Airtran through Disney- no seats together

[MikeP22]

Her children aren't babies or even toddlers. I'm sure they have been on a bus or in a theater and had to sit next to someone else. They will all be on the same plane. Why would you over react like this for such a non issue. Children 5 and up can fly as unaccompanied minors let alone with their families on the same plane. Everyone gets there at the same time no matter where you sit.

Sure, maybe children 5 and up CAN fly as an unaccompanied minor but that doesn't mean that they SHOULD (unless there is a real need).
And sure, they may have sat next to a stranger on the bus or in a theater, but you can be sure that there is a trusted adult sitting next to them or sitting close enough to keep an eye on them.
Not to mention there are always children that have some kind of special need... including but not limited to special needs children (ones with physical, mental, or behavioral handicaps), but also children prone to motion sickness, general fear of strangers, food allergies, etc.

Also, and this bears mentioning... going to WDW is really only the backdrop to what is paramount to a lot of families, and that is spending time together. I don't know about you, but my time is limited and precious so quite frankly I WANT to sit with my wife and child when traveling.
There are 168 hours in a week.
Between commuting and work my wife and I are gone 40+ and 55 hours a week, respectively.
My daughter normally sleeps from 7:30pm to 6:30am and has maybe one 2-hour nap on the weekend (that's 79 hours a week, on average).
Factor in about 10 or so hours a week for errands, chores, and other activities with limited opportunity to involve or engage our child.

That leaves an average of 24 hours a week to be directly involved with my child; a little more for my wife.
Bottom line, I want every free moment that I can get to spend with my child and I am willing to pay for it. I think calling that an overreaction might be a little misguided.

So, I've mentioned why I wouldn't want my child to not sit with me on a plane... But don't forget that there are people who might not want an unsupervised child sitting next to them on a plane, either. Not all children and perfectly behaved in public, and even those who are aren't necessarily always so.

I don't know why families (who didn't already know how airlines like AT work) wouldn't just save themselves and everyone else the hassle and just pay for seats assigned together, or fly an airline that does (though I'm sure that's not always guaranteed). Relying on someone else to move is dicey at best... Sure, there are some people who paid for and have a need (real or self-imposed) to sit in a specific seat and I can understand that.

But hey, I travel the NYC subway almost every day and constantly see young and/or healthy people seated while refusing to even make eye-contact with an old or infirm person who is standing right in front of them. Even when they are sitting in seats marked for such people.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

1. There is no "law" "Rule" etc that says your children who are not infants can't be seated apart from you Regardless of what the AirTran agent told the poster above it's not factually correct LOL! Of course, airline employees are often like Disney CMs and "make things up" or are just clueless. However, the FAs actually "run" the plane and they know the rules!


2. Being NICE will go much farther then anything else. Trust me I have seen the "hissy" fit, the "lawsuit threat" (that one actually wound up being asked to leave the plane), the "hysterical screaming and crying" etc.... All of those backfired! And it's not good to try to go with "well this is the best seat so that's what we will keep" Trades need to be somewhat equal. So if you have a middle and an aisle someplace asking the person in the middle next to your aisle to take your "aisle" seat works better then asking the person in the aisle seat to take a middle seat.

And the person sitting next to your child is probably just fine. Of course if you have trained your child to be "hysterically' afraid of strangers it's going to be a long flight. There's a fine line and if you see EVERYONE as "MONSTER" then...

(And realistically have you been on AirTran? SERIOUSLY there's just no privacy or space!)

 

[amym2]

Update- I just got off the phone with AirTran and I was able to purchase 4 seats together even though the website showed that there weren't any seats available together. I'm guessing they hold the last few rows and don't open those for purchase online. For peace of mind, I figured $12 per person round-trip was worth it.

 

[MikeP22]

1. There is no "law" "Rule" etc that says your children who are not infants can't be seated apart from you
2. Being NICE will go much farther then anything else. Trust me I have seen the "hissy" fit, the "lawsuit threat" (that one actually wound up being asked to leave the plane), the "hysterical screaming and crying" etc.... All of those backfired! Regardless of what the AirTran agent told the poster above it's not factually correct LOL! Of course, airline employees are often like Disney CMs and "make things up" or are just clueless. However, the FAs actually "run" the plane and they know the rules!

And it's not good to try to go with "well this is the best seat so that's what we will keep" Trades need to be somewhat equal. So if you have a middle and an aisle someplace asking the person in the middle next to your aisle to take your "aisle" seat works better then asking the person in the aisle seat to take a middle seat.

And the person sitting next to your child is probably just fine. Of course if you have trained your child to be "hysterically' afraid of strangers it's going to be a long flight. There's a fine line and if you see EVERYONE as "MONSTER" then...

(And realistically have you been on AirTran? SERIOUSLY there's just no privacy or space!)

I hear you... In regards to point 1, sure, though I think that having a child sit with a parent is both responsible parenting (at least until they are a tween, maybe even 10/11 yo) and trying to get the most of out free time together.
And point 2 pretty much goes without saying (or at least it should).

I just save myself the hassle and DON'T fly AirTran.

As for the person potentially sitting next to my kid... Maybe, maybe not. Better to assume on the conservative side of things. I was once a freewheelin' single guy with no kids and up until I met my niece did not want to have to deal with children in too close a proximity.

 

[crashbb]

Update- I just got off the phone with AirTran and I was able to purchase 4 seats together even though the website showed that there weren't any seats available together. I'm guessing they hold the last few rows and don't open those for purchase online. For peace of mind, I figured $12 per person round-trip was worth it.

Great!

It is absolutely worth $12 for piece of mind.

 

[MikeP22]

Update- I just got off the phone with AirTran and I was able to purchase 4 seats together even though the website showed that there weren't any seats available together. I'm guessing they hold the last few rows and don't open those for purchase online. For peace of mind, I figured $12 per person round-trip was worth it.

Awesome, glad to hear it... and I agree that $12 pp is way worth the peace-of-mind.

 

[Lewisc]

When pricing airfare include the cost for an assigned seat, unless you're willing to accept a middle seat next to a stranger and the cost to check however many bags you need. OK Spirit passengers need to include more fees.

Are your plans subject to change. Research applicable change fees before you make your reservation.

 

[ckrum]

While I understand your concern for your child, this is an extremely offensive statement. Most likely, the person next to your daughter's seat is someone just like you, or someone you would trust and respect. I detest the paranoia displayed by airline passengers toward other passengers.

Not sure why you find this extremely offensive

I'm not paranoid about other airline passengers. I would never leave my child unsupervised in any strangers company. The fact that they are a stranger means I don't know what type of person they are. Maybe they love kids and wouldn't mind or maybe not. It doesn't matter, because they are a stranger and they are on their own trip which did not include my child.

Not to mention that they have no idea if my child is a loud and obnoxious brat

 

[ckrum]

Update- I just got off the phone with AirTran and I was able to purchase 4 seats together even though the website showed that there weren't any seats available together. I'm guessing they hold the last few rows and don't open those for purchase online. For peace of mind, I figured $12 per person round-trip was worth it.

So glad you were able to get your seats together. I agree, it is worth the cost. Now, relax and enjoy!

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Sure they do...

Not to mention that they have no idea if my child is a loud and obnoxious brat

 

[SilverMickey]

When chatting it up flight attendants they said they truely do work hard at seating kids with their parents for the simple reason of emergency exit. If something bad happens they want people off the plane. If mom is in row 5 and DD is in row 17 then there is 12 rows of swimming up stream against the flow of evacuation when mom follows her gut to save her child.

I agree, I would try to get to my child.

 

[maxiesmom]

While the FAs may ask people to switch seats so that family members can all be together, they will not force people to switch seats. And not just on the airlines that charge for seats. I have been on Delta flights where families were split up all over the aircraft, and the FAs could do little to get them together, other than request people switch seats.

When I flew over Spring Break a couple of years ago (on Delta) there were families split up all over the place. And many were asking people to switch seats. The FAs finally told everyone to get into their assigned seats, and wait until we were at crusing altitude to try to swtich seats. They couldn't waste any more time sitting there while people played musical chairs, the aircraft had to go!

The airlines have a limit to what they will do to get families seated together. You simply cannot count on them solving that problem for you.

 

[MikeP22]

While the FAs may ask people to switch seats so that family members can all be together, they will not force people to switch seats. And not just on the airlines that charge for seats. I have been on Delta flights where families were split up all over the aircraft, and the FAs could do little to get them together, other than request people switch seats.

When I flew over Spring Break a couple of years ago (on Delta) there were families split up all over the place. And many were asking people to switch seats. The FAs finally told everyone to get into their assigned seats, and wait until we were at crusing altitude to try to swtich seats. They couldn't waste any more time sitting there while people played musical chairs, the aircraft had to go!

The airlines have a limit to what they will do to get families seated together. You simply cannot count on them solving that problem for you.

It makes me wonder what AirTran's return is for having "general admission" seating. It sounds like it's a tremendous hassle for their customers and FAs and reduces the likelihood of staying on schedule, or at least doing so efficiently.
It just doesn't seem to me like it's worth the $6 (for the airline or their customers).

 

[maxiesmom]

It makes me wonder what AirTran's return is for having "general admission" seating. It sounds like it's a tremendous hassle for their customers and FAs and reduces the likelihood of staying on schedule, or at least doing so efficiently.
It just doesn't seem to me like it's worth the $6 (for the airline or their customers).

I think the seating assignments actually start at $6, and go up to $15 a seat. So $30 a person per trip is not a small amount.

 

[aubriee]

I think the seating assignments actually start at $6, and go up to $15 a seat. So $30 a person per trip is not a small amount.

Priority seats toward the front of the plane that give boarding zone 1 are $13.00 and $15.00. Exit row seats are $20.00 and all other seats are $6.00. Then of course you have the business class seats in the very front of the plane. So yes, Air Tran makes quite a bit of money charging those seat fees.

Personally I love Air Tran's policy of allowing you to choose the seat you want for a fee. I just figure the seat and luggage fees in as part of the ticket price. Due to claustrophobic issues, I prefer aisle seats close to the front and like boarding zone 1, so that I know I'll have room for my carry on. Consequently I have no problem paying for those $13.00 or $15.00 seats, even when I'm solo. What I do resent, is some parent who was too cheap to buy seats together, who get on the plain and try to guilt me into giving that prime seat up for some middle seat in the back of the plane, so they can sit with their kid. It may sound harsh, but I get tired of constantly being asked to give up that $15.00 seat I paid for, for some middle seat in the back. Offer me a comparable seat to the one I paid for and I will, but don't expect me to give up a $15.00 aisle seat in the front for a $6.00 middle seat in the back. I chose that $15.00 seat for a reason.

I feel sorry for someone who booked not knowing that they should have paid to pick their seats, but you read alot of posts where people say they intentionally chose not to pay and how they'll throw a hissy fit or tell their kids to act up in order to get others to accommodate them. Those people I have no patience for and will not accommodate, no matter what trick they try to pull. I have seen parents having a hissy fit, demanding that the FAs order other passengers to move. I have yet to see those types accommodated though.

 

[keishashadow]

aubiree very well put.

OP sorry you had this happen but i'd have thought a travel provider would've pointed the seating policy out to 'noob' customers to avoid this exact sort of situtation.

However, i do find it odd that despite all the extensive research/planning people tend to do for their 1st Disney trips, so many people post here of exact same situation you encountered.

 

[NotUrsula]

FTR, the US has no "rule" about contiguous seating for minors on commercial aircraft. The only law that addresses this is in regard to the use of carseats: a child who is strapped into a carseat that is in a paid-for seat must be seated next to an adult who will take responsibility for removing the child from the seat in the event of an emergency. That is the ONLY circumstance in which an FA is empowered to force any passengers to move, because the carseat has to be in a legal position with ONE accompanying adult seated next to it.

That being said, FA's almost never invoke that power; they naturally prefer to try to get passengers to volunteer to move. In practice, FA's will usually offer inducements to get a child who is under age 5 seated within arm's reach of one adult in the party, but once the child crosses that magic "old enough to fly as an unaccompanied minor" threshold, then bribes are usually no longer offered.

FWIW, the FAA definition for "unaccompanied minor" is one who is not accompanied by an adult who is flying in the same class of service on the same aircraft. They do this to try to prevent situations where parents take a 1F upgrade but leave their kids in coach -- if you try it the airline can charge you the escort fee even though you are on the same flight. As you can see, there is no requirement to class a child as unaccompanied so long as there is an adult in the party who is somewhere on the same side of the curtain.

 

[TinkStitch]

Priority seats toward the front of the plane that give boarding zone 1 are $13.00 and $15.00. Exit row seats are $20.00 and all other seats are $6.00. Then of course you have the business class seats in the very front of the plane. So yes, Air Tran makes quite a bit of money charging those seat fees.

Personally I love Air Tran's policy of allowing you to choose the seat you want for a fee. I just figure the seat and luggage fees in as part of the ticket price. Due to claustrophobic issues, I prefer aisle seats close to the front and like boarding zone 1, so that I know I'll have room for my carry on. Consequently I have no problem paying for those $13.00 or $15.00 seats, even when I'm solo. What I do resent, is some parent who was too cheap to buy seats together, who get on the plain and try to guilt me into giving that prime seat up for some middle seat in the back of the plane, so they can sit with their kid. It may sound harsh, but I get tired of constantly being asked to give up that $15.00 seat I paid for, for some middle seat in the back. Offer me a comparable seat to the one I paid for and I will, but don't expect me to give up a $15.00 aisle seat in the front for a $6.00 middle seat in the back. I chose that $15.00 seat for a reason.

I feel sorry for someone who booked not knowing that they should have paid to pick their seats, but you read alot of posts where people say they intentionally chose not to pay and how they'll throw a hissy fit or tell their kids to act up in order to get others to accommodate them. Those people I have no patience for and will not accommodate, no matter what trick they try to pull. I have seen parents having a hissy fit, demanding that the FAs order other passengers to move. I have yet to see those types accommodated though.

I completely agree with you. I love being able to pay for the seat I want. I usually pick one of the $13 window seats. I get clausterphobic as well, but have found that being able to look out the window helps. I like being in the first boarding group so I can get my carry on in the overhead bin and get settled before the person in the middle or aisle seats get to their seats.

I was actually bumped from my seat that I paid for on a flight from Milwaukee to Orlando in May. I was ready to get rather upset when the gate agent told me they had to bump me. I thought they had bumped me from the flight completely since they had been asking for volunteers to be bumped. It turns out they had only bumped me from my seat in row 15 to a business class seat in row 3 so a little boy (3ish) & his mom could sit together. The mom had been asking people in the area to switch seats so she & her son could sit together and the gate agent told her it was a full flight & she should have paid for seats if they wanted to be sure to sit together. Another gate agent came up & switched everything so they could sit together.

 

[dudspizza]

I completely agree with you. I love being able to pay for the seat I want. I usually pick one of the $13 window seats. I get clausterphobic as well, but have found that being able to look out the window helps. I like being in the first boarding group so I can get my carry on in the overhead bin and get settled before the person in the middle or aisle seats get to their seats.

I was actually bumped from my seat that I paid for on a flight from Milwaukee to Orlando in May. I was ready to get rather upset when the gate agent told me they had to bump me. I thought they had bumped me from the flight completely since they had been asking for volunteers to be bumped. It turns out they had only bumped me from my seat in row 15 to a business class seat in row 3 so a little boy (3ish) & his mom could sit together. The mom had been asking people in the area to switch seats so she & her son could sit together and the gate agent told her it was a full flight & she should have paid for seats if they wanted to be sure to sit together. Another gate agent came up & switched everything so they could sit together.

Those are the bumps you like! We were boarding our first flight from MSP to MKE. We had another group of 5 we were traveling with. They were in front of us in line and passed through the gate no problems and down the jetway. One of my daughters was first and they couldn't get her BP to scan........ she then looks in the computer and says, "Oh, you are the Dudspizza family, we have moved your seats." I was about to get upset when they handed the new passes to us and all four of us had been moved up to business class. The gate agent said, "we noticed you were all A+ members, so we upgraded you... have a nice flight". BONUS!

The fun part was getting the cell phone out and calling our friends back in coach to tell them we would not be coming back..... we were in row 1! We enjoyed that 45 minute flight and were first off to meet our friends in the gate area!

Duds

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

We would fly standby quite a bit when the kids were younger. More often than not seats weren't together. My youngest (or both kids) would end up in First Class and I would be somewhere in coach. I felt better with them in FC where the FA to PAX ratio is much lower. I will admit we got much better treatment when we wore the "I know Dudspizza" buttons...

Those are the bumps you like! We were boarding our first flight from MSP to MKE. We had another group of 5 we were traveling with. They were in front of us in line and passed through the gate no problems and down the jetway. One of my daughters was first and they couldn't get her BP to scan........ she then looks in the computer and says, "Oh, you are the Dudspizza family, we have moved your seats." I was about to get upset when they handed the new passes to us and all four of us had been moved up to business class. The gate agent said, "we noticed you were all A+ members, so we upgraded you... have a nice flight". BONUS!

The fun part was getting the cell phone out and calling our friends back in coach to tell them we would not be coming back..... we were in row 1! We enjoyed that 45 minute flight and were first off to meet our friends in the gate area!

Duds