A family claimed they were kicked off a JetBlue flight and blacklisted from future flights without giving them a reason. The airline said it was for “a verbal altercation that included physical threats and profanities against a nearby customer” whose seat was being kicked by a child of the family.
The Brooklyn family said they were returning to New York on a flight that originated from the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport on July 2 when they were asked to leave after boarding, reported the Miami Herald.
A YouTube video was posted by Mandy Ifrah, who was with Tamir Raanan and their three children, at the time of the incident as the family returned from a wedding.
The couple's 1-year-old daughter, Eden, who was sitting on her mother's lap, got agitated and kicked the seat of a passenger in front of them. That led to a verbal altercation between Ifrah and that passenger, who eventually moved to another seat, said the Herald.
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies were seen at the gate in a second video trying to calm down the couple while confirming they wouldn’t make the flight, said NBC News.
JetBlue issued a statement explaining why the family was removed.
"After a verbal altercation that included physical threats and profanities against a nearby customer, the aircraft door was reopened and our airports team politely asked the customers to step off to discuss the situation," said JetBlue, per NBC News. "The customers refused repeated requests and our crewmembers deplaned the entire aircraft. Law enforcement escorted them out of the gate area and we provided a refund."
The family complained they were only reimbursed for the one-way tickets back to New York and did not receive their luggage after returning home on another airline, said NBC News.
The family said through an attorney that JetBlue's statement about them was not true.