Mother says she was kicked off Southwest flight because toddler was snacking, not wearing mask

A Chicago woman says she was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight over the weekend because her 2-year-old son was eating a snack before take-off and was not wearing a mask.

Jodi Degyansky, 34, was returning home from a trip to Florida on Saturday when flight attendants repeatedly told her that her child needed to cover his face -- even though he was still eating, she told news outlets.

The plane had already left the gate at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers when flight attendants told her she needed to leave, according to The News-Press.

“I just felt like I can’t believe it happened,” Degyansky told the paper.

Airline personnel then escorted the woman and her toddler off the flight for violating the company’s coronavirus rules, which require passengers at the age of 2 or older to cover their faces while traveling.

Degyansky described the scene as humiliating and unnecessary.

She said she’s not against Southwest’s mask rules but wants airlines to be more lenient with parents who have young children.

“We are trying to get used to it, but he’s 2,” she told the News-Press.

A Southwest representative said the airline’s Customer Relations Team is looking into the incident and plans to reach out to the customer.

The company said in a statement to the Daily News that airline staff communicates its mask policy to passengers at “multiple touchpoints throughout the travel journey,” including in emails prior to departure and during the check-in process.

“If a Customer is unable to wear a face covering for any reason, Southwest regrets that we are unable to transport the individual,” the statement reads. “In those cases, we will issue a full refund and hope to welcome the Customer onboard in the future, if public health guidance regarding face coverings changes.”

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