Keen on flying with screaming infants? This carrier makes it easier

 

Are you keen on taking flights with even more screaming infants than usual?

There is one airline that virtually guarantees that experience.

British carrier Jet2.com has taken the brave - or foolhardy - step of offering completely free flights for kids under two. It is the first in the UK to adopt the policy.

Clearly Jet2 has young families as its target market, as it is hard to see mature leisure travellers, or business folk, being keen on the idea.

The new "fly free" policy for infants starts immediately for all new bookings, whether a package or flight only, news hub Travel Mole reports.

It means all infants must be carried on a parent’s lap.

As an extra incentive for families to fly with Jet2, the airline is offering the check in of strollers, travel cots and other baby gear exempt from excess baggage fees.

And infants will still get a 10kg baggage allowance.

“As a family-friendly airline and tour operator, we are always looking at how we can make the experience even better for families travelling with us,” said Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy,

“By putting our customers first, we are making travel even more accessible for millions of families.”

But less enjoyable for others.

# Jet2 it is the third-largest scheduled airline in the UK, behind easyJet and British Airways. Jet2 is also officially the largest tour operator in the UK.

“Deplorable” airline passenger banned for life

Many frequent flyers would have come across someone like Jay Dalziel at one time or other.

Dalziel went ape shit on a recent flight on leisure airline Jet2 and has been banned for life following a "violent" in-flight incident, news portal Travel Mole reports.

Dalziel, 19, from Motherwell in Scotland, acted in a ‘"deplorable and violent" fashion, causing a Glasgow to Tenerife flight to be diverted to Shannon Airport in Ireland.

He was then taken into custody - missing out on his holiday.

Dalziel displayed "disruptive and aggressive" behaviour shortly after take-off.

It escalated to the point of allegedly physically attacking Jet2.com cabin crew other customers.

After touching down at Shannon Airport, Garda officers boarded the flight and took him into custody.

Video published online captured Garda officers removing a topless man from the plane. He was reportedly seen screaming as he was handcuffed and hauled off the flight.

Jet2 immediately banned him for life.

The airline also plans to take action to recover costs incurred by the diversion, estimated at a five-figure sum.

A standby aircraft and crew were then flown to Shannon Airport to take customers to Tenerife.

Jet2 apologised to customers for the inconvenience.

Phil Ward, MD of Jet2, said: “This is one of the worst cases of disruptive passenger behaviour that we have ever witnessed, and we would like to apologise to all colleagues and customers onboard for what they had to experience.

"It is a disgrace that hardworking customers, families and colleagues should be subjected to such appalling behaviour and we will vigorously pursue Mr Dalziel for all the costs that we incurred as a result of this diversion, as well as banning him for life."

Irish police said: ""Gardaí met the aircraft and arrested the man under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997. He is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in County Clare. Investigations are ongoing."

Death is in the air: a deadly time

It has been a deadly time for flyers with two deaths on board commercial aircraft over the past few days.

A British Airways flight attendant collapsed and died in front of seated passengers just prior to take off at London Heathrow, Travel Mole reported.

The 52-year-old man was preparing for departure on a flight scheduled to fly to Hong Kong.

The captain called for medical assistance, and a passenger helped with CPR. Emergency services personnel attended the scene but the man could not be saved.

“Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a patient was pronounced dead at the scene,’ London Ambulance Service said.

The early evening incident caused the flight to be delayed overnight.

Passengers were accommodated in local hotels and departed the following day.

A BA spokesperson said: ‘Our thoughts are with our colleagues’ friends and family at this incredibly sad time."

Just a week earlier a BA flight attendant was found dead in a layover hotel room in the US prior to a flight from Newark to London Heathrow.

A passenger was, meanwhile, discovered dead in a toilet cubicle on a Jet2 flight from Tenerife in Spain bound for Manchester.

Cabin crew found the man dead after other passengers became concerned at the length of time the toilet was occupied.

The flight was then diverted to Cork in Ireland.

A Jet2 spokesperson said: “Flight LS918 from Tenerife to Manchester diverted to Cork Airport due to a customer requiring medical attention.

“Regrettably, we can confirm that the customer sadly passed away. This was an extremely difficult situation for our crew. Our thoughts are with the customer’s family and friends.”

Image: Tiago Gomes, Scop.io