Ethics: Airplanes And Young Children

In case you had not heard the story, back in November a woman and her two-year-old son were ejected from a Southwest flight because he wouldn’t stop screaming and people couldn’t hear the safety announcements. The airline reimbursed her for the flight plus a free voucher for another flight, and they apologized for her inconvenience while affirming the decision as necessary by FAA requirements. An opinion piece written for the LA Times not only thought this was a good decision, it also argued that the parent was way out of bounds in even thinking that she was entitled to take an upset child on a plane. So the question is: what should be done with young children who are screaming while flying?