Delta's Killing me!!! (child seating question!!)

[Jennifer Frommer]

Delta's got me ready to choke someone!! uugghh!! Some of you may have come across me in other postings but now I have a new scenario. Long story short, we booked a long time ago when it was Song. Flights have changed multy-times.

Here's our current situation: We are a party of 6, occupying 4 seats. (3 adults, a 2.5 yr old, and 2 lap infants) We need to have our 2 year old in a safety seat and we've just seen on the website that we can not be seated in the row before or after an exit row. We are! We are in the row just before an exit row! We've been seated there all along and the person who originally booked us knew we would need a child safety seat! Frustration reigns for me right now!!

I spoke to a CS rep on the phone (who could barely understand me and vice-versa... also, I don't mean that meanly, it just was the case.) They told me there was nothing they could do to help me and we would have to work it out at the airport. With the type of group we have, we can't be seperated!! THis just adds to my frustration.

Is there anyone out there, by chance, who has been in the same situation or something similar?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You will probably have to wait until you check in to be reassigned seats. Get to the airport early.

I don't understand why your group cannot be separated. You have two adults holding infants; the adults don't need to be together. Then you have an adult with a paying 2 year old who are the only ones who need to sit together. This should easily be accomodated at the airport.

 

[CarolA]

OK. You have to have two rows here. So you are already spereated. What are your seat assignements? Are you all in the row in front of the exit row. Or is one adult in another row. If that's the case you can probably trade.
Don't panic. Since you want to change a whole row and not just one seat it shouod not be problem to trade. (That may leave the third adult on a seperate row, but...) Just arrive early and DL will deal with it. There really is nothing the guys on the phone can do and they would probably just screw it up more LOL!
(You do realize that the lap children must be in seperate rows. Only one lap child per row?)

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

You do realize that the lap children must be in seperate [sic] rows. Only one lap child per row?

Really? I didn't realize that.

Then the Op and friends won't be seated in the same row anyway.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Okay, first, you probably will need to be separated into groups of two. Only one lap-child is permitted per three-seat row, and with two lap children the third adult should probably be solely responsible for the child in the car seat. NOT that anything will go wrong, but for safety's sake and all.
Now - airlines always hold back some seats from pre-assignment, generally for their elite/frequent flyers. These seats are released the day before or the day of the flight for general assignment. In addition, you will have passengers who want to be in the exit rows but can't reserve those in advance (the Gate Agents/Flight Crew need to ascertain these passengers are actually eligible for those seats; therefore, those passengers' currently-assigned seats will become available.

 

[Jennifer Frommer]

I see what your saying, however, how many bags am I supposed to take on the plane... we need formula (special formula, no less), snacks, toys, etc. That's why I'm concerned. I have enough to pack... don't need to add bags, etc.

You will probably have to wait until you check in to be reassigned seats. Get to the airport early.

I don't understand why your group cannot be separated. You have two adults holding infants; the adults don't need to be together. Then you have an adult with a paying 2 year old who are the only ones who need to sit together. This should easily be accomodated at the airport.

 

[Jennifer Frommer]

I asked about that at the time of the reservation and they said that wasn't an issue. We take up seats A, B, C & D in one row. They have the lap infants seperated by the aisle, not by a row. Moving an adult with an infant a row before or after us, isn't a big deal... we will still be close enough to hand off bottles, toys, etc.

My major point is that the rep knew all this information when we booked! Why wouldn's he address any or all of them at that time!?!?

Just frustrating, but I know there is nothing I can do until we get to the airport!

OK. You have to have two rows here. So you are already spereated. What are your seat assignements? Are you all in the row in front of the exit row. Or is one adult in another row. If that's the case you can probably trade.
Don't panic. Since you want to change a whole row and not just one seat it shouod not be problem to trade. (That may leave the third adult on a seperate row, but...) Just arrive early and DL will deal with it. There really is nothing the guys on the phone can do and they would probably just screw it up more LOL!
(You do realize that the lap children must be in seperate rows. Only one lap child per row?)

 

[CarolA]

Really? I didn't realize that.

Then the Op and friends won't be seated in the same row anyway.

Yes, you can only have four folks per row in three seat row. That's because they only have four O2 masks. (In a two seat row, it's three)

Jennifer, you get 4 carry ons and 4 personal items. One for each ticketed passenger Having seen parents travel with kids, I suggest sticking to three bags plus the car seat. You have to carry all this stuff and the parents I see with the max carryons plus the infant always LOOK exhausted.... that's what the baggage hold is for. Pack what you need for the flight in the carry on and stick the rest under the plane.

 

[Jennifer Frommer]

Thank you for your suggestions! We have travelled several other times with kids and understand what we need with us on the plane and what we can check. Guess I was frustrated and shouldn't have bothered venting b/c I'm getting more frustrated now. Nothing I can do to change things now so just have to wait until checkin time.

Thank you for your time!!

Yes, you can only have four folks per row in three seat row. That's because they only have four O2 masks. (In a two seat row, it's three)

Jennifer, you get 4 carry ons and 4 personal items. One for each ticketed passenger Having seen parents travel with kids, I suggest sticking to three bags plus the car seat. You have to carry all this stuff and the parents I see with the max carryons plus the infant always LOOK exhausted.... that's what the baggage hold is for. Pack what you need for the flight in the carry on and stick the rest under the plane.

 

[CarolA]

Don't worry, it will work out. And remember "you'r going to Disney World" It could be worse!

 

[Jennifer Frommer]

Just need to get there!! We've been waiting a long time and it can't come soon enough, at this point!! Thanks!!

Don't worry, it will work out. And remember "you'r going to Disney World" It could be worse!

 

[goofy4tink]

Hi Jennifer....the others are right, it will work out and you'll be in WDW before you know it.
I do have to say that I feel your pain with the Delta CS people though. I have gotten people I just can not understand the past three times I've had to call and get my seats reassigned. I even had one rep tell me I didn't have to keep calling each time they made a change. Yep, I'm sure I'm not going to call the minute I see that my seats are now 'unassigned'. Right!!!
I've had reps tell me they don't understand why I'm calling....since I'll be flying in several days. For some reason, they didn't see that I was leaving on May 15...and kept trying to tell me I was flying out on April 15!!! The language barrier is sometimes too huge to be surmounted!!
Oh, and by the way....I'm not too far from you either....in Westborough, just down 495 apiece!!!

 

[seashoreCM]

You don't want the row just in front of the exit row, it does not recline. Call back often to see if you can switch seats. Airplane seating, like Disney resort discount availabilities, change daily, so if you get a "no" answer that does not mean it will be "no" all the way to departure day.

Meanwhile you could just do nothing and board the plane. The FA might overlook everyghing and leave you in seats ABCD in front of the exit. You won't be deplaned just for that. The FA might relocate the child seat but must make the middle seat occupant follow. The C and D occupants may remain where they are with the D person holding one lap child. They can then easily get up to hand something to the other two. The child seat does not count as a carry-on.

>>> Language barrier

When you do make a change, have the agent read it back to you over the phone. Repeat the desired change followed by a read back request until the agent says it back to you right. It is OK to play teacher with the agent as the pupil.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[ktglads]

Another thing to do would be to help yourself. If you get a FF # (which are free) and attach it to your reservation, you will be able to see all the seats on your reservation and move them yourselves. This way if something changes, you can log on to the website and move yourselves into a better selection of seats if for some reason you end up all over the plane

 

[goofy4tink]

Another thing to do would be to help yourself. If you get a FF # (which are free) and attach it to your reservation, you will be able to see all the seats on your reservation and move them yourselves. This way if something changes, you can log on to the website and move yourselves into a better selection of seats if for some reason you end up all over the plane

A very good piece of advice!!! It's so much easier to check on your flight daily if you have a FF number. All I have to do is enter my pin, and there it all is.

 

[Jennifer Frommer]

You know, just when you get so frustrated you could scream!
You think no ones listening or no one cares to help!

Then, out of nowhere a person (or people) crosses your path that does whatever they can to help you, just because they can! I was lucky enough to have this happen this time and someone has squared away my seating issue.

Sure I could worry that Delta might change the flight times again, and I could be back where I started. But this time, I'm not going to worry about it! People can be so helpful and not even realize how much they've helped you out!

This a far cry from how I felt a few days ago and this feeling is far better! Thanks so much to the person who helped me!

What is it they say, "Pay it Forward"!?!? Count me in!
(Don't worry all, I haven't been drinking, just releaved for a lot of different reasons!!)

 

[brianm27]

We had a similar situation on USAirways. Two adults and an infant seat.

We booked our tickets on the internet and selected our own seats (away from the exit row). There was an aircraft change, and our seats now were right behind the exit row. We did not know until we got on the plane.

The flight attendant simply swapped us with another group of three on the plane. She said the gate agents do this to them all the time.