A mother flying overseas with her baby and young child is facing online backlash after blasting Delta Air Lines for her uncomfortable accommodations — despite not paying for a separate seat for her infant.
Mely Skoglund posted a now-viral photo on Threads showing herself crouched on the floor of an economy row as her two tots slept sprawled across the window and middle seats.
“12 hours Flying Delta airlines back to US was sold out, so we have no extra room. This is our situation,” she captioned the Threads post.
While it’s unclear where the mother was flying with her children — or whether she had tickets for both — it appears she purchased seats for herself and her older child.
The post, which appeared to detail her difficult travel situation, divided Threads users.
Some slammed her alleged lack of planning, accusing her of assuming she could score a free seat simply because she was traveling with her infant.
“I’m so glad I was raised by a mother who bought the correct number of seats for the number of travelers and didn’t expect a free seat,” one user commented.
“What part of SOLD OUT didn’t you understand?” another questioned.
“If she’d wanted the baby to have a seat, she would have bought it when she bought the other seats. She was hoping (like a lot of parents of young children do) that there would be an empty seat she could use for free for the baby,” criticized another.
While many rushed to judgment, others came to the mother’s defense, noting that she likely did not purchase a seat for her infant under Delta Air Lines’ lap child policy, which allows children under 2 to fly free or at a reduced cost when seated on an adult’s lap.
“All children fly free under 3, don’t be a d–khead just because you grew up more privileged than others,” commented one user coming to Skoglund’s defense.
“First of all. That’s a baby right there, she doesn’t have to buy a seat for an infant. That’s why she has two seats: one for her and one for her toddler,” wrote another. “She bought the correct number of seats. You best believe the airline wouldn’t let that child fly for free!!”
“Airlines make so f–king much money on our heads. I don’t see what’s wrong with wanting a free seat for your baby,” another commented.
The Post has reached out to Delta for comment.
Delta allows infants and children under 2 to travel on an adult’s lap for free on domestic flights and at a reduced fare on international trips, according to the company’s policy.
Parents can buy a separate ticket and use an FAA-approved child safety seat or CARES harness, though FAA rules limit each adult to one lap infant and require another seat for an additional child.
The airline told the Daily Mail it could not confirm the photo’s authenticity but said safety is its top priority and that customers are expected to follow the airline’s policy for traveling with a lap-held infant.
“Additionally, we strongly insist that they remain in their seats with their seatbelts fastened, unless they have a specific need that requires movement about the aircraft.”
Read the full article here