An airline spokesperson said they refused to remove their items by request of the crew members and then "cursed and yelled" at them.
Minta Burke and husband Cameron Burke were flying with their two children to Las Vegas for a surprise trip earlier this month and had brought with them a buttercream birthday cake for her 40th birthday, The New York Daily News reported. They said they stored it in an overhead bin. Cameron told the outlet a flight attendant told him to store it under the seat in front of him instead and that he complied. He said another flight attendant then got into an argument with the first one.
"You know, you could see the gestures—then she was pointing to her, 'Did you tell him he couldn't put anything in the overhead compartment?'" Cameron told WABC-TV. "I had approached them, and I said everything was fine, and she said, 'Sir, this does not involve you.' When she told me I had been non-compliant, then I said 'Ma'am, had you been drinking?' because her behavior was not normal."
Cameron told The New York Daily News that another JetBlue employee asked him to leave the flight with his family and that he refused and instead pulled out his cell phone and started recording. He said two airport police officers then boarded the plane, took down his information and then left.
As seen in Cameron's video, the family's 7-year-old son Cameron Jr. began crying, while their 9-year-old daughter Camille appeared scared as the dad calmly talked to officers.
JetBlue reps then told all passengers they had to exit the plane in order to get the Burke family off and that the four were ordered to leave, Cameron said, adding that their tickets were refunded. However, their luggage remained on the flight and flew with the other passengers to Las Vegas.