Delta "Family Seating"

[pacrosby]

Yes, it says that she has loosened the apron strings on her 3rd grader.

"when we're on a plane my kid knows not to bother me UNLESS there's a very good reason" says she has loosened the apron strings? That's not what it says to me.

It's no wonder she has no trouble having him at the other end of the plane. And it's no wonder he doesn't mind being there.

 

[ccgirl]

"when we're on a plane my kid knows not to bother me UNLESS there's a very good reason" says she has loosened the apron strings? That's not what it says to me.

It's no wonder she has no trouble having him at the other end of the plane. And it's no wonder he doesn't mind being there.

No need to be judgemental. My DD has no problem sitting away from me either. Doesn't make me a bad mom. I try to read on a plane as well but I also have a 3 year old so it's probably harder. I try not to do anything for my DD8 that she can do for herself. Perhaps that poster is the same way??

 

[Hannathy]

Yup...I'll have to PM you my phone number so you can report me. As you suspected, she has been out of the stroller for 3 years and has also been using the "proper" bathroom for 3 years as well. Not only that, I allow her to ride her bike around the neighborhood by herself. Again, do I expect all 8 year olds to be independent enough to sit by themselves...no. But, please realize there are plenty of 8 year olds who are if you just let them.

Well when you give her your number would you please pass mine on to? I'm in on her grouping of us lousy parents. I'm the one who said all my kids pick different seats so they can have windows, including my DH lol. a
and they all did all those things you list above.

And hey I'll go you one better my DD flew as an unaccompanied minor when she was in first grade, and several times on up until 12 then she flew on her own.

And my DS 12 this summer flew by himself and not as an unaccompanied minor. Amazingly we dropped him off at the security line and he was able to find his gate get on and fly are you ready all by himself.

I seriously do not understand what care taking needs done with an 8 yr old? what can't they do? and if they have a problem they push the button for the FA. Not exactly rocket science.

In all of our flights I have never had my child need anything they didn't have or couldn't get on there own. I don't get it.

You sound just like my DH on a plane. On go the head phones open the paper or goes to sleep, doesn't matter who is next to him.

Kids shouldn't need entertained by a parent all the time. There is no reason they can't sit and behave and entertain them selves for a few hours.

 

[pacrosby]

No need to be judgemental. My DD has no problem sitting away from me either. Doesn't make me a bad mom. I try to read on a plane as well but I also have a 3 year old so it's probably harder. I try not to do anything for my DD8 that she can do for herself. Perhaps that poster is the same way??

Sometimes it's not what you say, but how you say it. I've previous 'experience' with that poster. Let's just say when I read that, it all came together.

 

[maxiesmom]

When my husband flies "for work," he is not with his family. Other people are suggesting that frequent flyers would/should just ignore families who want to sit together. Why would someone do that for no reason? It is frustrating to be asked to move when you are already seated, but that's the airline's fault, not the fault of those kids who want to sit by their parents. Just move, and send an email. We're all in the same frustrating boat.

The thing is when you are asking someone to switch seats with you, you don't know if they have a reason for picking that particular seat or not. I know there are posters who choose and pay for their seats for reasons such as panic attacks or clausterphobia. They don't have to and shouldn't be expect to have to explain to another person their reasons why they won't trade seats. And they shouldn't have to move either.

 

[maxiesmom]

And where exactly are all these poster who 'expect' someone to move for them? I just read people saying that often there are some people who will.

And where are all these people who haven't been able to sit together because they were too irresponsible/cheap to make sure to book seats properly. I read about alot of people talking about airlines making last minute changes, miscommunication between Expedia and the airline etc.

I've been unfortuante enough to run into some of them. One flight, it was a man and his daughter, and the mom was in the back of the plane. He wanted me to switch seats with her so they could be together. He told me they had Pricelined the airfare, and that is how they ended up seperated. I've never Pricelined anything, so I'm guessing here that maybe they ended up with the last 3 seats on the plane, an ended up seperated. I honestly would have traded with the mom, except that I was sitting towards the front of the plane, she was in the back, and I was a bit stressed as my connection was very tight due to a delay before takeoff.

 

[mdsoccermom]

"when we're on a plane my kid knows not to bother me UNLESS there's a very good reason" says she has loosened the apron strings? That's not what it says to me.

It's no wonder she has no trouble having him at the other end of the plane. And it's no wonder he doesn't mind being there.

WTH are you talking about? I am very close to my children and adore them. However, both of my children are very well-adjusted. They don't have anxiety, don't cry hysterically if separated from me, and can function without being attached to me. If the situation arose, they both would have no problem sitting with a stranger. I would not ask others to move just so my kids whom I know are perfectly capable of sitting by themselves, sit with me. I used my son as an example because he is closest in age to what we are talking about here.

Both of my children know that I like to relax on a plane and that they are to occupy themselves. In fact, I don't like to have conversations with anyone on a plane. My kids don't need me to go to the bathroom with them, turn on their ipods, pull out a book or take a snack out of the bag. They know that they shouldn't ask me to do any of that on the plane.

 

[pacrosby]

I've been unfortuante enough to run into some of them. One flight, it was a man and his daughter, and the mom was in the back of the plane. He wanted me to switch seats with her so they could be together. He told me they had Pricelined the airfare, and that is how they ended up seperated. I've never Pricelined anything, so I'm guessing here that maybe they ended up with the last 3 seats on the plane, an ended up seperated. I honestly would have traded with the mom, except that I was sitting towards the front of the plane, she was in the back, and I was a bit stressed as my connection was very tight due to a delay before takeoff.

oh no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to suggest that I didn't think those type of people existed (I'm SURE they do). I just meant I didn't notice any people with that attitude on this thread.

I thought that those who were concerned about families being separated were pretty reasonable....at least until they started getting beaten over the head by the natives

 

[pacrosby]

WTH are you talking about? I am very close to my children and adore them. However, both of my children are very well-adjusted. They don't have anxiety, don't cry hysterically if separated from me, and can function without being attached to me. If the situation arose, they both would have no problem sitting with a stranger. I would not ask others to move just so my kids whom I know are perfectly capable of sitting by themselves, sit with me. I used my son as an example because he is closest in age to what we are talking about here.

Both of my children know that I like to relax on a plane and that they are to occupy themselves. In fact, I don't like to have conversations with anyone on a plane. My kids don't need me to go to the bathroom with them, turn on their ipods, pull out a book or take a snack out of the bag. They know that they shouldn't ask me to do any of that on the plane.

Yes I'm well aware of how independent your children are. Congratulations

 

[crashbb]

Well when you give her your number would you please pass mine on to? I'm in on her grouping of us lousy parents. I'm the one who said all my kids pick different seats so they can have windows, including my DH lol. a
and they all did all those things you list above.

And hey I'll go you one better my DD flew as an unaccompanied minor when she was in first grade, and several times on up until 12 then she flew on her own.

And my DS 12 this summer flew by himself and not as an unaccompanied minor. Amazingly we dropped him off at the security line and he was able to find his gate get on and fly are you ready all by himself.

I seriously do not understand what care taking needs done with an 8 yr old? what can't they do? and if they have a problem they push the button for the FA. Not exactly rocket science.

In all of our flights I have never had my child need anything they didn't have or couldn't get on there own. I don't get it.

You sound just like my DH on a plane. On go the head phones open the paper or goes to sleep, doesn't matter who is next to him.

Kids shouldn't need entertained by a parent all the time. There is no reason they can't sit and behave and entertain them selves for a few hours.

Are there retroactive phone calls? My first flight as an UM was on my fifth birthday - my parents had to delay the flight by a few days so that I was old enough.

The thing is, it doesn't really matter if I (or you, or the great Gonzo) thinks that children are fine sitting apart from their parents. It doesn't mean that I want to invoke a rule that says children have to sit apart from their parents. However, if a parent feels that they need to sit beside their child then they need to make sure it happens without relying on the kindness (or morals if you want to call it that) of others. This means understanding exactly how seats are pre-selected on your flight, paying for seat selection if that applies, not choosing a flight with no suitable seats available at the time of booking, double checking seat assignments periodically, checking with the check-in agent or gate agent if seats aren't together by flight date, etc. It is rare that the situation can only be resolved once on board and only resolved by someone else having to move.

I actually think that the OP possibly received some (sort of) incorrect information. It is unlikely that Delta actually moves people in order to fit in families, but they do likely save some rows from pre-selection that they can give to families. So, when people try to select seats, the five (or whatever) rows at the black of plane appear to be taken, but they aren't. This means that no can select them, unless they call Delta and the phone agent can put them there. I know that many airlines employ similar systems.

My parents (who clearly had no problem with us not sitting beside them on a plane), would still choose seats all together when booking flights or when given the choice. I don't think saying that children don't NEED to sit beside their parents means that one thinks that children SHOULDN'T sit beside their parents (at least, it doesn't to me).

 

[tjmw2727]

Air travel is difficult - and takes IMHO more planning and researching than many people realize if they don't fly often.

We fly at least monthly and have been since my dd's were 3 and 5 years olld. The first time my oldest sat alone she was 7 and I sat with my youngest who was 5. She was three rows up and across the asile and did fine. I had booked seats together in advance and had no choice at that time but to take that flight.

The bottom line IMHO is that no airline guarantees seats with the exception of the premium seats that are "reserved" for a fee or IIRC airtran who charges for any seat reserved in advance and the rest are avail at T24.

Families flying these days should be prepared for the fact that a school aged child may end up seated away from a parent and have an idea of how they wish to handle that.

We have booked seats well in advance only to have them reassigned a week out due to a time or equipment change. Many times the airline can and will do what they can to reseat children. In my personal experince Jet Blue and Delta are more willing than most and for us AA and US Air were the worst.

If this happens I find it best not to rely on the gate agents or the FA's but to be prepared ~ have a plan!!

Make sure the child has his/her own backpack and snacks and is aware of the possiblity - don't stress them out assure them they will be fine.

Decide if sitting apart is enough of a problem that you will wait on a later flight in order to be seated together.

Otherwise - arrive early and ask when checking in, checking in at the gate and finally ask the FA.

Finally ask fellow passengers but be willing to trade your "best seat" and realize others may have needs or reasons for not giving up their seat.

 

[surfgirl]

If asking someone to switch, be smart about how and who you ask.

Switch an aisle for an aisle, a window for a window. Don't ask an aisle to switch for a middle. Many times people have specifically selected that aisle (or even paid for it) for many reasons.

We were on a flight and only single seats all over - we were traveling as 5 people. My husband looked at all the single seats and got all the aisle ones. Then when we asked people to switch INTO an aisle from a window or middle, they were thrilled. I felt like it turned into win/win... we got seated together and someone stuck in middles, got aisles.

 

[melancholywings]

Please go reread because she did NOT book through the airline but booked through Expedia. Delta is NOT at fault here and the OP is the one who made the choice to NOT use the airline so it is on her.

Again, her children are old enough to sit away from her as far as the airlines are concerned. At their ages the airlines allow them to fly as unaccompanied minors and know that kids can sit away from their parents.

ETA - Expedia doesn't know what seats are already booked on the Delta flights therefore it is kind of hard for them to allow seat assignments. Booking through expedia is a "hope it all works out" thing. Delta is going to give seat preference to those who book with them as they know what is and is not available on any flight.

Oh I had thought she had booked through the airline. Although another poster later said that when she was booking directly through one airline she was actually booking through the same call center Expedia was using. So I wonder how many other airlines have contracted call centers that are used by the travel sites? We book both ways, although for Disney we go through their agent. And we had the airline seperate our seats before because they switched planes for the return flight while we were on vacation. We usually have to check in 3 hours early so they had time to fix it.

But I strongly disagree with the idea that age equals maturity and independence. My child is 10, many posters on here have made multiple posts saying something to the effect of 'my 6 year old can sit by a stranger so all kids can to'. Which is completely untrue and a wee bit of a crazy argument- because we all know that not all kids or people are the same. And all kids shouldn't be judged by what their kid can or can't do. My kid has medical needs (see not the same!) that require her to be by an adult when we fly right now, it also requires that her one medical carry on be in the over head bin above us for quick access and not 10 rows down (and less chance of getting busted up). It's amazing how difficult it is to get your bags near your seat. I don’t care where they have to put the other bags – I often offer to put them in ala cart to free up cabin space even though she’s allowed one extra carry on. I don't feel entitled to a specific seat - even if I selected it when I booked. I feel entitled to a safe flight. But there are some posters who are saying they are more entitled to a specific seat, and care more where their butt is sitting than they are about the safety of other passengers. I just hope they are not in the exit row.

On our last flight we saw a LOT of entitlement issues - one guy who refused to get off his cell phone while they tried to leave and made the steward stand and wait and have to threaten him. Another man who got up when everyone was told to put their seatbelts on for landing with a baby. He may have gone to the bathroom, but he went back to his seat while the plane was landing - as in angled and wheels down, he came from the back of the plane stumbling down the aisle with his baby in his arms while the steward was yelling at him that he needed to be in his seat. I think we're also all entitled to a little less of that insanity.

 

[ccgirl]

Oh I had thought she had booked through the airline. Although another poster later said that when she was booking directly through one airline she was actually booking through the same call center Expedia was using. So I wonder how many other airlines have contracted call centers that are used by the travel sites? We book both ways, although for Disney we go through their agent. And we had the airline seperate our seats before because they switched planes for the return flight while we were on vacation. We usually have to check in 3 hours early so they had time to fix it.

But I strongly disagree with the idea that age equals maturity and independence. My child is 10, many posters on here have made multiple posts saying something to the effect of 'my 6 year old can sit by a stranger so all kids can to'. Which is completely untrue and a wee bit of a crazy argument- because we all know that not all kids or people are the same. And all kids shouldn't be judged by what their kid can or can't do. My kid has medical needs (see not the same!) that require her to be by an adult when we fly right now, it also requires that her one medical carry on be in the over head bin above us for quick access and not 10 rows down (and less chance of getting busted up). It's amazing how difficult it is to get your bags near your seat. I don’t care where they have to put the other bags – I often offer to put them in ala cart to free up cabin space even though she’s allowed one extra carry on. I don't feel entitled to a specific seat - even if I selected it when I booked. I feel entitled to a safe flight. But there are some posters who are saying they are more entitled to a specific seat, and care more where their butt is sitting than they are about the safety of other passengers. I just hope they are not in the exit row.

On our last flight we saw a LOT of entitlement issues - one guy who refused to get off his cell phone while they tried to leave and made the steward stand and wait and have to threaten him. Another man who got up when everyone was told to put their seatbelts on for landing with a baby. He may have gone to the bathroom, but he went back to his seat while the plane was landing - as in angled and wheels down, he came from the back of the plane stumbling down the aisle with his baby in his arms while the steward was yelling at him that he needed to be in his seat. I think we're also all entitled to a little less of that insanity.

I don't think anyone said ALL. I think some of us said our children can and one poster even said those that willingly let their children sit next to strangers should be reported to DSS. Obviously, your situation is different. Your child needs extra assistance that they are not able to provide themselves. Also, I would look into the availability of a medical preboard for you since you need to get settled with her medical equiptment and make sure it is placed in your overhead bin. It would probably save you a lot of aggravation. I would agree that there is a lot of entitlement going around these days. Also, I believe Disney uses Airtran. They do decrease the plane size. As such, I book the side of the plane that stays as 2 and never the side that has 3 seats. That way, if the plane decreases our seats don't change. This has helped me out on two flights.

 

[my2minnies]

I don't think anyone said ALL. I think some of us said our children can and one poster even said those that willingly let their children sit next to strangers should be reported to DSS. Obviously, your situation is different. Your child needs extra assistance that they are not able to provide themselves. Also, I would look into the availability of a medical preboard for you since you need to get settled with her medical equiptment and make sure it is placed in your overhead bin. It would probably save you a lot of aggravation. I would agree that there is a lot of entitlement going around these days. Also, I believe Disney uses Airtran. They do decrease the plane size. As such, I book the side of the plane that stays as 2 and never the side that has 3 seats. That way, if the plane decreases our seats don't change. This has helped me out on two flights.

I don't know where someone stated that those who chose not to sit with their children should be reported to DSS. You must have come up with that one by yourself--maybe a bit of guilt. Just another example of where people twist around what others say in order to stand on their soapbox. I just think it is poor parenting to let your eight year old sit with strangers. Whether they need help or not, it is not very considerate to your fellow passengers.

My kids could and have had to sit next to strangers when an airline messed up. The kids were fine, but my kids have lots of friends and classmates that would not be fine.

 

[Embel]

I don't know where someone stated that those who chose not to sit with their children should be reported to DSS. You must have come up with that one by yourself--maybe a bit of guilt. Just another example of where people twist around what others say in order to stand on their soapbox.

This is where DSS was mentioned ....

You shoud be reported to DSS <sarcasm> Heck, sometimes my DD8 wants to sit by herself too. She enjoys the independence.

 

[Hannathy]

WOW wait a minute you think you can just make a blanket statement like that as fact and walk away!!!!

What baloney. How in the world is that poor parenting? and how is that inconsiderate to fellow passengers?

It doesn't matter what the age of who is beside you ,because you do have someone beside you, If the person is considerate and not intrusive, what does it matter how old they are?

Believe me (well I guess this in unbelievable to you) at 8 my children were better fliers than a lot of the adults on the plane. and them sitting beside someone was just as considerate if not more than having an adult sit there.

 

[my2minnies]

WOW wait a minute you think you can just make a blanket statement like that as fact and walk away!!!!

What baloney. How in the world is that poor parenting? and how is that inconsiderate to fellow passengers?

It doesn't matter what the age of who is beside you ,because you do have someone beside you, If the person is considerate and not intrusive, what does it matter how old they are?

Believe me (well I guess this in unbelievable to you) at 8 my children were better fliers than a lot of the adults on the plane. and them sitting beside someone was just as considerate if not more than having an adult sit there.

Nope I certainly can believe that most 8 year olds are better travelers than some adults--especially if they have flown multiple times.

Can YOU see how some kids would not be able to sit by themselves without a parent nearby.

I don't care if your family all took separate flights or if you let your child walk 1000 miles to his final destination as long as he or she was comfortable or not bothering me. I just don't know why so many of you on here feel the need to police the world.

 

[Embel]

I don't think asking someone if they would be willing to change seats is rude or entitled. I don't think saying I'm sorry, but I can't is rude or entitled. It can get rude if the conversation continues from there, but it certainly doesn't have to.

ON THIS THREAD, I've actually seen more aggressive and entitled tones from the people who don't want to switch seats, or think children should be self-sufficient, than I have from the people who want to sit with their children. Which is ironic, because most of them are professing to be angry about rudeness & entitlement. It may not be the case on every thread, but it's my perception here.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

What I find most shocking is that these same critical people admit to allowing their 8 year old to choose seats away from the family. That would not work in my house. I would not want the burden of care to possibly fall on a complete stranger.

Because at 8 we let kids fly ALONE to visit family! If they are capable of handling that flight - of course they can be separated on the same plane!