A distressed mum claims she was forced off a flight because her tired toddler refused to wear a face mask.
Rachel Davis was onboard an American Airlines plane with two-year-old lad Lyon when a crew member told her if the child did not put on a covering they would have to be thrown off the aircraft.
Ms Davis said she attempted to put a mask on her son, made compulsory by coronavirus, as they made their way to their seats but he was tired and not co-operating.
The pair had been on three other flights with the airline that week and the despairing mum said it was the first time her child was being forced to wear a mask.
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Writing on Instagram, Ms Davis explained how she had "tried repeatedly, begged him, bribed him" while her little boy was "screaming and crying".
She said the incident left her feeling her "absolute lowest of lows as a mother".
The mum said the flight attendant told her Lyon would have to wear a mask as it is company policy or they could not fly.
After further failed attempts to put the mask on in which Ms Davis herself was "bawling my eyes out and hyperventilating" while wearing her own mask, eventually the captain said all passengers would have to get off the plane.
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The mum said: "Rather than get themselves any bad press by escorting a crying mom and two-year-old off the plane, they forced everyone to deplane, and wouldn't let us back on the flight home."
Ms Davis was flying from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Manchester, New Hampshire
She added: "He would have been asleep before we even pushed back if they had just been humans. This is the world we live in?"
A fellow passenger posted a video clip of Ms Davis confronting airline staff asking if she should "Duct tape his face".
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She screams: "You don't know? Because there is nothing to be done – he is two years old for God's sake!"
In a statement American Airlines said: "To ensure the safety of our customers and team, American Airlines requires all persons 2 years and older to wear an appropriate face covering throughout the entirety of their journey.
"Policies are enforced and approved face coverings are made available at key points throughout the customer journey. We've reached out to the family to learn more about their recent travel experience and to address their concerns."
American Airlines' action was in line with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
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