Extra seats on flight?

[staubinst]

I am having my daughter sit on my lap for our flight. We are flying Air Tran. I had to call today to add our middle names to our tickets and asked if the flight was full...it was not. What are the chances about getting an extra seat if there is one available. Do I ask when we check in? Thanks. We fly out Thursday so I cant imagine a lot of people would be buying tickets.

 

[bavaria]

The seat map is no indicator of loads, nor can an agent tell you the exact capacity of a flight. Loads are at record levels as capacity was cut, so do not expect an empty seat near you. If you wish to have one, you will most likely have to pay for one. You can ask the GA to seat you next to an empty seat, but chances are very slim, especially on popular routes like MCO, that there will in fact be empty seats.

A few carriers still block empty seats next to elites, but as loads have increased so dramatically this practice has generally fallen by the wayside.

Also, a large number of business travellers DO purchase tickets 0-3 days in advance. I myself rarely purchase outside of 0-14 days in advance, for work or for holiday.

 

[Lewisc]

I"m not sure about Airtran but many SW GAs have a policy of not giving free seats to lap babies unless there are enough extra seats for all lap babies plus enough extra seats to accommodate last minute reservations and possible standbys. That includes passengers who arrived at your airport early enough to take an earlier connecting flight. The GA doesn't want to have to decide which parent is worthy of a free seat nor do they want to field complaints from responsible parents who paid for a seat for their infant.

I suspect Aitran has a similar policy. Call the night before and ask. If there are a lot of unsold seats you can try your luck bringing a car seat.

 

[prncess674]

We fly out Thursday so I cant imagine a lot of people would be buying tickets.

Absolutely false. Most biz traveler buy tickets within a seven day window of travel.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Respectfully, if you want to ensure a seat for your daughter you need to purchase a ticket for her.

 

[rwdavis2]

We always bought seats for our kids and put them in car seats. If you hit turbulence like recent flight did (where 40+ adults were injured and 2 seriously) your child could get injured. Buy the seat. Even if there is an open seat they won't let you use a car seat in it.
BD

 

[Alexander]

Lets not turn this into a lap child/car seat child safety thread, okay

I have never flown an Airtran flight that was not full. They routinely overbook their flights and thus are always moving passengers around. Personally, the liklihood that there will be an empty seat next to you is probably in the area of 1%. Not impossible, because nothing is, but if you really don't want to hold your daughter, then buy a seat now, that is the only way you are guaranteed one.

I also honestly don't think the Gate Agent is going to be much help. They have no idea if someone is going to come screaming through the terminal at the last minute with a stand-by voucher. If anyone can help you it would be the flight attendant after you are already onboard--but again, don't count on it.

 

[PatMcDuck]

Also, my experience has been that the babies in the car seats fall asleep and stay asleep thru the flight, because they are comfortable. Babies being held, might fall asleep for short brief spurts only; and they are often passed from one family member to another, also waking them up.

Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[TaraPA]

Mis-read - delete please!

 

[Traveliz]

I am having my daughter sit on my lap for our flight. We are flying Air Tran. I had to call today to add our middle names to our tickets and asked if the flight was full...it was not. What are the chances about getting an extra seat if there is one available. Do I ask when we check in? Thanks. We fly out Thursday so I cant imagine a lot of people would be buying tickets.

Answering just the question. If the flight is indeed not full then you have an excellent chance of getting an extra seat. If there is not one available, then no you don't.

Now veering off based on other comments...I fly Airtran all the time from a smaller regional airport. More often than not those flights are not full. My daughter flies back and forth also from Orlando and often has a row to herself. It might be the times she flies but I think its more likely because of the airport we fly from just doesn't generate the totally full overbooked flights others see. So if you are flying from one of those I think your chances might be better also.

Liz

 

[crashbb]

Answering just the question. If the flight is indeed not full then you have an excellent chance of getting an extra seat. If there is not one available, then no you don't.

It depends where the empty seat(s) is/are. Unless there happens to be an empty seat beside the OP's current seat or two empty seats together, even having empty seats may not help. It is unlikely that a gate agent is going to move people so that the OP can have a free seat for her child.

If there are empty seats and there are two together without moving people and there are no other lap babies who want seats (or the airline doesn't have a policy like SW's) then she may get an empty seat.

I just got back from a trip (not Disney). Both ways a mom asked for an empty seat for a lap child - it worked on the way down, but not on the way back (much like the inflight entertainment system)

 

[Lewisc]

I would like an empty middle seat. JMO but I think I have just as much of a right to a free seat as the parent of a lap baby.

 

[mrscoobs]

When you check in you can either look to see how many open seats there are, or if you are checking luggage than you can ask the counter agent if the flight looks pretty open seats if there is the possibility of being seated next to an open seat. If there is then they can reassign your seat there (most likely it is going to be in the back of the plane as an fyi as seats get filled from the front to back in general). There could be a last minute where the seat gets taken by a standby that walks up since Airtran has a very easy standby policy for travelers that want to fly early or missed their previous flight but you never know that until that day. Good luck and if all else fails then the infant is on your lap as you previously planned.

 

[lauraf]

I have flown other airlines in the past and when I went up to the podium at the gate I just asked if there was an empty seat next to me or to be moved to one. Most airlines are very understanding and want to help if they can. They will let you know if the flight is too full, but you won't get it if you don't ask. Don't let anyone make you feel guilty for not buying your lap child a seat. As long as they are under the age of two you are not required to buy a seat. I have never felt that I was entitled to an empty seat as much as someone with a lap child, that is just plain selfish. I would want for someone with a lap child to have an empty seat, I only need one.

 

[crashbb]

I have never felt that I was entitled to an empty seat as much as someone with a lap child, that is just plain selfish. I would want for someone with a lap child to have an empty seat, I only need one.

Why? Clearly having a seat wasn't important to the OP and she didn't think that she needed more than one or she would have bought her child a seat. If the parent doesn't think it is important for the child to have their own seat, why should I? In other words, why does the child now trump anyone else wanting an extra seat. Actually, logically they have less "right" to the seat - the parent could have purchased a seat for them, but chose not to do so. Lewisc (or any other adult) is not allowed to buy a second seat (with many airlines, unless required to do so if you cannot fit into one seat).

Not getting into the argument about whether a parent should buy a seat for an infant - just suggesting that you cannot have it both ways.

 

[uva185]

I would like an empty middle seat. JMO but I think I have just as much of a right to a free seat as the parent of a lap baby.

Thats a good point.

The other passenger has just as much right to the empty middle seat as you do with a lap child. You both paid for one seat. I personally like using an empty middle seat for magazines and my headphone case. If you really want the extra seat for your baby just pay for it.

 

[Lewisc]

Don't let anyone make you feel guilty for not buying your lap child a seat. As long as they are under the age of two you are not required to buy a seat. I have never felt that I was entitled to an empty seat as much as someone with a lap child, that is just plain selfish. I would want for someone with a lap child to have an empty seat, I only need one.

Why? Clearly having a seat wasn't important to the OP and she didn't think that she needed more than one or she would have bought her child a seat. If the parent doesn't think it is important for the child to have their own seat, why should I? In other words, why does the child now trump anyone else wanting an extra seat. Actually, logically they have less "right" to the seat - the parent could have purchased a seat for them, but chose not to do so. Lewisc (or any other adult) is not allowed to buy a second seat (with many airlines, unless required to do so if you cannot fit into one seat).

Not getting into the argument about whether a parent should buy a seat for an infant - just suggesting that you cannot have it both ways.

Exactly.

A few airlines still try to block middle seats next to elite fliers. Should an airline take away that perk, from a profitable passengber? So they can offer a free seat for a parent lap baby of a parent who booked a deeply discounted fare?

 

[lauraf]

I am not arguing with selfish people, just from your comments alone it is obvious that you can't think of others first its all about you, I deal with your type every day, can't reason with you at all, sleep well!

 

[bavaria]

ah, the irony! How often do we see that here - if someone isn't behaving the way a poster would like, the other person is selfish?

Conventional wisdom is that any set of passengers, (whether they be two people travelling together, or a couple with lap baby) who try and 'force' an empty middle seat by taking middle/aisle seats are gaming the system to their benefit. Many carriers will not allow two passengers on the same PNR to take a window and aisle, as it forces someone else into the less desirable middle seat.

Thankfully the airlines recognize this anti-social behaviour, and work to prevent it from happening. If ANYONE wants extra space, be they parent or larger passenger or claustrophic, they should be paying for that seat (either in the zone with extra legroom, or an exit row, or a bulkhead seat, or an upgraded seat, depending on the airline)

The parent didn't pay for the seat, so they have no claim to that seat. Nor does anyone else who did not pay for it. (Unless they are elite on a carrier which still practices seat blocking, and those are rare)

 

[crashbb]

I am not arguing with selfish people, just from your comments alone it is obvious that you can't think of others first its all about you, I deal with your type every day, can't reason with you at all, sleep well!

Deal - as long as I don't have to deal with people who think the world revolves around their children. Just from your comments alone it is obvious that you can't think of others first it is all about you and your child. You want benefits that others have to pay for. I deal with your type every day, can't reason with you at all. Sleep well.