Family says cake got them kicked off Vegas-bound JetBlue flight

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.

Cameron Burke told the New York Daily News they were flying out of Kennedy Airport 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 officials released a statement Sunday that said the family stowed the cake and other items in a bin reserved for safety and emergency equipment and refused multiple requests to remove them.

Family members cursed and yelled at the crew, and “made false accusations about a crewmember’s fitness to fly,” according to the airline’s statement.

Police were called, and the captain determined they would not be allowed to fly, but they were given a full refund for their tickets, the airline said in a statement.

“All customers are welcome to bring onboard one carry on and one personal item, including cakes, within the size limits,” the airline said, adding that a video of the incident circulating online does not show the full altercation, starting after law enforcement was called.

Review-Journal reporter Max Michor contributed to this story.