Airtran...paid for my seats, but so did someone else!

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I guess the difference would be in the preparation of the child. A child going on a journey on their own KNOWS this, and is mentally prepared. S/he might have done it many times or it could be their first time, but they will know what's going on. The OP's 8 year old was NOT prepared for this, and from how it's described, the OP wouldn't have put her kid on the plane alone at all, no matter what the reason.

Business class is tiny. An 8 year old sitting "by themselves" would be as far away as a child in the backseat of a minivan is from the driver. Do people really "prepare" their children for that?

I think the airline owes you a refund of the seat reservation fees, but then I'd be thrilled to have gotten business class.

I also think that 30 minutes is late to be getting to the gate.

 

[Lewisc]

I also think that 30 minutes is late to be getting to the gate.

The OP got through security more then 30 minutes before their flight. Our opinions irrelevant. Airtran policy requires passengers be at the gate 10 minutes before scheduled departure time. The OP far exceeded that standard.

Absolutely nothing wrong with getting through security early enough to grab a quick meal. Nothing wrong with not spending all you extra time at the gate.

It's not clear if the other family altered their BP, if Airtran had a computer glitch or if a GA improperly canceled OPs seat assignments in order to give the seats to another family. No excuse for canceling seat assignments 30 minutes before the flight for any passenger, let alone a family who already checked luggage.

 

[greenclan67]

I made sure I copied and pasted this when we got into our motel room that night! To make sure they realized we were at our gate 25-30 mins before scheduled take off! Here is the actual take off time that was posted on airtran the night of our flight!

Arrived Flight 1181 Orlando Departure: 2:14 pm Actual: 2:06 pm
Buffalo/Niagara Arrival: 4:50 pm Actual: 4:53 pm

This is what I believed happened, we were in the bathroom at approx 1:40 and then came out, we thought for sure we had lots of time since departure was at 2:14 my fault for assuming they wouldn't leave that early. As you can see it closed aat 2:06 which is early enough for departure. All is all we got home safe and sound, we have long talks with my youngest daughter, and she is doing ok! So we will just hope it never happens again!
Thanks for listening!

 

[bumbershoot]

I really don't feel like going to the bathroom a half hour prior to scheduled departure is to much to ask! With someone that is on antibiotics for a UTI, (even though I have an over-active bladder on top of it) seems reasonable to me!

But now you know that regardless of the rules, getting to the gate that late IS actually unreasonable.

After almost missing a flight (not b/c I assumed anything but because I just timed our departure ALL wrong) and knowing how nasty that feels, I'm once again a "walk in the doors at least 2 hours prior" person, and I'm happy to be that person again. If I'm not sitting at the departure gate close to an hour before departure, I'm not happy. I'm nervous and worried.

I think the airline owes you a refund of the seat reservation fees, but then I'd be thrilled to have gotten business class.

Same here. I'm not always good at using all my words, but even though I feel this could have been avoided if you were earlier (or in my world, more on time) at the gate, I don't feel they should have given someone your seats. And I too would have enjoyed the bump up to business.

Arrived Flight 1181 Orlando Departure: 2:14 pm Actual: 2:06 pm

I've been seeing that happen a LOT the last 2 years (just the time I've been noticing). The flights I've been on have been shooting for departure well before stated departure time. DH flies for his job, and I see them leaving in advance as well.

 

[DAPford]

To the OP

as for me I would have stood there and had the FA find seats together for my group if I was A- on time and B- paid for seats together because I don't care if my "baby" is 5 or 15 if I had done what was required of me I expect others to do the same. if "everyone" expected these big companies to follow their policies the way we have to they might stop getting away with it being accepted that they all do it .........

flame away but just they way I feel

 

[robinb]

I made sure I copied and pasted this when we got into our motel room that night! To make sure they realized we were at our gate 25-30 mins before scheduled take off! Here is the actual take off time that was posted on airtran the night of our flight!

Arrived Flight 1181 Orlando Departure: 2:14 pm Actual: 2:06 pm
Buffalo/Niagara Arrival: 4:50 pm Actual: 4:53 pm

This is what I believed happened, we were in the bathroom at approx 1:40 and then came out, we thought for sure we had leots of time since departure was at 2:14 my fault for assuming they wouldn't leave that early. As you can see it closed aat 2:06 which is early enough for departure.

I'm with Lewis on this one. It's not your fault that AT decided that they wanted to push back early. IMO, you are not at fault and you probably wouldn't have made a bathroom stop if you knew the actual departure was nearly 10 minutes earlier. 35 minutes is enough time for a quick potty break ... 25 minutes, not so much. And even if they did call "Final Boarding" while you were in the bathroom, they should have never given up your seats.

Just because other people on this thread like being at the gate extra-early doesn't mean that YOU are wrong by being there just on time.

 

[kaytieeldr]

There was a family in our seats (row of 3 and then the aisle seat across from us. I wonder if that family checked-in in Denver and wanted to sit together because they had small children too and so they bumped our seats without looking to see that a family was already in those seats. I'm not sure, just speculation.

Gate Agents and other airline employees don't look to see who's assigned to what seats before assigning them. If a seat is already assigned and the system is working properly - which doesn't seem to be the case in the OP's situation, and may or may not be in yours (did the people in your seats have and show boarding passes with those seat assignments?) - the airline shouldn't be able to assign them to other passengers.

Because we already had our boarding passes and didn't check in again in Denver (just went to our gate), I had no clue they changed our seats.

Right, that's the correct procedure. Passengers don't need to check in for connecting flights. Checking in for the first flight manages - or should - everything for all flights in one direction.

I agree most people would definitely step up to the plate and help out but I know there was at least one case where a minor was flying by herself and was molested or groped by a man in the seat next to her.

While I was taught to detest the use of "yeah, but...", I'll use it here . True, but that was a fifteen or sixteen year old, and it was such a rare occurrence that people continue to cite it.

 

[carebee21]

While I was taught to detest the use of "yeah, but...", I'll use it here . True, but that was a fifteen or sixteen year old, and it was such a rare occurrence that people continue to cite it.

Although it may be rare, it certainly wasn't an isolated incident that happened to only one child/teenager. In fact, due to the problems, European and Asian airlines no longer allow unsupervised children to sit next to adult strangers. However, the article also states that while some US airlines have pending sexual abuse litigation cases, none of them are taking any action to change their policy: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/business/global/07minors.html?pagewanted=all So it clearly is not one isolated incident....

 

[momof3poohlovers]

Gate Agents and other airline employees don't look to see who's assigned to what seats before assigning them. If a seat is already assigned and the system is working properly - which doesn't seem to be the case in the OP's situation, and may or may not be in yours (did the people in your seats have and show boarding passes with those seat assignments?) - the airline shouldn't be able to assign them to other passengers.

The family in my seats did have boarding passes showing the same seats as ours. The only reason I was curious about how the mix up occurred is because in our case the family in our seats had the complete row of all six seats across. My family should have only had the 3 on one side of the plane and the aisle seat on the other. I guess I was just wondering if maybe when they checked in the 2 seats next to our aisle only seat were empty and the family needed to be together so they bumped us? Maybe the agent figured when whoever was sitting there checked in, they would just reassign our seats at the time not realizing we had checked in hours earlier? Obviously shouldn't happen but I don't know if the agents are able to override it. Maybe they're not and it was just computer error. Who knows.

Right, that's the correct procedure. Passengers don't need to check in for connecting flights. Checking in for the first flight manages - or should - everything for all flights in one direction.

Totally knew that! I just mentioned that because I didn't want people saying that if I had checked before I boarded I would have found out that my seats were possibly changed (they may not have been after receiving my boarding passes in Boston, again I was just speculating). My boarding passes showed those particular seats and those are the seats I had chosen when we purchased the tickets. I know how some on these boards can jump on posters and I was just trying to head it off.

While I was taught to detest the use of "yeah, but...", I'll use it here . True, but that was a fifteen or sixteen year old, and it was such a rare occurrence that people continue to cite it.

I agree with you, it is rare but I guess I don't feel comfortable allowing my 4 year old to sit next to a strange man esp. knowing how shy she is and wouldn't say a word if something was wrong. She is definitely not like that now. Believe me the whole plane would know if someone was trying to do something she didn't think was right.

 

[Lewisc]

Although it may be rare, it certainly wasn't an isolated incident that happened to only one child/teenager. In fact, due to the problems, European and Asian airlines no longer allow unsupervised children to sit next to adult strangers. However, the article also states that while some US airlines have pending sexual abuse litigation cases, none of them are taking any action to change their policy: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/business/global/07minors.html?pagewanted=all So it clearly is not one isolated incident....

I don't know why you bother quoting sections of an article out of context. Do you think posters won't bother reading the linked article?

a handful of airlines in Europe and Asia has quietly stopped seating unaccompanied minors next to adults after several incidents of alleged sexual abuse.

A handful, small number, of European and Asian airlines have that policy. You didn't qualify your statement thereby suggesting it's a policy of all European and Asian airlines.

 

[LaurenT]

They tried to separate me and my DD after messing up our flights (we originally had assigned seats that were booked 6 months in advance).
I just waited for the person who was supposed to sit next to Becky and explained that she could take my seat instead, or she could keep her seat next to Becky..but that Becky would probably cry the entire flight. She took my seat.

 

[LaurenT]

BTW, the guy in the window seat who wouldn't move I'm sure totally regretted his decision as not only was DD crying the whole flight but my DS who was sick was coughing all over the whole entire time as I had to put him in the middle seat so I could at least try and keep a visual on DD's who were sitting away from me. I realize he didn't have to move as it wasn't his fault but it would have been nice if he had shown some compassion. I am sure he probably ended up with the flu a few days later.

Good. It may not have been his fault, but he should have moved anyway, even if it was begrudgingly. Just incredibly childish and selfish to insist on keeping your precious window seat at the expense of a little kid who is terrified of being separated from her mom.

 

[Lewisc]

Good. It may not have been his fault, but he should have moved anyway, even if it was begrudgingly. Just incredibly childish and selfish to insist on keeping your precious window seat at the expense of a little kid who is terrified of being separated from her mom.

Numerous posters on DIS decide not to pay for assigned advanced assigned seats or pay for EBCI with Southwest. some of those posters expect passengers will voluntarily move, or the FA will make passengers move, so they can sit with their kids. This didn't happen to you. but I see absolutely no reason for passengers to move under those circumstances.

Some passengers don't want to swap for a middle seat. They don't owe you an explanation. They may have to go to the bathroom a lot and need an aisle seat. Need to stretch their legs. Claustrophobic. A lot of people have noise canceling headphones. The threat of a screaming kids may not work.

Ask nicely. If the passenger says no ask a FA for help. Another passenger might be willing to move.

 

[starwood]

Our problem with Air Tran was different. We were flying to Newark from Tampa through Atlanta. There was bad weather and our flight out of Tampa was delayed. We were told at the gate that we wouldn't miss our flight because most of the people on the Tampa flight were on that connection. Well we arrived and the flight had just left. This was Saturday evening. We were told they could get us on another flight Tuesday evening! We asked about LGA, Philly, anything near enough to drive home - the answer was nothing was available. We finally booked a Sunday morning flight to Baltimore and had to drive home from there. We spent the night and it took them over an hour to find our luggage. At that point we said never, ever again would we fly Air Tran - even if it was free.

P.S. There was someone else on the flight flying to Buffalo. Their luggage made the Buffalo flight but they didn't - so they had to spend the night with no luggage.

 

[crashbb]

They tried to separate me and my DD after messing up our flights (we originally had assigned seats that were booked 6 months in advance).
I just waited for the person who was supposed to sit next to Becky and explained that she could take my seat instead, or she could keep her seat next to Becky..but that Becky would probably cry the entire flight. She took my seat.

I would have put on my noise canceling earphones and ignored you (and her).

Now, had you not tried to threaten me, I would have happily moved. I do not react well to threats.

You did exactly what most of us (mainly frequent flyers) suggest not doing.

Is there a reason you didn't ask the person sitting beside you to switch with your daughter? What types of seats were being traded?

 

[ccgirl]

To the OP

as for me I would have stood there and had the FA find seats together for my group if I was A- on time and B- paid for seats together because I don't care if my "baby" is 5 or 15 if I had done what was required of me I expect others to do the same. if "everyone" expected these big companies to follow their policies the way we have to they might stop getting away with it being accepted that they all do it .........

flame away but just they way I feel

The problem with that is that everyone else did the same thing too. Nobody else should be forced to move. Unfortunately, they are following their policies. What if, due to mechanical issues they had to move to a different plane where their seats were configured differently? People would be split up. Even with seat assignments, there is no "guarantee" that the actual seat will be available.

I want to ensure there is enough room in the overhead compartment for my carryon. As a result, I never assume anything and get to the gate with plenty of time. I am always ready to board 45 minutes prior to the flight, as flights do board early.

Airtran did make a mistake by allowing people to pre-purchase the same exact seats. However, they did find alternate seats and upgraded at that.

 

[maxiesmom]

Good. It may not have been his fault, but he should have moved anyway, even if it was begrudgingly. Just incredibly childish and selfish to insist on keeping your precious window seat at the expense of a little kid who is terrified of being separated from her mom.

It is posts like these that give parents who fly a bad name. And make people shudder with dread when they see them.

I can't believe you have the gumption to attack another person for not giving up their seat, and call them childish, all the while admitting that you threatened another passenger into giving up their seat to accomodate you and your family. You have no right to do that. Just as you have no right to assume that the gentleman who wouldn't move for another poster didn't have a valid reason for keeping his window seat. Maybe he gets airsick if not at a window? Who knows? It is nobody else's business why he had that seat and why he didn't (couldn't?) move. No matter what his reason for not moving, he certainlly didn't deserve to get sick for not moving.

I agree with crashbb. If you can't ask nicely to switch seats, and instead threaten, then there is no way I would move. You are lucky there was someone in that seat that felt sorry enough for you they let you bully them. Talk about being childish!!

 

[Lewisc]

It sounds like the OPs seats were given to standby passengers. Coach was completely full. The plane was ready to push back early. I wonder if the GA was going to wait until 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time to push back. I think the OP was closer to missing his flight then he realizes.

The OP checked luggage. The GA knew the OP was at the airport. Evidently the plane was ready to push back early. The GA should have had the OPs family paged.

 

[crashbb]

It sounds like the OPs seats were given to standby passengers. Coach was completely full. The plane was ready to push back early. I wonder if the GA was going to wait until 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time to push back. I think the OP was closer to missing his flight then he realizes.

The OP checked luggage. The GA knew the OP was at the airport. Evidently the plane was ready to push back early. The GA should have had the OPs family paged.

It is also possible that the computer "hiccuped" and gave two people the same seat (I've had it happen once or twice - admittedly a very small percentage of my overall flights). It was always sorted out fairly easily. Admittedly, the OP is talking about four seats being double assigned (rather than just one), which would have needed a big "hiccup".

 

[keishashadow]

The problem with that is that everyone else did the same thing too. Nobody else should be forced to move. Unfortunately, they are following their policies. What if, due to mechanical issues they had to move to a different plane where their seats were configured differently? People would be split up. Even with seat assignments, there is no "guarantee" that the actual seat will be available.

I want to ensure there is enough room in the overhead compartment for my carryon. As a result, I never assume anything and get to the gate with plenty of time. I am always ready to board 45 minutes prior to the flight, as flights do board early.

Airtran did make a mistake by allowing people to pre-purchase the same exact seats. However, they did find alternate seats and upgraded at that.

i'm with you, often boarding starts 45 - 35 minutes prior, as a bonus flights leave early if not on-time

AT makes lots of mistakesbut i've found that they are always ready to offer to try to make it right/i.e. compensation whether an automatic 1st class upgrade next flight, etc. if you go thru the channels (mention issue to GA when you arrive & follow up by calling them).

It is posts like these that give parents who fly a bad name. And make people shudder with dread when they see them.

I can't believe you have the gumption to attack another person for not giving up their seat, and call them childish, all the while admitting that you threatened another passenger into giving up their seat to accomodate you and your family. You have no right to do that. Just as you have no right to assume that the gentleman who wouldn't move for another poster didn't have a valid reason for keeping his window seat. Maybe he gets airsick if not at a window? Who knows? It is nobody else's business why he had that seat and why he didn't (couldn't?) move. No matter what his reason for not moving, he certainlly didn't deserve to get sick for not moving.

I agree with crashbb. If you can't ask nicely to switch seats, and instead threaten, then there is no way I would move. You are lucky there was someone in that seat that felt sorry enough for you they let you bully them. Talk about being childish!!

as a parent & grandparent agree 100%, if sitting next to your child is important pay for the seat assignment. OP's situation was different but i do know they often allow you to take the next flight so you can sit together.

It sounds like the OPs seats were given to standby passengers. Coach was completely full. The plane was ready to push back early. I wonder if the GA was going to wait until 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time to push back. I think the OP was closer to missing his flight then he realizes.

The OP checked luggage. The GA knew the OP was at the airport. Evidently the plane was ready to push back early. The GA should have had the OPs family paged.

Airports are a noisy place, it's possible they were paged and didn't hear it. We were stuck at Midway one trip, our original connection was cancelled & we were on the standby list for last flight out. I was told by SW that their policy is to make 3 announcements before the standbys get a chance...we lucked out