United Airlines has a poor track record for providing satisfactory customer service, and a recent incident with TikTok creator Melissa Sotomayor demonstrates how callous the airline can be. Missy Soto, using the username, posted a video revealing United Airlines’ severe maltreatment of her and her two-year-old son during a journey from Tampa, Florida, to Newark, New Jersey.
Sotomayor noted in her TikTok post that her son, Noah, is “medically complex” and suffers from various conditions, one of which requires him to be on a ventilator. She possesses all the necessary documentation to prove to airport or airline personnel that her son’s medical equipment is necessary during a flight. However, a serious issue arose when the crew of Flight UA1349 failed to properly stow her infant boy’s equipment before takeoff. It all started when a flight attendant approached Sotomayor and told her to put the ventilator away for safety concerns.
The New Jersey mother protested and supplied medical paperwork indicating Noah’s connection to his ventilator throughout the flight did not violate FAA restrictions. The flight attendant then pushed the situation to the front of the plane, where two more staff members approached Sotomayor and told her she needed to remove her son’s equipment. She refused again, telling them that the ventilator was “keeping him alive.” Word ultimately reached the plane’s captain, who informed Sotomayor that she was jeopardizing the lives of everyone on board, including her son.
The captain, along with the other three flight attendants, then threatened to remove her from her seat, stating she was not cooperating with the United Airlines crew. Two other passengers also interfered, informing the crew that Sotomayor had done nothing wrong. Nonetheless, the captain and flight attendants proceeded to harass and humiliate the mother in front of other passengers until they decided to call the airline’s senior management. After an hour, the plane lifted off without further incident; in other words, all of Sotomayor’s maltreatment was unnecessary.
“Do people not understand what a ventilator is?” exclaims a TikTok commenter, shocked by how ignorant and irresponsible the crew acted. “United Airlines has the worst customer service,” chimes in another. Missy Soto shared this sentiment in her post, telling viewers to “Do not fly United Airlines.” She continued, “They treat you like you are less than them if you have a loved one with a disability.”
“This is really insane. “The entire plane crew is working together to kill that kid,” said a Reddit user in response to the news. Many other Reddit and TikTok users chastised the impolite and poorly trained United Airlines captain and flight staff for their despicable behavior. Let’s hope that the outcry from Sotomayor’s video and online users prompts United Airlines to act and punish the harassers.
