Flight diverted after family complains about flight movie

[sparkles]

I remember flying to Florida when I was a kid in the 50s. It was a major event. Men dressed in suits, women wore gloves and hats, kids were dressed in their best. And we were treated royally too. There was one flight (Northeast Airlines which has since gone the way of the dodo) where our flight was diverted to DC and the airline was so apologetic that every passenger got a fancy flight bag and a big wool logo blanket as well as a discount coupon for our next flight and a free meal while we waited. These days you're lucky if you get a working plane.

[Maggie Mae]

I would LOVE it if someone could create a plane that had a children's section. As a frequent business traveler, I have to say, I am sick and tired of being stuck in front of children who don't stop screaming, who kick the seat constantly, who race their hot wheels on my head, and the parents who don't do jack shit except complain (or tell their kid to kick harder) when I ask them to stop. The screaming is the worst though, because you can't remove yourself from the confined space. Oh, and parents who think that I should forgo my 3-4 in flight beverages because it sets a bad example for their child.

If they had children/family sections, I think more people would be happier. Kids can watch kid movies, adults can do their thing (sleep/watch movies/work). Seats can be smaller to fit smaller bodies. Flight attendants could be trained to work with kids, hand out kid food.

[2xx1xy1JD]

All I see is this: dysfunctional parents, rotten brats. Selfish, stupid, rude adults with the result of their questionable childraising. They should try flying El Al sometime. They would get off the plane with their ears burning with embarrassment. And a lesson learned. They take the safety and comfort of every passenger very seriously. This couldn't have happened with them.

Selfish brats?? These kids were 4 and 8, and nobody in the entire chain of articles and comments has ever suggested that the children said or did anything at all.

El Al flight attendants would not have reported kvetching to a pilot. They can actually tell the difference between a kvetching parent and a genuine security threat. I've had some of their flight attendants ask me if I want a coffee in the same tone of voice that they use to ask if I have a bomb, but they've been reasonably good with kids. Before I had kids, we'd get major questioning at security. With young children, the questioning was more like, "Hey little guy, do you like Dora the Explorer?"

Docmon - I remember flying in the late 1970s. We got pins and activities, and even a tour of the cockpit. It was a different era.

[Ex 2x2]

I also wouldn't want to live in a world where everything is appropriate for 5 year olds, and it wasn't ok to make a scene. However, in a public place such as a plane, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a movie that is appropriate for "general audiences". Not just for children, but adults too can be "triggered" by certain things, for example, a war veteran seeing a battle scene. Yes, you can try to ignore it, but when it's right in front of you, it's not so easy.

This is the issue...it's a "public" place. Honestly, couldn't it even present a legal issue if you are showing a pg-13 movie to kids under 13? I know no one really enforces it, but kids under 13 aren't allowed to see that in a theater without their parents, correct?

To me, it's similar to what happens in my dentist's office. It's not a pediatric dentist, but they see kids as well as adults. There is a tv/dvd player in the waiting room. It's always some family friendly thing showing. Now if it were just me, yeah, I'd rather see Alex Cross. But I appreciate that they are trying to take into account that kids/adults alike might be in the room.

I don't want to live in a world either where everything is kid friendly. But it's nice that in public places, things be kept at a family friendly level.

[sableduck]

I've seen the movie and it is not appropriate for young kids. I understand it was probably edited, but to remove all PG-13 material out of it would render a thirty minute movie that didn't make much sense, so I have to wonder how much was taken out.

I honestly would be upset if I flew with my 2.5 year old and Alex Cross was playing. Sorry but I do shield him from violent scenes, and there is only so much distracting a toddler that can be done.

[Boogalou]

Kids can see PG-13 movies in theatres without parents. Wikipedia doesn't list any restrictions, they only say NC-17 films can't be viewed by people under 17 without a parent or guardian present. Here's what the Motion Picture Association has to say about PG-13:

PG-13 — Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13. A PG-13 rating is a sterner warning by the Rating Board to parents to determine whether their children under age 13 should view the motion picture, as some material might not be suited for them. A PG-13 motion picture may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other elements, but does not reach the restricted R category.

Etc. It's kind of boring but you can read the whole thing here: http://www.mpaa.org/ratings/what-each-rating-means

[2xx1xy1JD]

There is a world of difference between movies that are shown in a theatre, or even available for viewing on individual screens on an airplane, and movies that are shown on large screens to the entire airplane. Even if you don't get the earphones, there is no realistic way to avoid the images. If the film is violent, those images can go WAY beyond things that you can reasonably expect your child to see on a day-to-day basis. While I wouldn't go as far as trying to remove the screens, I wouldn't have been happy if that movie was shown to the entire plane when my children were that age. Even as an adult, I have no desire to see scenes with sexual violence.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

They wouldn't just divert a plane, have people escorted off and questioned by law enforcement for "collegial interactions". There has to be a lot more to this story than what we are hearing.

I took it upon myself to see this "article" fox was quoting. It was more of a compilation of "airline horror stories" (including "terrible tales" of having a husband and wife sit apart from each other and having a steward who wasn't having a good day). The story is completely one sided and apparently "everyone involved thought that Captain [XX] was a terrible excuse for a human and overreacted, but no one could argue with the captain (not even the airline) because the captain has absolute power."

I call complete BS on this entire story. Either it's completely made up, or the person his lying about the details to make themselves look put upon.

[Ex 2x2]

Kids can see PG-13 movies in theatres without parents. Wikipedia doesn't list any restrictions, they only say NC-17 films can't be viewed by people under 17 without a parent or guardian present. Here's what the Motion Picture Association has to say about PG-13:

Etc. It's kind of boring but you can read the whole thing here: http://www.mpaa.org/ratings/what-each-rating-means

Thanks! That link actually says R can't be seen under 17 without a parent or guardian present. I guess that's what I was thinking of.

[alba]

I would LOVE it if someone could create a plane that had a children's section. As a frequent business traveler, I have to say, I am sick and tired of being stuck in front of children who don't stop screaming, who kick the seat constantly, who race their hot wheels on my head, and the parents who don't do jack shit except complain (or tell their kid to kick harder) when I ask them to stop. The screaming is the worst though, because you can't remove yourself from the confined space. Oh, and parents who think that I should forgo my 3-4 in flight beverages because it sets a bad example for their child.

If they had children/family sections, I think more people would be happier. Kids can watch kid movies, adults can do their thing (sleep/watch movies/work). Seats can be smaller to fit smaller bodies. Flight attendants could be trained to work with kids, hand out kid food.

This. SO MUCH.

On a bit of a side-note, I went to see the eighth Harry Potter film at an 18+ showing. It was great. No squealing fangirls, no children crying at the sight of Voldemort, just a nice, quiet cinema. A couple days later I read an editorial complaining about 18+ showings for a "children's film". I don't really understand it, because as I see it separating families from childless adults in these situations makes EVERYONE happier. It means that when children are noisy or boisterous in the family area, it's to be expected and accepted, so the parents are less stressed and not getting glares from people who want some peace, and the people who want peace can stay away from the children and let them be noisy elsewhere.

[2xx1xy1JD]

I can work for theatres - the one near me has "movies for mommies", where the volume is a bit lower and nobody is going to complain if a baby makes a peep.

Practically, I'm not sure how family-friendly flights would work. Airlines move people around all the time, flights get cancelled and rebooked, so they couldn't really afford to keep seats in a section empty if there weren't enough families, or people without kids.

About seat kicking - it's a problem with the design of aircraft seats. Adults can bend their legs, because when seated, their knees reach the end of the seat cushion. If you are 4, you can't bend your knees properly if you are sitting back, so they stick out, and the rows are close together so little feet hit the back of the seat in front of them. My kids are pretty good on flights, but this was a problem when they were that age.

[AnywhereButHere]

Yeah, I was all prepared to mentally roll my eyes and call this family overly protective when I first saw this story, but they do have a point. My son saw about 30 seconds of an episode of CSI one night. It wasn’t even a gory scene, just a guy in a white scuba suit in a pool. Freaked him out for days. Even now, years later, he’ll still randomly mention it and how it scared him. If he had been stuck on a plane and basically forced to see the whole show, it would have been awful for him. The pilot diverting the flight was ridiculous. If these parents had been raging lunatics, I’m sure there would be more mention in the news from fellow passengers to support that claim.

The thing is though, that we all seem to basically agree here that this Alex Cross movie was inappropriate for the age of these two kids. What if the movie shown had been The Lion King. What if these parents objected to the fight scene at the end or the scene where the father lion dies. What if they just objected to movies with talking animals or Disney movies in general. At what point would the support for this family shift? The planes that provide entertainment have to balance the wants of a vast age range. Having individual tv screens is the best option but not all planes do. Should the ones with the shared screens just not show movies at all? With more and more people having ipads, smart phones and the like, the in-flight entertainment provided by the airlines might not be necessary, and that might not be a bad thing.

[Ex 2x2]

I LOVE the idea of movie theaters having 18 and up showings. (No matter the rating.) When I went to see the Hunger Games, there were some preteens that chatted the whole time. I was so irritated. I don't appreciate movie talkers, at all! :)

[Savoring Samsara]

I LOVE the idea of movie theaters having 18 and up showings. (No matter the rating.) When I went to see the Hunger Games, there were some preteens that chatted the whole time. I was so irritated. I don't appreciate movie talkers, at all! :)

It's definitely starting to become more popular. There's a theater in my city that does 21+ showings of movies and also has a full bar and food menu right there. There are tables at the theater seats (which are extra large and cushy too) and they will have a server bring you dinner and drinks while you watch. Of course, it's insanely more expensive than a standard $10 multiplex ticket. I've never seen a movie there but I'll have to try it one of these days!

[Mecca]

It's definitely starting to become more popular. There's a theater in my city that does 21+ showings of movies and also has a full bar and food menu right there. There are tables at the theater seats (which are extra large and cushy too) and they will have a server bring you dinner and drinks while you watch. Of course, it's insanely more expensive than a standard $10 multiplex ticket. I've never seen a movie there but I'll have to try it one of these days!

I love watching movies in the theater and this is the way to go. Yes, it is a bit more expensive, but it makes the experience much more pleasant. It was getting old having parents bring their children into inappropriate movies and having to listen to the crying and yapping and the management of the theater doing jack crap about it.

Another awesome movie theater is Alamo Drafthouse theaters. They do not take crap from anyone. No kids, no talking, no texting.... It you break the rules, you are out. Full stop. They do have family movies where kids are welcome, but for the most part it caters to adults.

[Freyacat]

I can work for theatres - the one near me has "movies for mommies", where the volume is a bit lower and nobody is going to complain if a baby makes a peep.

Practically, I'm not sure how family-friendly flights would work. Airlines move people around all the time, flights get cancelled and rebooked, so they couldn't really afford to keep seats in a section empty if there weren't enough families, or people without kids.

About seat kicking - it's a problem with the design of aircraft seats. Adults can bend their legs, because when seated, their knees reach the end of the seat cushion. If you are 4, you can't bend your knees properly if you are sitting back, so they stick out, and the rows are close together so little feet hit the back of the seat in front of them. My kids are pretty good on flights, but this was a problem when they were that age.

This times a million. I recently flew with my 3 year old. His legs are too short to bend and go down, but long enough that they would bump the seat in front of him if he shifted position. I kept reminding him to be careful, but I was still worried that someone would start snarling at him about it. Fortunately the person in front of him on our flight out didn't say a word and on the way home we had a kind 60-ish woman who had a few pleasant words for my son both before and after the flight. It was a relief to get someone understanding; so many people in general these days seem to actively hate children and think they should never be in public.

[bananacat]

It's definitely starting to become more popular. There's a theater in my city that does 21+ showings of movies and also has a full bar and food menu right there. There are tables at the theater seats (which are extra large and cushy too) and they will have a server bring you dinner and drinks while you watch. Of course, it's insanely more expensive than a standard $10 multiplex ticket. I've never seen a movie there but I'll have to try it one of these days!

Everyone loves to hate on teenagers and especially pre-teens, but I really don't think this would solve much. By far, the two most annoying groups of people that I've encountered in movies are 30-something parents who decide to drag kids along instead of getting a babysitter, and middle-aged groups who text or look at their phones throughout the movie because they feel like they're entitled to do whatever they want by virtue of being older than most of the people there and/or because they didn't grow up with cell phones so they haven't caught up on the current etiquette standards.

[Ex 2x2]

Everyone loves to hate on teenagers and especially pre-teens, but I really don't think this would solve much. By far, the two most annoying groups of people that I've encountered in movies are 30-something parents who decide to drag kids along instead of getting a babysitter, and middle-aged groups who text or look at their phones throughout the movie because they feel like they're entitled to do whatever they want by virtue of being older than most of the people there and/or because they didn't grow up with cell phones so they haven't caught up on the current etiquette standards.

I'm not hating on pre-teens...these actually were preteens. I'm irritated by anyone talking in a movie, of any age. Babies crying, kids misbehaving, it all bugs me. Unless it's a kids' movie, I leave my kids at home when I go to the movies, so I definitely don't want to pay the outrageous ticket prices and listen to someone else's kids.

eta: I wonder if the higher ticket prices of the 18+ showings would cut down on some of the adults talking/texting/etc? They might not want to waste that much money? Idk though, some people are just inconsiderate.

[alba]

Practically, I'm not sure how family-friendly flights would work. Airlines move people around all the time, flights get cancelled and rebooked, so they couldn't really afford to keep seats in a section empty if there weren't enough families, or people without kids.

Oh, that's a good point. Still, one can dream ... :D

Everyone loves to hate on teenagers and especially pre-teens, but I really don't think this would solve much. By far, the two most annoying groups of people that I've encountered in movies are 30-something parents who decide to drag kids along instead of getting a babysitter, and middle-aged groups who text or look at their phones throughout the movie because they feel like they're entitled to do whatever they want by virtue of being older than most of the people there and/or because they didn't grow up with cell phones so they haven't caught up on the current etiquette standards.

I'm not long out of my teens myself and in my experience teens are definitely the worst. That could be the sort of things I'm most likely to see in cinemas, which is YA stuff, and those are the ones most likely to have an 18+ showing. It probably is different when it's a film geared at adults, simply because the biggest issue I have with teens/preteens is the squealing fangirl problem. On the flip side, they don't text or talk during the film because they're so enraptured by it that they have to hear every second of dialogue :P

[2xx1xy1JD]

With movies, I guess that part of the attraction is going with a whole group of friends, or having a whole experiencing with the snacks, etc. I could see it being successful with a full bar.

The only time that I bother with movies at all is when we really need a family outing, or when my girls go with friends. I much prefer ordering movies through the TV at home - WAY cheaper and I can control the environment.

As for child-friendly flights, a thought occurred to me: if Disney can run cruises, maybe the could do charter flights too? They could really only do it at school vacation times and on routes with lots of kids (like the ones to Disney world), but parents may like flights with kid-friendly snacks, an activity pack, etc. They would just need a way to have enough adults to fill the emergency exist rows.

[Patsy]

Wait, wait, is this leading to talk of child-only flights? Guys, we did all read "Lord of the Flies" in school, right?

[Savoring Samsara]

Everyone loves to hate on teenagers and especially pre-teens, but I really don't think this would solve much. By far, the two most annoying groups of people that I've encountered in movies are 30-something parents who decide to drag kids along instead of getting a babysitter, and middle-aged groups who text or look at their phones throughout the movie because they feel like they're entitled to do whatever they want by virtue of being older than most of the people there and/or because they didn't grow up with cell phones so they haven't caught up on the current etiquette standards.

Well, it's 21+, which means those parents have to find a babysitter and can't bring their kids. As for the constantly texting middle-aged folks, you can't keep them out, but I agree with Ex 2x2 that I would hope the higher ticket prices ($15 a seat for the theater in my city) and the cost of the food and drinks might cause them to take it more seriously.

What saved movie-going for me, though, was no longer going to mall multiplexes which are full of rudeness and bad behavior, and only seeing movies at independently operated theaters. The screens are smaller, the selection isn't as wide, and the building is a bit run-down, but the managers don't take crap from anyone and you don't have to sit through a million stupid ads before the show. Also, last year, when my favorite theater showed "The Hunger Games," they put up this sign:

[desertvixen]

About seat kicking - it's a problem with the design of aircraft seats. Adults can bend their legs, because when seated, their knees reach the end of the seat cushion. If you are 4, you can't bend your knees properly if you are sitting back, so they stick out, and the rows are close together so little feet hit the back of the seat in front of them. My kids are pretty good on flights, but this was a problem when they were that age.

This. My daughter is 6 and still has a hard time getting comfortable because of that sort of issue. What we usually do is put up the armrest between us so she can curl up better.

I admit to getting irritated by the unprepared parents myself (we've flown since she was 3 months old and nursed for an entire flight) but now and then, everyone has a bad day. That being said, if you're a parent, you need to bring stuff for the kid to do and eat.

[alba]

Wait, wait, is this leading to talk of child-only flights? Guys, we did all read "Lord of the Flies" in school, right?

XD Nah, the kids still get parental supervision, so it's all good.

[indygirl76]

About seat kicking - it's a problem with the design of aircraft seats. Adults can bend their legs, because when seated, their knees reach the end of the seat cushion. If you are 4, you can't bend your knees properly if you are sitting back, so they stick out, and the rows are close together so little feet hit the back of the seat in front of them. My kids are pretty good on flights, but this was a problem when they were that age.

I am the first to admit that bratty kids drive me up a wall, and I have been known to let that reaction show in no uncertain terms. But I would never be annoyed / surly about an accidental bump caused by wacky seat design. Times that I have turned around with my Mean Lady Face on, have been caused by full on, purposeful, tiny tyrant KICKING - that mom or dad is willfully ignoring. Thankfully, I have a highly effective MLF, and one turn is usually all it takes. ;)