Airtran and not paying for seats

[peabody58]

I'd pay to ensure some of my family members do not sit together!

 

[Hannathy]

I'd pay to ensure some of my family members do not sit together!

the last time we flew my kids were in separate rows probably a half dozen rows apart or so and the gate agent saw that and said oh just a minute I can move you guys together in a row and both of them said NO at the same time so adamantly I think he jumped! They like their windows and being away from each other.

 

[kirstenb1]

Curiosity got the better of me so I looked it up. The top 10 states with the most registered sex offenders (not just child molesters but sex offenders in general) are:

10. Iowa
09. South Carolina
08. Utah
07. Texas
06. Delaware
05. Florida
04. South Dakota
03. Wisconsin
02. Montana
01. Arkansas

Of these, Iowa, Utah, Delaware, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Montana have absolutely no claim to fair weather. In addition, people need to be aware that :

People You Know
Most all original and recent sexual registry law regulation on the public awareness of these individuals focuses on protecting children from the strangers; when, in actuality, most all of sexual offenses committed against children involve a family member or someone they know well.

I also found a news site that said there have only been 10 reports of alleged child molestation on commercial airplanes in the past two decades, all involving unaccompanied minors.

I worry about people who see a potential child molester hiding behind every rock, bush, and in-flight magazine. They are much more likely to be found at your church, school, or family reunion.

I wonder how many jails there are in these states. Our county has a regional jail in it, and when I first googled "sex offenders" and our county's name, I about had a heart attack. Then I noticed they all had the same address, and put 2+2 together.

 

[Gigi22]

I would never agree to change seats to allow a 13 year old to sit with parents/grandparents, unless the child has special needs. My 14 year old niece just flew with her same age girlfriend, without adults, to Paris, France. A 13 year old can manage.

 

[duffy]

My daughter flew alone last summer from Boston to Baltimore. She was 13 at the time.

If I really, honestly was worried about the person sitting next to your granddaughter molesting her, I'd pay the money to have her sit next to you. I'd also coach her on how to react if someone did anything she was uncomfortable with. Is that really, honestly, an issue?

But let's face it, it's all about the money, really, now isn't it?? It's about saving $45.

 

[mis099dlm]

If it's important to you to be seated with your family, then pay the seat selection fee. If not for the reasons previously mentioned, then for emergency response. If there is an emergency and the need/ability to deplane quickly, then I would rather rely on myself to help get my kids off the plane rather than a stranger or the FA's.

 

[LilyWDW]

I would never agree to change seats to allow a 13 year old to sit with parents/grandparents, unless the child has special needs. My 14 year old niece just flew with her same age girlfriend, without adults, to Paris, France. A 13 year old can manage.

Don't expect a lot of sympathy from people if you ask them to change their seats so you can see with a teen. I know I would not move, especially depending on the seat for trade.

 

[miksicnarf]

We just returned from a round trip LAX-MCO on Airtran, our first experience with them. My three kids are 20something, so it was no big deal if we were split up and I refuse to pay extra for seat assignments. I kept checking the available seats online, just for kicks, and as of a day or two before our flight there were no seats together showing as available. However, when I checked in online 24 hours in advance, we were assigned four seats in a row--three together and one across the aisle. So, to echo what a few others have said, seats that show up as reserved may in fact be available.
For our return flight, once again I checked in online at the 24 hour mark, but I did so from my cell phone and didn't get seat assignments. When we got back to the room hours later I checked again on my laptop and was able to choose seats at no charge. I have no clue why. There weren't four together, but I was able to get two together and two nearby--those two could have been together but the boys preferred a window and an aisle rather than side-by-side. Perfectly acceptable and worth the savings, IMHO.

 

[Qtips4Mick]

First of all, many posts ago, I stated that I called Airtran and paid for what appeared to be reserved seats near one another. They were available for $6 PP.

Secondly, there were a lot of seats available, I had no desire AT ALL to break up people who had paid in advance for those seats.
My question was would they attempt to keep families together.

Kids have been molested in Disney, in the pools. I read it right here. It happens, probably rarely, but I would rather not worry about their seat mates.
I agree you cannot tell by the persons appearance. I also, like another poster mentioned, want to be with these kids in an emergency.
Thanks for your help!

 

[Hannathy]

I also, like another poster mentioned, want to be with these kids in an emergency.
Thanks for your help!

Actually kids do better in an emergency than adults, they follow directions better!

 

[Evi]

I just called Airtan. The truth is many of the seats that say reserved are empty! He was able to give me 3 of those seats for $6 each versus the $13/15 noted pp.
I understand your point about them being old enough to be split except that the 13 is a girl and I would rather she sat with me. Call me paranoid but too much goes on and Fl is known for predators. The 9 year old, a boy, and though he would sit anywhere, his chatter may drive others nuts.

Also, it is just the three of us and they are a bit nervous flying. I agree toddlers would need to be with adults more. I could have called the night before and the choice would be free but cheapo grandma forked over the $18!

I think its great they were able to accommodate you at a lower price.

But I know I've seen this question before and it gets ugly on the boards. I've also seen this happen in flight were a parent waits till actually on flight to request seats and I've seen families split. I think when your flying to disney its best to book your seats in advance. Al ot of people on flights heading to Orlando are also doing so to go to Disney and there are alot of little ones on the planes. I don't see parents splitting up their families to accommodate someone else. Also as a single adult when I travel with df if I paid for my seat assignment I'm not going to volunteer my seat because someone else didn't want to pay the fees associated with being able to reserve their seats. I do think its ridiculous that airlines have started charging us for all these little add ons. But its also something I plan for when I make my budget for my vacation.