When it comes to flying, nothing can stir up debate and internet fighting quite like the subject of infants on planes.
While one traveler went TikTok viral for saying she'd "pay SO much money" for an adult-only flight after listening to a child scream nonstop on a three-hour one, some parents have also been pushing back against the judgment they've encountered. One survey from flight aggregator website Kayak found that 26% believe it is never okay to bring a baby aboard a flight while 74% do not subscribe to such categorical views.
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Another baby-related viral moment occurred on two TUI Air Group (TUIFY) -) flights between England's Manchester to Spain's Alicante. Wales-based software engineer Chelsea Williams, 28, had boarded the flight with her husband, two-year-old son and five-month-old daughter and decided to breastfeed to prepare her for the ear pain during take-off. This strategy is presently recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the equivalent agencies in the UK and several European countries.
Breastfeeding 'not permitted,' mother of five-month-old reportedly told
After she began doing this, Williams was reportedly approached by a representative of the UK-based charter airline and told that what she was doing was "not advisable as it could make others uncomfortable."
"We had the baby buckled on the infant buckle that went on my seatbelt and she was feeding at the same time — this was working fine," Williams told British newspaper Metro. "So I was starting to feel a bit of relief at this point. Then they came to do the belt check and I was told that I couldn't feed for takeoff and landing. It wasn't permitted.'"
On the August 6 flight back to England, Williams and her husband decided to double-check the airline's policy on breastfeeding through the in-flight TUI app. Screencaps shared by Williams on Meta (META) -)'s Facebook show the airline saying while "there are no official restrictions," they "would not recommend it because it can make other people uncomfortable."
The screenshots quickly went viral both among fellow parents and other passengers outraged on the Williams' behalf. The post was also picked up by British media outlets and reshared in "reaction videos" on Bytedance-owned TiKTok.
Internet outrage prompts airline's response
"This is absolutely shocking from a family-friendly company!" Emma Loftus wrote in one of the most upvoted comments on Williams' post. "Can you explain who exactly is going to feel uncomfortable about a baby having milk? I'm sure your other passengers who [sic] prefer a happy baby, not an unhappy, inconsolable, starving newborn on your flight!!!"
"This is ridiculous," wrote Natalie Mapp. "We will cater to dietary requirements on flights, unless you are a 5-week-old baby, being fed in the most natural way."
Finding itself in the midst of a PR crisis, TUI started responding to traveler comments by saying that they're "aware of the situation and are conducting an internal investigation."
Others have pointed out the inconsistency of saying that breastfeeding on a plane was not against policy but then going back on that when Williams started doing it.
By August 8, the airline had also issued a statement saying that it was "really sorry for the distress caused to Ms. Williams and her infant."
