Mom says she flew her son and her mobility scooter on Delta twice. But they were removed from their third flight: ‘It is ridiculous’

A mother said her family was removed from a Delta flight after staff raised an issue with her son’s mobility scooter, even though she claimed the same device had been accepted on two earlier Delta flights that same week. Erin Kasey, who posts on TikTok as @erinkaseytx, shared the account in a video filmed at an airport gate, where she appeared emotional while speaking directly to the camera.

Kasey said in the video that the device got her, her son, who has dwarfism, and the rest of the family “just kicked off of a Delta flight from Florida to Atlanta.” She stated that this was the third Delta flight of the week and that they had already flown twice earlier with the same scooter without any problems. She claimed that on this flight the staff spoke only to her husband at first, told him he could talk to her, then decided they had to leave the plane.

She added that the situation felt unfair after the previous flights had gone smoothly. Kasey said in the video, “It is ridiculous.” The clip showed her wiping tears while describing the removal, and the post quickly drew hundreds of thousands of views along with comments questioning what had changed between the flights.

Family later boarded with the scooter on American Airlines after battery questions

In comments on the original video, Kasey explained that the captain initially told them the scooter could go into the cargo hold. She said they then went to their seats, but about 30 minutes later they were escorted off and told the device could not be on the plane at all.

She claimed the captain had flagged her and her son as soon as he saw them walk on, later mentioned filing paperwork for cargo, and then had them removed. She described the process as humiliating for their son. Similar complaints have surfaced online, including a passenger offboarded over his mobility device.

Kasey later posted an update video on TikTok from an airplane cabin. She said the family had switched to American Airlines and that everyone, including the mobility device, had boarded without issue. She stated, “Yes, it was a battery issue, um, but it shouldn’t have been.” She explained that the scooter has a lithium battery but that the battery is small enough to meet airline requirements, which is why they had never had problems with it before.

She added that this was the first time they had ever faced trouble loading the device on a Delta flight. Kasey said American Airlines managers told her they were not sure why Delta had treated the scooter as a problem. She said the family was thankful to be heading home and that she planned to share more details later about the device and why it matters for her son. Her account also echoes another viral case of Delta staff humiliating a disabled passenger at boarding.

Delta’s published guidance states that the airline transports both manual and battery-powered personal mobility devices. The guidance recommends notifying the airline at least 48 hours ahead for battery-operated devices so staff can follow U.S. Federal Dangerous Goods Handling Procedures. It also notes that passengers should complete a Mobility Device Handling Form and provide battery type and disassembly instructions.

Some viewers questioned whether the scooter met medical standards. One commenter wrote, “This scooter is literally on TikTok Shop for $90, that is not medical grade.” Another suggested the problem was safety-related and wrote, “I’m sure it’s the battery, which is a safety issue.” A third commenter stated, “You know you cannot fly with lithium batteries… come on… they even ask you that when you book/go to the counter.”

Other viewers offered different views. One wrote, “I would have just left it and got a new one.” Another, who identified as an airline employee, said, “As a Airline employee there is definitely more to this story.” Kasey has not posted further public details beyond the two videos and her comments on the original post.