[noflyalaska]

DO NOT FLY ALASKA AIRLINES, WORSE EXPERIENCE EVER, UNTRAINED CREW, UNTRAINED STEWARDS, UNTRAINED PILOT.

So, we booked our flight May 24th, 2012 on expedia.com and itinerary number 146588556169.
We purchased 4 tickets and had 1 Infant in seat. Paid total of $3459.60 for 4 passengers and 1 infant in seat.
Expedia booked us on American Airlines Confirmation # JSNIAE.
We were flying from Seattle to St. Thomas as our final destination:
We would be departing Seattle Tacoma International Airport on 1015PM on May 26th using Alaska Airlines confirmation code # HXRRGK.
We got the Airport 3 hours early, Paid for to drop off our car at Wally’s Self Parking.
We got the airport, we had to wait in a long line for Alaska airlines to check us in, apparently they booked us in row 18, and this was behind exit row and we had in infant and Child booking so they had to move us.
That’s fine, we checked in, paid for 2 Large Bags $40, and gave them also 2 of our car seats as check bags.
We passed through TSA security line fine without any problems, and ate a little and were on our way to the gate.
As soon as we got there, I got a stroller tag for our 1-year old, and there was an option to upgrade to 1st class to passengers, so I booked my wife and mother in law along with our infant in seat there.
Myself and my 3year old son were then moved to row 23, when we had originally confirmed seats on row 18, but by the time there were making changes the seat’s disappeared.
We got on the plane ok, my wife and mother in law took their seats all ok and me and my 3yr old took our seats in row 23 without any problems.
The pre-boarding was fine and my 3yr old was on my lap playing his ipad and everything was ok, time was about 10pm, everything was going on as supposed to be.
Then Stewardess got on the microphone and said everyone needs to turn off their electronics, tray tables up and everyone in their seats.
My 3yr old wanted to sleep already so he began to slowly start to cry and make noise, its his first time on the plan where he has his own seat and not together with his dad, so unfortunately he got scared and little bit cranky and loud.
The stewardess came by, he was still crying, tried to give him some cookie and snacks, but he was still crying and not wanting to sit by himself, I did get him in his seat and he did have his seatbelt on, but he was crying and was trying to get out of it, I was holding him together close to me to quiet him down.
He was not able to quiet down, so stewardess had moved the aisle passenger to a different open spot on the plan and they asked my wife to come down to our row and sit together with us.
As soon as my wife came, gave him his pacifier, opened the magazine, he stopped crying , but he was still sleepy, so he was a little bit cranky, but he was fine and quiet, just making small going to sleep noises, time was about 1009pm already, so as soon as we took off, we were planning on putting him to sleep.
During this whole time as my wife came, he was quiet in his own seat with seatbelt on, and acting normal but sleepy and wanting to sleep, which is normal for a 3yr old child.
All of a sudden, I hear the stewardess come up to us and tell us that the CAPTAIN has made a final decision, to KICK US OFF THE PLANE, because my 3yr old was being too loud and crying.
That’s the last of it, we heard, the plan had already taxied off from the gate for about 50-feet at this time, since my kid was quiet in his seat with seat belt, I didn’t think there was a problem anymore and we will be departing shortly.
About 5 minutes after this, the plan started moving, which I thought was great,
UNFORTUNATELY, the plan was moving back to the gate, and that’s when my fears kicked in.
---As soon as plane touched the gate, they opened the door, an Alaska Airlines Representative came in to our seats, and told us that ALASKA AIRLINES IS KICKING US OFF THE PLANE BECAUSE THE PILOT DEEMED OUR CHILD NOT SAFE TO FLY BECAUSE HE WAS CRYING AND MAKING NOISE.
I ASKED him to reverse the decision, please, our child is fine and quiet and he is not making any noise, and were fine, he SAID NO, the Alaska Airlines PILOT has made a final decision to kick us off the plane because our child was too loud. I asked maybe 5 more times for them to reverse the decision, because my child was quiet and not a threat to FLY, he said NO, the PILOT has made final decision to kick my party of 5 people off the plane because my child was TOO LOUD and I guess was DANGEROUS to fly with a child on the plan who was too loud sitting in his seat with his seatbelt on.
Throughout this whole ordeal I was very angry inside and I had many thoughts what to do and what to say, because this was UNFAIR TOTALLY,
But I’m a frequent flier and I know that anything you say on the plane, to anyone, steward, pilot, anyone, is a Federal Crime and it’s a felony, I kept my mouth shut, didn’t say a word and did what I was told, I knew deep inside this was unfair and not right to do, but I could not say anything as I was already mad and just didn’t want extra issues to come up.
So, me, wife and my 3yr old, grabbed our stuff, moved up, met my mother law in first class with my toddler, got our stuff, escorted by Alaska airlines representative and got off the plan quietly,
They were kind enough to give us our stroller back.
We got to the ticket counter, they offered to rebook us for the SAME PLANE, SAME CREW, Same route, Same AIRLINES, I SAID NO, im not flying Alaska Airlines again because of this mess.
I told them, to give me my 2 checked bags and my 2 car seats and rebook us on a different airlines,
He said NO, cannot do that,
There was another flight leaving at 1230am on DELTA, much more bigger and respected airlines, he said NO.
I said what about my BAGS, he just issued us tags, gave us number and claim, and said wait few days, someone will call you, they might come back in few days from MIAMI, or maybe a week or so From ST THOMAS.
He said, they will refund us BAG FEES, Upgrade Fees, and our full ticket amount,
I did not get any BAG FEE Refund, and UPGRADE Refund, or our full price refund, they kept on telling, since you booked on American Airlines using Expedia, just call them to cancel, we said Alaska Airlines kicked us off the plane, we want you to refund us.
He kindly said I have to Call American Airlines and get my refund, he also said if they do not refund me, just file a chargeback with my Debit Card from Bank of America to get my money back, and they will make a note in their system when we file a chargeback against American Airlines, then Alaska Airlines will approve the full refund.
We called Bank of America on Sunday, they said cant refund, American airlines had to initiate it.
We called American Airlines, they said NO WAY, they don’t have a policy for kicking off noisy children off the plan, and they were not going to give us full refund, please take it up with Alaska Airlines.
American Airlines Repr. Said Alaska Airlines had no right to kick off our family of 5 off the plane, its no where in the rules, and she said they have had many incidents like this where there is a noisy child on the plane, but does not give the pilot to kick our whole family off the plane.
So, right now im here on Sunday back hope, very angry and mad and don’t know what to do.
Our hotel tickets in St Thomas are wasted money, no one wants to refund our money for Alaska Airlines mistake of kicking us of the plane because we had a noise child.
Really frustrated and don’t know what to do, Vacation and Summer ruined and no one seems to care about us.
There was soo much planning involved, expenses included, and right now its ruined and im sitting home, feeling angry at myself feeling I made a mistake and ruined our whole vacation for my family.
My Recommendation, DON’T FLY ALASKA AIRLINES IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN, if they make a NOISE, CRY, Act like KIDS, BEWARD, you will get kicked off the PLANE, and you will lose time, money and your patience with these crooks. DO NOT FLY ALASKA AIRLINES,
Sincerely,
Disappointed Former Alaska Airlines Customer.
mareksi@hotmail.com