What to Know
- Tamir Raanan, Mandy Ifrah and their three kids were headed home to New York on July 2 after attending a wedding in South Florida
- The mom said she got into a dispute with a passenger when her 1-year-old daughter kicked the back of the traveler's seat; it escalated
- JetBlue said in a statement the family was asked to get off the plane after a verbal altercation that included physical threats
A New York City couple and their three young children were booted off a JetBlue plane at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport over what the airline called "a verbal altercation that included physical threats and profanities."
Tamir Raanan, Mandy Ifrah and their three kids were headed home to New York on July 2 after attending a wedding in South Florida, family attorney David Templer said in a statement Wednesday. Ifrah said she got into a dispute with a nearby passenger on the plane when Ifrah's 1-year-old daughter kicked the back of the passenger's seat.
Ifrah said the matter was soon resolved with the passenger, according to the attorney statement.
Cellphone video recorded by the family shows a JetBlue manager speaking to Raanan and Ifrah and asking them to exit the plane. The couple soon became angry and repeatedly asked the flight attendant why they were being asked to leave. Raanan and Ifrah did not agree to deplane the craft.
JetBlue then asked all the passengers to disembark, according to the family's statement.
A second cellphone video shows the family at the gate repeatedly questioning the same JetBlue manager. Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies were also at the gate to help mediate the situation. The officers can be heard asking the couple to calm down and to leave.
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Ifrah said the airline told them they would be booked on a flight the next day. The family claimed they didn’t get their checked luggage until a week later, that JetBlue never explained why they were removed from the flight and that they were banned from all future flights.
JetBlue issued a statement Wednesday explaining why the family was asked to leave the plane.
"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," JetBlue said in a statement. "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 customers were not removed due to the actions of their children. We are investigating whether the customers’ behavior warrants restrictions on JetBlue travel and we thank our crewmembers for their professional handling of this unfortunate incident," the statement continued.
