Clayton County

Atlanta father, 2-year-old removed from plane after airline says they violated federal law

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — An Atlanta man is back home with his daughter after they were removed from a Frontier Airlines flight, Channel 2′s Candace McCowan has learned.

This father says he purchased tickets on three airlines this past weekend for a quick trip to Orlando. On each of those flights, his daughter was sitting on his lap.

It was meant to be a weekend trip to the happiest place on Earth, but the magic stopped when one airline took issue and threatened to have him arrested.

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Chrisean Rose and his two-year-old daughter Rayana were ready to fly home when they were told they were breaking a federal law.

“They will arrest you; I’m telling you that right now,” a flight attendant said to Rose.

Rose recorded as flight attendants threatened to arrest him while his 25-month-old Rayana was in his arms.

The ordeal started when Rayana wanted to sit in his lap on the flight from Atlanta to Orlando, even though he purchased a seat for the toddler.

“Spirit allowed for me to fly with her in my lap,” he said.

But on the return, Frontier staff had a different reaction.

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The flight attendant told him Rayana had to sit in 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.

When Rose couldn’t get the toddler back in her seat, it escalated.

“It’s wrong for you to do that, I’m just trying to comfort her,” he said to the attendant.

The flight was taxiing, but returned to the gate after the confrontation.

The father and daughter were then forced off of the plane.

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,” he said.

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Rose then bought another flight from Delta, where he says Rayana sat with him the entire time.

He’s acknowledged that there is a policy, but was hoping Frontier would be flexible like the others.

“I did not think it needed to be that far. I mean, arrest for what? For a kid crying?” he said.

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