited service through security to help my autistic son through possible painful lines for him, Spirit airlines boarding passes didn't show the upgraded purchase. We checked in early and notice the service wasn't on the boarding pass, we tried for the entire day before the trip to reason with the airline's customer service trying to explain how their boarding passes didn't show what we had purchased, they blamed the failure on their computer system and told us we wouldn't be able to use the service even though we had paid for it.
12 hours, countless prefabbed made text messages, along with phone Representatives who treated me like I was and inconvenience for trying to receive what I had already paid for.
CAUTION: think twice before traveling on Spirit airlines with a handicap child. The airline is not set up to handle this type of situation nor are they do they seem willing to help. They are truly a money first operation.
In this case, the service was even below the price they had offered for the trip.
Date of travel: November 2020
Thank nbalsanders
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
4-year-old boy with autism kicked off plane for not wearing mask
On a return flight home to Little Rock, the Kimball family was removed from a plane after their 4-year old son wasn't wearing a mask, who is non-verbal with autism.
...
"He had a medical note from his physician stating that he's exempt from wearing masks because whenever he wears a mask he holds his breath or he starts freaking out and he will harm himself," said Kimball.
She says they've always flown with Spirit and never had any issues until now.
She says they were on board the plane and her husband showed them the note, but Spirit employees still kicked them off.
"He has a disability. It's protected under the American Disability Act and they go 'No no no no. Autism's not a disability. He has to wear a mask or he has to get off the plane.'"
Carter loves planes, and to be removed from one upset the 4-year old.
"Kids on the spectrum, they're usually very obsessed with something. He is obsessed with airplanes. So he was sitting in his seat being quietly and looking out the window, and this lady was like 'Get off!'"
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/3-...go-family-says
3-year-old with autism banned from airline over not wearing mask, Chicago family says
By Tia Ewing
Published September 28, 2020
Chicago
FOX 32 Chicago
...
Cebastian Lewis, 3, is nonverbal and at his age cannot read yet.
?It was a layover and everything, so it was two flights that we took to go there and he didn?t wear a mask,? Zana said.
Zana, her son and two other family members took the 1,700 mile trek to visit family when it was time to return on Spirit.
?On the way back, she stopped us. She said if he doesn?t wear a mask he can?t get on the plane. I?m like well he?s autistic and we didn?t have this problem coming up here,? Zana said.
The family got the 3-year-old to wear the mask right before takeoff, but it did not last long.
?Soon as he sat in the seat he took it right back off,? Zana said. ?Everybody had to deplane and then the police were called and they put in a police report on him.?
...
Days later, letters arrived in the mail, one to Zana?s sister and another addressed to 3-year-old Cebastian, banning the toddler from flying Spirit for non-compliance of the airlines face-covering policy. In 2 years, he can write a letter explaining why the carrier should reconsider...
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...nes-World.html
?Wouldn't Help Autistic Boy?
Review of Spirit Airlines
nbalsanders
Springfield, Virginia 21
Reviewed November 21, 2020
Wouldn't Help Autistic Boy
Family vacation where we paid extra for expedited service through security to help my autistic son through possible painful lines for him, Spirit airlines boarding passes didn't show the upgraded purchase. We checked in early and notice the service wasn't on the boarding pass, we tried for the entire day before the trip to reason with the airline's customer service trying to explain how their boarding passes didn't show what we had purchased, they blamed the failure on their computer system and told us we wouldn't be able to use the service even though we had paid for it.
12 hours, countless prefabbed made text messages, along with phone Representatives who treated me like I was and inconvenience for trying to receive what I had already paid for.
CAUTION: think twice before traveling on Spirit airlines with a handicap child. The airline is not set up to handle this type of situation nor are they do they seem willing to help. They are truly a money first operation.
In this case, the service was even below the price they had offered for the trip.
Date of travel: November 2020
Thank nbalsanders
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Last edited by a moderator:
