Extra seats on flight?

[Lewisc]

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!

A parent thinks her child would be more comfortable and safer in his own seat. A parent doesn't want to pay for said seat. It's obvious such a person doesn't put her child first. I can't reason with a person who agrees his child would better off in his own seat but isn't willing to pay for the seat. I don't know how a parent can sleep well, knowing she's risking the safety of her child just to save a few dollars.

Sorry but a parent who decides to save a few dollars by taking advantage of the current rules regarding lap babies has no right to expect airlines, or other passengers, will give them something (for free) that they chose not to purchase.

 

[crashbb]

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 middle 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)

You know I love you, but I think you mean that the airlines don't allow people to book window and aisle (rather than middle and aisle).

And here admit that I have done that (window/aisle). I was flying home with someone who loves the window and I need the aisle. We were perfectly happy to not talk to each other during the flight and were willing to book window/aisle in separate rows (so, each row would have two other seats and we couldn't be accused of "gaming"). I was told to go ahead and book the window/aisle combo. It was a totally full flight (I knew it likely would be), so there was someone in the middle seat, who probably thought he had scored and one of us would move - we didn't. But we also didn't try to talk over the guy in the middle seat - if you didn't know we were together, you wouldn't have known it from our behaviour.

 

[bavaria]

Lauraf, I'm curious... Do you feel that the following people should also have claim to that empty seat? How do you prioritize them compared to the baby?

• elderly travellers
• travellers with physical impairments
• passengers of size
• passengers with claustrophobia
  

If we start playing 'my needs are more important than your needs', it gets very ugly very quickly. I have said before that you cannot demand respect from people if you are not willing to give it yourself.

 

[brp]

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)

I don't see this antisocial at all. It is definitely gaming the system,but why antisocial? If there are empty seats, they have to be next to someone. Nothing wrong with trying to have the seat next to you, with the full realization that it may not work. If the seat is going out empty, I see no reason to pay for it. And I understand that, if not empty, someone will be there.

Also, as an airline elite, if they have a policy of blocking seats next to me, then I will use that perk when possible, and not feel that I should pay for it explicitly. We already pay for it with our 100K+ miles each per year.

Cheers.

 

[bavaria]

You know I love you, but I think you mean that the airlines don't allow people to book window and aisle (rather than middle and aisle).

edited.

Ich bin Ausländerin, nichts verstehe.

 

[Lewisc]

Lauraf, I'm curious... Do you feel that the following people should also have claim to that empty seat? How do you prioritize them compared to the baby?

• elderly travellers
• travellers with physical impairments
• passengers of size
• passengers with claustrophobia
  

If we start playing 'my needs are more important than your needs', it gets very ugly very quickly. I have said before that you cannot demand respect from people if you are not willing to give it yourself.

A related question. Assume there aren't enough empty seats to accommodate all the parents who hoped for a free seat. Who should get the free seat?

1. First parent to check in online.
2. First parent to arrive at the gate.
3. First parent to make reservation.
4. E-Bay auction so parents pay whatever the extra seat is worth.
5. No free seats unless there is more then enough empty seats for all lap babies.

 

[bavaria]

But we also didn't try to talk over the guy in the middle seat - if you didn't know we were together, you wouldn't have known it from our behaviour.

And that is what does become anti-social. If someone is seated in the middle, and you wanted to talk, the correct course of action (which I know you would take) would be to offer the window or the aisle seat to the person in the middle.

But sitting in the window and the aisle, and passing things or talking across the middle person shows a lack of courtesy, especially when one intentionally booked those seats knowing that there was a very high chance of someone being seated in the middle.

I don't know which carriers still practice seat blocking - on my prefered *A carriers seat blocking no longer exists, nor has it since loads increased so substantially.

 

[brp]

Ich bin Ausländerin, nichts verstehe.

Ich denke nicht

Cheers.

 

[TagsMissy]

With all due respect please pay for the seat; it's like people who constantly book a low class room at Disney but really want the MK view and are heading to WDW with all the intention to try and get an upgrade to what they want for free.

Personally I fly economy because I don't want to waste the money on Business -- I am happy with my economy seat knowing we are going to be packed in like sardines

 

[brp]

With all due respect please pay for the seat; it's like people who constantly book a low class room at Disney but really want the MK view and are heading to WDW with all the intention to try and get an upgrade to what they want for free.

Personally I fly economy because I don't want to waste the money on Business -- I am happy with my economy seat knowing we are going to be packed in like sardines

I'm not sure that this is quite the same. For airlines, there are approved ways to buy economy and upgrade to Business/First for free; we do it all the time. I have a feeling that Disney does not have an analogous "elite" construct that allows this, so comparing the two is not really apples/apples.

Cheers.

 

[staubinst]

I did not want to start a huge debate here about this, it was a simple question and it obviously bothers a lot of people. I find it hard to believe that if anyone of us was on an airplane and the seat next to us was empty it would be hard not to spread out. I am not expecting an extra seat. I am not cheap. I love my children and would never compromise their safety. Enough said!

 

[uva185]

I did not want to start a huge debate here about this, it was a simple question and it obviously bothers a lot of people. I find it hard to believe that if anyone of us was on an airplane and the seat next to us was empty it would be hard not to spread out. I am not expecting an extra seat.

It's not your fault, the topic of lap babies comes up quite frequently and everyone (myself included) have strong opinions about the issue.

I am not cheap. I love my children and would never compromise their safety. Enough said!

This is wherein a lot of the controversy on this topic lies. Many on this board agree with you that lap children are safe in the parents arms. Other (myself included) disagree.

No point in arguing over the matter. It's just a matter of opinions / beliefs.

 

[bavaria]

OP, I don't think that most of us were replying to you, but to someone who was 'defending' parents with lap babies. I saw nothing in your posts to inflame people - you were not calling names, or getting emotional.

But for some people, having children seems to be either a trump card or a disability or some sort of prize which seems to mean that others should make way for them. I don't understand how we stopped considering others and only started to consider ourselves and our needs. The fact is that an empty seat on a plane is rare these days, and pretty much every passenger would enjoy having one next to them.

But it is not anyone's place to decide who is more deserving of that empty seat.

Have a good flight - and if the seat next to you does end up being empty, enjoy it!

 

[seashoreCM]

But if you booked window and aisle near the back, whether or now you have a small child or a stack of magazines or a laptop computer, the chances are greater no one will take the seat in the middle. Is the flight attendant going to come by and make sure there is absolutely nothing in that seat all flight long just because the couple up front didn't get an extra seat and had to pass their child back and forth across the person in the middle every hour to share lap sitting and the magazine salesmen also taking window and aisle up front had to sit on their wares as if on booster seats because the seat between them, too, was taken by a standby?

 

[Lewisc]

I did not want to start a huge debate here about this, it was a simple question and it obviously bothers a lot of people. I find it hard to believe that if anyone of us was on an airplane and the seat next to us was empty it would be hard not to spread out. I am not expecting an extra seat. I am not cheap. I love my children and would never compromise their safety. Enough said!

My comments weren't directed to your reasonable question. The night before your flight, or that morning if you have an afternoon flight, try to book 9 seats. If the reservation system lets you book 9 seats call and ask how open the flight is. Bring a car seat if the flight is open. All bets are off if there is bad weather on flights are delayed/cancelled.

There is no question an infant is better off in their own seat. Parents who are able to book deeply discounted seats should always book a seat for their infant. People who are forced to book full fare seats should call the airline and ask about an infant fare. Infant fares are generally higher then the discounted fares most of us book.