Family kicked off Southwest plane after lice complaints

A Chicago family heading to Disneyland say they were kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight because an attendant thought their six-year-old daughter had lice.

J Newman said his family were waiting to board their flight to California from Chicago on Friday when his wife spotted some dry skin in one of their daughter’s hair.

He said his wife removed the skin from the six-year-old’s head, but about 30 minutes later a Southwest employee approached them to say several fellow passengers had raised concerns.

The attendant said there were fears their daughter had lice, NBC reports. 

‘We looked at each other like are you serious right now or is this a joke?’ Newman said.

The family said they were booted from the flight even though there was no proof their daughter had lice.

‘We don’t even have lice. That’s the crazy thing. Our daughter doesn’t have lice,’ Newman said. 

‘So, why they would do this to us I have no idea.

‘My daughter is hysterical because she thinks this is her fault that she’s not going to Disneyland.’

The family said they were booted from the flight out of Chicago airport (above) even though there was no proof their daughter had lice

The father-of-two believes they may have been bumped because the flight could have been overlooked. 

Southwest denied that was the case.  

The airline said a number of passengers had flagged the so-called lice issue while the family were sitting in the boarding gate area.

‘We never want to inconvenience customers but when we receive concerns from multiple people, we’re obligated to look into them,’ an airline spokesperson said. 

The Newman family said the next flight they could have been put was two days later. 

They also claim not to have received any compensation but the airline is now working directly with the family to resolve any issues.