Family says JetBlue kicked them off plane over birthday cake
NEW YORK -- A New Jersey family says their plans to celebrate a birthday in Nevada were crushed when JetBlue Airways kicked them off the plane for storing a birthday cake in an overhead bin.
According to the Daily News, Cameron Burke and his family were flying out of Kennedy Airport on May 3 when he was asked to remove the cake, which he did. He said another attendant berated him, telling them to leave the plane after he questioned whether the attendant had been drinking.
JetBlue said Sunday the cake and other items were stowed in a bin reserved for safety and emergency equipment and the family refused multiple requests to remove them.
"The customers became agitated, cursed and yelled at the crew, and made false accusations about a crewmember's fitness to fly," the airline said in a statement provided to CBS News.
"After the customers refused to speak with a team leader about the situation, the Port Authority Police Department was called and the entire aircraft deplaned. The Captain determined the customers' behavior demonstrated a risk for additional escalation in air and would not be allowed to fly," JetBlue said.
According to JetBlue, the video circulating on social media "does not depict the entire incident and only starts after the objectionable behavior occurred and law enforcement was called."
The airline said the family was given a full refund.