Delta has ruined our vacation!

[karenbaco]

Well now that Delta had gone bankrupt they have to consolidate their flights. Well how is it fair that my family has gotten seats seperate from each other? We are a family of myself, dh and 2 ds's ages 2 & 4. We are also traveling with another family of 5. Not only has Delta managed to seperate the 2 families but my own family has seperate seats. I'm very upset about this i have anxiety about flying as it is but to be seperated from my kids is gonna kill me. I already called the Supervisor twice and they told me i can put a request for a seat change at the gate! I'm gonna worry from now til we leave about this. This arrangement only affected our return flight thank GOD! Has this happened to anyone?
Thanks for listening
Karen

 

[Junebugwv]

We've had this happen and there are always seats held so the ticket/gate agents can assign them. We make sure we are there in plenty of time and have always been able to sit together. Delta has been great over the years for us.

 

[jeeperwy]

We have had this happen many times to us. We just check in at the gate and they will try to seat you together. You might be assigned you with one child and your DH with the other. Even sometimes this hasn't worked, so when you get to the plane you have to tell the flight attendent and they will reseat someone. Trust me, people will be gladly reseated so that they don't have to sit next to your 2 year old!!! On our last trip we stood at the front of the plane while the flight attendent looked for someone to move. She told me to just stand there with my 2 year old and look miserable!!! People were fighting over who got to move!!! Don't let this get you down about your vacation, it will turn out OK.

Kari
DS9 (I can sit by myself, mom!)
DS3 (Nobody wants to sit with me, including mom!)

 

[ahutton]

I've had similar issues on American, and found the flight crew was more than happy to help us get seated nearer to each other. In our case we did end up 2 and 2, but that was not a big deal.

 

[tjmw2727]

When traveling AA no matter how early or late I booked our flights they always managed to change our seat assignments and separate us. Change of equipment, change of flight whatever - its not uncommon and please don't let it ruin your vacation.

Get to the gate early, and let the gate agent help you. Explain the situation and have a worst case senerio in place - say one parent & two kids or one parent with one kid each. They will try and accomodate you by putting others in the exit rows or moving preferred passengers to preferred seats but alot of this dosen't happen until the flight "opens" for this. Do yourself a favor and remember that the gate agent did not cause this and the nicer you are to him/her and the more your are willing to give the more you will get. One adult may have to sit alone and one child if old enough may be across the asile or one seat ahead of you. If this happens it will be pretty easy to get the passenger next to you to move for your child.

I am not saying this is ok but that it happens all the time, in my experience more often than not, (except Jetblue!).

Good luck and don't worry your going to Disneyworld.

TJ

 

[belleandthebeast]

I'm so sorry this happen to you! But don't let it ruin your whole vacation! As others have posted, the gate agents will do their best to accomodate you w/ seats together. It really does work out most of the time.

In the case that it doesn't, and noone will switch w/ you, just let the person traveling next to your child that he/she has extreme motion sickness and that he/she threw up all the way down. That person won't be able to move quick enough.


]Well now that Delta had gone bankrupt they have to consolidate their flights. Well how is it fair that my family has gotten seats seperate from each other?


Just so you know, ALL airlines do this. The airlines will never guarantee seats assignments. Never, ever, ever. They only guarantee seats. Sometimes even that doesn't work .

Again, I know it's very stressful. Been there, done that. But please, don't let it ruin your vacation!

 

[Lord Fantasius]

Like the others have said, karenbaco, Delta hasn't ruined your vacation, just made the flight a little more challenging. First of all, airlines won't let either a 2 or 4-yr-old sit without an adult so at the worst you'll be stuck one parent with each child; and unless someone is in a coveted seat that they have to have, most passengers will gladly relocate so families and parties can travel together.

Sitting with the other family might be a little more difficult, but you'll be seeing each other quite a bit during your vacation so I wouldn't let this little bump frustrate you too much.

-R

 

[Carrieannew]

Can someone tell me how i check my flight info online. My parents booked the tickets for us so all i have in front of me are the flight times and dates and flight #'s. How can i check them?

 

[tlbwriter]

Just so you know, ALL airlines do this. The airlines will never guarantee seats assignments. Never, ever, ever. They only guarantee seats. Sometimes even that doesn't work .

Yeah, it happened to us last year before Delta was even considering bankruptcy. We were spread all over the plane. But, of the nine of us travelling together, the only one who wasn't assigned a seat next to a family member was my 5-year-old! We rearranged amongst ourselves to meet our needs. Don't expect to have your whole family together, let alone be seated close to the other family - you are sure to be disappointed.

 

[IwannaseeMickey]

I would so not worry, I would get there early, explain the situation and they will likely be able to change the seats to help you. They aren't going to make kids sit away from parents if they can help it.

 

[mc'smommy]

Well now that Delta had gone bankrupt they have to consolidate their flights. Well how is it fair that my family has gotten seats seperate from each other? We are a family of myself, dh and 2 ds's ages 2 & 4. We are also traveling with another family of 5. Not only has Delta managed to seperate the 2 families but my own family has seperate seats. I'm very upset about this i have anxiety about flying as it is but to be seperated from my kids is gonna kill me. I already called the Supervisor twice and they told me i can put a request for a seat change at the gate! I'm gonna worry from now til we leave about this. This arrangement only affected our return flight thank GOD! Has this happened to anyone?
Thanks for listening
Karen

Karen
Not to sound mean or anything but if this is all you have to worry about in your life right now is whether or not you are sitting next to a family member or friend, I would be thankfull... They would never let your children sit by themselves and futher more if you were flying southwest where they board by when you check in and get Catagory A, B , or C then forsure you have a chance to not sit together..
And to boot it only has affected your RETURN flight.. LOL I guess it is safe to say Delta has not ruined your vacation, like your title says...

I am sorry I think you are worrying for nothing..

have a wonderful trip..

 

[Vickie46]

I totally understand what you are saying.. and YES.. I would be worried too.. it comes from being a Mommy.. I would be the same way! I would probably be in tears actually... Like the above said.. I would say.. he or she will get sick possibly.. especially since I am not there.. I think they will move whoever to make sure you get by your children.. even if its 2 and 2! I think a lot of people travel alone anyways.. so you will be fine!

 

[TDC Nala]

They aren't going to make kids that young sit alone. Talk to the personnel at the gate or ask someone to switch with you... I doubt anyone else will want to sit with an unattended 2 year old.

 

[Schmeck]

What goes around comes around - for those of you who like to lie about your kid being sick, etc, hope they do get sick, on you, on your flight!

 

[stage manager]

When flights are cancelled orconsolidated seats are reassigned by computer, so no one at Delta did this maliciously. If you have your confirmation number (usually a collection of letters and numbers) you can go to Delta.com and see if there are empty seats to move your family around closer to you. If you bought the tix at a large website, you should be able to do the same there. Check daily, seat availability constantly changes as things open up or people cancel.

We are going next week and the only seats I could get for the four of us on the flight home were in pairs in front of each other. Now, my kids fly more than kids their age probably should, so they will be okay. However, if I thought there would be a problem I wouldn't worry as I have moved many times on planes to accommodate families not seated together. The airline won't let a small child sit alone, but most seasoned travellers don't want a broken up family as that means kids climbing over you or wetting their pants because they don't know where the potty is.

It will all work out.

 

[Hawk]

Karen
Not to sound mean or anything but if this is all you have to worry about in your life right now is whether or not you are sitting next to a family member or friend, I would be thankfull... They would never let your children sit by themselves and futher more if you were flying southwest where they board by when you check in and get Catagory A, B , or C then forsure you have a chance to not sit together..
And to boot it only has affected your RETURN flight.. LOL I guess it is safe to say Delta has not ruined your vacation, like your title says...

I am sorry I think you are worrying for nothing..

have a wonderful trip..

 

[mickeyfan2]

When you check in talk to the Agent and then the Flight Attendant. They will try to get others to change seats to atleast get 1 adult and 1 kid together.

 

[alecam]

Karen
Not to sound mean or anything but if this is all you have to worry about in your life right now is whether or not you are sitting next to a family member or friend, I would be thankfull... They would never let your children sit by themselves and futher more if you were flying southwest where they board by when you check in and get Catagory A, B , or C then forsure you have a chance to not sit together..
And to boot it only has affected your RETURN flight.. LOL I guess it is safe to say Delta has not ruined your vacation, like your title says...

I am sorry I think you are worrying for nothing..

have a wonderful trip..

I find this a bit harsh!

Karen, I agree that this would put a damper on my vacation planning also, but take the advice on the kind DISers that have faith that Delta will do their best to make sure that you family is put back together. I'm sure it's all gonna work out well and you will have a fabulous vacation!!

Kristi

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well now that Delta had gone bankrupt they have to consolidate their flights. Well how is it fair that my family has gotten seats seperate from each other? We are a family of myself, dh and 2 ds's ages 2 & 4. We are also traveling with another family of 5. Not only has Delta managed to seperate the 2 families but my own family has seperate seats. I'm very upset about this i have anxiety about flying as it is but to be seperated from my kids is gonna kill me. I already called the Supervisor twice and they told me i can put a request for a seat change at the gate! I'm gonna worry from now til we leave about this. This arrangement only affected our return flight thank GOD! Has this happened to anyone?
Thanks for listening
Karen

As at least one other person has pointed out, Delta is providing you with seats and air transportation to your destination, as contracted. They're not obligatedt to provide you with specific[/]seats. Of course they'll try, and I can see the necessity of one parent sitting with each child; but not of the four of you sitting together, and certainly not of the two families having to be seated together. If it's for the kids to have something to do/someone to play with, well, bring distractions for them. As for your anxiety, if you have time, see/discuss this issue with your physician ASAP.

We've had this happen and there are always seats held so the ticket/gate agents can assign them. We make sure we are there in plenty of time and have always been able to sit together. Delta has been great over the years for us.

Junebug is right. Delta always always always (well, so do most airlines) hold "preferred" seats, mainly the ones near the front of the plane, for their ultra-frequent flyers who may book last-minute. Want proof? Song has two non-stop flights from Boston to Orlando departing 331 days from today. That's absolutely as far out as you can purchase flights from them. ALREADY, 49 seats on each of those flights are showing as 'unavailable'. The same 49 seats on each plane.
The day before or the day of YOUR flight, most of these held seats will be released. Try calling Delta just after midnight the day before you fly, and if that doesn't work, try again in the morning and again at midnight the day of your flight. Worst-case, get to the airport early and request a seat change.

In the case that it doesn't, and noone will switch w/ you, just let the person traveling next to your child that he/she has extreme motion sickness and that he/she threw up all the way down. That person won't be able to move quick enough.

Does anybody actually resort to this, and does anybody fall for it?

I find this a bit harsh!

Karen, I agree that this would put a damper on my vacation planning also, but take the advice on the kind DISers that have faith that Delta will do their best to make sure that you family is put back together. I'm sure it's all gonna work out well and you will have a fabulous vacation!!

Blunt and realistic, sure. Harsh, nope, I disagree.

 

[eeyoreiscool]

If any of your kids are in carseats then they will seat at least one adult with them due to liability reasons. Our experience is the gate or ticketing agents at the airport will help you out and get everything straight. Don't let it stress you out too much.