Mum banned from breastfeeding on TUI flight shares 'shocking' reply to complaint
When mum-of-two Chelsea Williams boarded her TUI flight to Almeria, Spain, on July 26, she was preparing to breastfeed her six-week-old baby as the plane took off.
The parent claims she'd read online that doing so could help alleviate pain in a baby's ears and she hadn't seen any safety restrictions or policies that prohibited it. Numerous experts including the National Childbirth Trust recommend that mothers breastfeed babies during take-off and on landing to prevent pain and uncomfortable sensations, such as popping ears.
So she forged ahead with her plan to keep her baby settled, only to be approached by a member of the cabin crew who told her she 'wasn't permitted' to feed during this time.
Chelsea has since slammed the airline for 'discrimination' after contacting customer support about the issue, only to receive a reply that left her gobsmacked. The 28-year-old software engineer stopped breastfeeding to avoid 'making a scene' but found it frustrating as her baby began to cry, leaving her feeling anxious about their return flight.
The mum had researched the benefits of breastfeeding during take-off and landing (Kennedy News & Media)Her husband, Thomas Williams, urged her to use the company's app to ask TUI staff if she would be allowed to feed their baby during take-off for their flight back home. The couple received an unexpected response over a week later, in which they were warned not to breastfeed on the plane as it may "make other people feel uncomfortable" - despite there being no official restrictions in place.
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Chelsea, from near Conwy, North Wales, said: "We were trying to make the [travel] experience as non-stressful as we could. Before going, I did some research and it said to feed for take-off and landing. They came to do the belt checks and saw that the baby was buckled in and feeding and I was told it wasn't permitted to feed during take-off and landing. I didn't know what to do, because obviously I'd done research and was planning on feeding my baby - she needed to be settled.
"I didn't want to cause a scene by not cooperating, so I stopped feeding. I didn't feed while we were taking off, and the cries were getting worse. She was obviously in pain. I was embarrassed because the baby was crying and all eyes were on me. I waited until the seatbelt lights went off, and when they did, I started to feed the baby. The night before we returned home, I was getting anxious about travelling again and feeding my baby."
She continued: "My husband told me to message the TUI customer service on the app. We went on the app, and he asked if it was okay for me to breastfeed during take-off or landing. Their response was absolutely shocking. I didn't expect that response at all; I expected a policy maybe, or a safety regulation. That's why I didn't feed [during the take-off] because I thought maybe I'd missed something. I didn't reply, I was honestly gobsmacked. I went into the travel day home really anxious that someone was going to say something to me again or not let me feed my baby. I didn't ask [if I was allowed to feed her] on the flight home at all. I just fed my baby, and thankfully nobody said anything about this flight."
She's branded it 'discrimination' (Kennedy News & Media)Chelsea has since shared a screenshot of her 'shocking' conversation with TUI customer support on Facebook on 7th August, where she slammed the holiday giant for their 'complete discrimination' against breastfeeding mothers. The full response from TUI reads: "Thank you for contacting TUI. There are no official restrictions, however, we would not recommend it because it could make other people feel uncomfortable. Let us know if you have any further questions."
The angry parent claims that TUI have since apologised for the matter via Facebook messenger and said that they are 'looking into' the matter with a 'further investigation'. However, Chelsea claims that she has now been put off flying with the company until they make reforms to their policy and provide improved diversity, inclusion, and equity training for their team.
Chelsea, who was also flying with her two-year-old daughter, added: "I had been on aeroplanes before with my toddler [when she was a baby], and I've been able to breastfeed with no issue, but we haven't flown as a family with TUI before. This experience has made me less likely to fly with TUI in future unless they make changes. Change some policies, train some more people, and obviously improve their attitude towards breastfeeding mums and breastfed babies."
In response to Chelsea's ordeal, hundreds expressed their fury at TUI's response. One mum wrote: "If other people are allowed to eat and drink in public then why is breastfeeding our children not allowed? What a disgusting response!! To all the breastfeeding mummies out there, keep going. We've got this. Screw what other people say and think. Just smile at them and carry on, that will make them uncomfortable!" While another said: "This is ridiculous... We will cater to dietary requirements on flights unless you are a five-week-old baby, being fed in the most natural way. Let's face it no one can see anything unless they are next to you! I'll be boycotting Tui going forward!"
TUI have since apologised for the misdemeanour, and confirmed that they are going to ensure that all colleagues are retrained on their breastfeeding policy. A spokesperson for TUI said: "We are really sorry for the distress caused to Ms Williams and her infant. As a family-friendly travel company, we support breastfeeding on our flights at any time. We are currently conducting an urgent internal investigation and will be making sure that all colleagues are retrained on our breastfeeding-friendly policy."
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