Help! 3 yr old not seated w/us on plane!

[kjs1976]

We just snagged a great deal on Delta to Orlando Easter Sunday through the following Wed. Quick little sunny getaway! On the way home, the plane is pretty much full. The only seats I could get for the three of us, me DH and DD 3, were in three rows, in a row. How is the best way for me to approach this before the flight or at the gate to get at least one of us together with my 3 year old daughter? THANKS!

 

[maxiesmom]

Keep checking the seat map, and see if other seats show up open. If that doesn't work, once you are at the airport ask the gate agent if they can reshuffle people around. Sometimes they can. If all else fails, you will need to throw yourself on the mercy of your fellow flyers.

Where are your seats located--window, middle, or aisle? I'm hoping you are not all middle seats. Try to keep the least desirable seat for yourself, and use the best seat to trade with. For example, if you are in a middle seat in row 27 and your child is in an aisle or window seat in row 5, ask if someone next to you would mind moving up in the plane and taking your childs aisle seat. It is usually easier to get people to move towards the front of the plane than it is to get them to move towards the back.

If you end up having to ask people to switch seats, please do it as nicely as possible, and maybe offer to buy them a drink. There are people who have posted here that they just plunk their child down and say something along the lines of "If you won't switch seats with me I hope you have fun keeping my child entertained. Oh, and little Johnny also pukes in flight. Have a ball". That is so not what to do!

Keep checking the flights first. You may get lucky. Other than that, work with the gate agent, and your fellow travelors as a last resort. Good luck!

 

[keishashadow]

We just snagged a great deal on Delta to Orlando Easter Sunday through the following Wed. Quick little sunny getaway! On the way home, the plane is pretty much full. The only seats I could get for the three of us, me DH and DD 3, were in three rows, in a row. How is the best way for me to approach this before the flight or at the gate to get at least one of us together with my 3 year old daughter? THANKS!

no flames but jmho, it's not a great deal if you are actually separated from your DD. If it's really essential that you be seated with her, i'd suggest calling Delta & asking if they could accommodate you on another flight that day (earlier/connecting, etc.). It may cost more money @ this point, but would certainly give you piece of mind.

If not, you might get lucky and find a passenger who doesn't want to be seated next to such a small child, but many frequent flyers see this so often, they're less inclined to accommodate such requests.

Good luck in whatever you decide

 

[n2mm]

Keep checking the seat map, and see if other seats show up open. If that doesn't work, once you are at the airport ask the gate agent if they can reshuffle people around. Sometimes they can. If all else fails, you will need to throw yourself on the mercy of your fellow flyers.

Where are your seats located--window, middle, or aisle? I'm hoping you are not all middle seats. Try to keep the least desirable seat for yourself, and use the best seat to trade with. For example, if you are in a middle seat in row 27 and your child is in an aisle or window seat in row 5, ask if someone next to you would mind moving up in the plane and taking your childs aisle seat. It is usually easier to get people to move towards the front of the plane than it is to get them to move towards the back.

If you end up having to ask people to switch seats, please do it as nicely as possible, and maybe offer to buy them a drink. There are people who have posted here that they just plunk their child down and say something along the lines of "If you won't switch seats with me I hope you have fun keeping my child entertained. Oh, and little Johnny also pukes in flight. Have a ball". That is so not what to do!

Keep checking the flights first. You may get lucky. Other than that, work with the gate agent, and your fellow travelors as a last resort. Good luck!

Good advice!!

Hopefully they can get at least one parent with your child, but I wouldn't push it for both. That would be the approach I would take at the gate. Though we flew on United once and our entire party of 6 was scattered all over the plane. The best they could do was to get my grandson (then 6) sitting in an aisle seat and me in an aisle seat across from him. My DH lucked out and sat between two elderly ladies, and he was in deep conversation for 2 hours. My DD managed a window seat with her lap-baby. She had hoped for help with the lap-baby, but her husband was elsewhere on the plane. We had called prior, plus spoke with the folks at the gate. We were glad that one of us got to sit near my grandson at lease. Good luck.

 

[run4me]

This has happen to me in the past. I called airline and told them that daughter was four and they changed my seats. Last fall it happened with five of us (myself, daughter, sister and her twins) and airline agent told me he could not change it there as it was booked out but to tell them when we checked in. I was hoping for at least 2 seats together. When we checked in at each stop they got all five of us together. I did go to check in asap at each stop.

 

[shassta]

I have flown with Delta before and while I was waiting at the gate, I had asked the gate attendant about possibility of changing us so that my dd could sit with me. Not only did they arrange it so that we were seated together, she managed to get my mum seated with us too.

 

[Bell30012]

The airlines are very good at working with this. My DD8 and I have had this happen several times over the years. Delta is one of the best at handling it. We have never had to sit apart. The gate agent will help you with this if you can't get it changed beforehand.

We've had gate agents ask single travelers if they'd mind changing. We've also had flight attendants make the change. This same situation occurs if you book seats at an exit row and are traveling with a small child. You will be moved.

 

[kahblue]

I wouldn't be too concerned. Follow the advice that you've been given. The airline wouldn't accept your 3 year old to sit apart from you so that would be taken care of regardless. Like others said, the 3 of you may not be able to sit altogether though.

 

[Lewisc]

Call Delta. If they tell you to check with the GA then you need to get to the gate early. Some seats may get held back for gate assignment but you don't those seats going to passengers who get to the gate early.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

The airline wouldn't accept your 3 year old to sit apart from you so that would be taken care of regardless..

This statement is not true.

However, do keep checking. If I have a seat I don't like on Delta I check just about every day and generally get it changed.

If the phone or online have not worked be at the gate an hour inadvace (note THE GATE, not check in or security) and nicely ask to be moved... they can do it in most cases and get at least two of you together.


Arriving at the gate as the boarding is going on is too late!

 

[Lewisc]

You selected seats when you booked. You don't have grounds to complain if Delta is unable, or unwilling, to accommodate you. Getting to the gate early means getting to the gate at least an hour before your flight, probably earlier. There will probably be other families looking to change seats.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Call Delta. If they tell you to check with the GA then you need to get to the gate early. Some seats may get held back for gate assignment but you don't those seats going to passengers who get to the gate early.

Great advice to follow. Again, get to the gate as early as you can.

 

[crashbb]

You selected seats when you booked. You don't have grounds to complain if Delta is unable, or unwilling, to accommodate you. Getting to the gate early means getting to the gate at least an hour before your flight, probably earlier. There will probably be other families looking to change seats.

Agreed.

However, here is advice I've posted before (some doesn't totally apply, since it was a family of four with no seats, but the gist of it does):

My "steps to take if you cannot book seats together".

1) Try calling the airline. Airlines hold back some seats and may be able to open up enough so that all children are beside one adult (not necessarily all 4 of you together).

2) Keep checking - people cancel flights/change seats. Take a pair if you can get it (or a triple). For people in the "single seats", choose ones that other people may want so that you have good seats to trade (i.e. aisle seats near the front of the plane).

3) Do online check in at the 24 hour mark. The seats that are held back are now opened up plus some people may have been upgraded. You have a good chance of moving to seats that are together.

4) Get to the airport early and ask the check-in agent if there are together seats that you can move to (again, people may have moved/upgraded/canceled).

5) When you get to the gate, talk to the gate agent. Changes are still happening and they may be able to help you.

6) If all else fails and you get on the plane and you have all single seats, nicely ask people if they would mind trading (but know that they have every right to reject the request). You have much better odds if you are offering your "better" seat. For example, if one seat is in row 5 and the other seat is in row 32, you'll do much better asking the person beside you in row 32 to move up to row 5 (and you and your child sit in row 32) than the opposite.

7) If you are still separated, you can choose to deplane and take a later flight. Before considering this, make sure you know if there are still together seats available on a subsequent flight (and that there IS a subsequent). Also, this will likely be at a cost to you.

I have NEVER seen anyone get to step 7 (not saying it doesn't happen, I've just never seen it) and rarely step 6 (generally only on holiday flights with lots of families none of whom want to sit split up or even go one adult/one child one place and another adult/child somewhere else).

 

[jnadelman]

If none of those approaches work, and people won't switch, then try this.

Tell your DD. "Don't worry sweetie, Mommy is right behind you. I might be sleeping or have my headphones on, so if you need me, make sure you cry really loud this way I hear you. Also, here is your vomit bag. If you feel sick, make sure you try to use it. I'm sure this nice man next to you will be happy to help you open it. If you can't get to the bag in time, don't worry. Mommy will come and help clean it up, just try not to get it on the man"

 

[Lewisc]

If none of those approaches work, and people won't switch, then try this.

Tell your DD. "Don't worry sweetie, Mommy is right behind you. I might be sleeping or have my headphones on, so if you need me, make sure you cry really loud this way I hear you. Also, here is your vomit bag. If you feel sick, make sure you try to use it. I'm sure this nice man next to you will be happy to help you open it. If you can't get to the bag in time, don't worry. Mommy will come and help clean it up, just try not to get it on the man"

A passenger might not want to move from an aisle seat to a middle seat. The passenger may very well have their own headphones. Tell me your child is sick and may vomit during the flight and I might suggest to a FA that your child is too sick to fly.

Ask nicely and a passenger might switch but don't board the plane with your original seat assignments if you're not willing to sit in the seats you reserved.

 

[crashbb]

If none of those approaches work, and people won't switch, then try this.

Tell your DD. "Don't worry sweetie, Mommy is right behind you. I might be sleeping or have my headphones on, so if you need me, make sure you cry really loud this way I hear you. Also, here is your vomit bag. If you feel sick, make sure you try to use it. I'm sure this nice man next to you will be happy to help you open it. If you can't get to the bag in time, don't worry. Mommy will come and help clean it up, just try not to get it on the man"

Doing anything like that would ensure that my butt (which would have otherwise likely moved) would stay firmly in my assigned seat. And my noise canceling headphones and eye shades would be on, before the mom even left the area.

And, I might have to suggest to the FA that the child was too ill to travel if the mom was that worried about her being sick.

 

[jemmouse]

I am a mom and would no way ever be separated from my child on a plane and he is 10. BUT I am sorry to say I wouldn't book a flight where we all as a family couldn't be together. Sure you can ask people to move, BUT really in All honesty why should they. They paid for their tickets went on and then chose their seats.

My DH travels every week for work via airplanes. Right now currently going to Hawaii which is an 8 plus hour flight. Now I know my DH would give up his seat for a mom BUT then he would probably get stuck in a middle seat for a LONG time. When all the family had to do was order their tickets earlier. And that does get me mad because I always order ours earlier and at times having to pay a higher rate.

Bottom line I do understand BUT I also think there are things you could've done to prevented this. Change your flight, book earlier, change your days. I know it can be headache because I do it every time we travel. Coordinating this ones schedule, theses times, BUT if I can so can you.....

 

[kjs1976]

Thanks for all the good advice.

We are in three middle seats. There were only 5 listed as available, the other two were in random places. I'll call and see what I can do and keep checking. we do always check in at the 24 hr. mark so that is helpful also.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

i am one who gets carsick all the time if i do not drive and i know friends whose child get airsick on planes all the time but is not sick. add excitement of Disney not something you could get child off the plane. ps my brother will still not sit beside me in a car and he has reasons. you will not catch it from me but you do not want to sit beside me.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

If she's sitting in a carseat they will move seats to put you 2 together,