Lice Allegation Leads Southwest To Block Family From Flight To Disneyland

Lice Allegation Leads Southwest To Stop Family From Flying To Disneyland

There’s plenty of reasons for people to be barred from flying.  We’ve seen the typical ones of people appearing to be incredibly intoxicated, or somebody getting violent.  However,  a family’s vacation to Disneyland was abruptly delayed over an allegation the one of the children had lice.

According to Chicago NBC 5:

It was supposed to be a fun-filled trip to Disneyland for the Newman family. But all it took was uncomfortable fellow travelers and an allegation to get them bumped off their Southwest Airlines flight. Now the Chicago family wants answers and someone to be held accountable.

It all started while the family was waiting to board their flight to Santa Ana Friday afternoon when J Newman’s wife noticed something.

“There was some dry skin in my daughter’s hair,” he said. “So, she was just kind of taking it out of my daughter’s hair.”

A half hour later a Southwest Airlines gate agent approached Newman, his wife and daughters–aged 4 and 6–with a concern.

“That they saw my wife going through my daughter’s hair and that she might have lice,” Newman told NBC 5. “And we looked at each other like are you serious right now or is this a joke?”

Southwest says that they made the decision after numerous people complained that they suspected one of the travelers had a contagious medical condition.  Southwest said they couldn’t get the family on another flight until two days later.  The family says Southwest never offered any kind of compensation for the two days lost, and they want that to change?

What is your take on this?  Did Southwest do the right thing?