Help a flying novice!

[ItsNotMuchofaTail]

I haven't flown since 2000, my special needs child (age 9) has never flown, so please bear with me. I was reading the seating with children thread and getting more and more panic stricken.

I am flying JetBlue EWR to MCO in Nov. I bought tickets shortly after the flights became available and we picked seats with the TA. Are these not my seats? Will my DD be seated away from me? She has an invisible disability but she cannot sit away from me. No one said I had to pay extra and the TA clicked on specific plane seats. I would have paid to be assured of sitting with her. Is this airline specific? Help a flying novice out, please!!!

I am meeting with my TA to go over Flight 101 (LOL) and get my Mickey Mail next week, but anxiety is very high after reading that thread.

 

[sam_gordon]

I haven't flown since 2000, my special needs child (age 9) has never flown, so please bear with me. I was reading the seating with children thread and getting more and more panic stricken.

I am flying JetBlue EWR to MCO in Nov. I bought tickets shortly after the flights became available and we picked seats with the TA. Are these not my seats? Will my DD be seated away from me? She has an invisible disability but she cannot sit away from me. No one said I had to pay extra and the TA clicked on specific plane seats. I would have paid to be assured of sitting with her. Is this airline specific? Help a flying novice out, please!!!

I am meeting with my TA to go over Flight 101 (LOL) and get my Mickey Mail next week, but anxiety is very high after reading that thread.

Either you or your TA should regularly (at least once a week, more often as you get closer) the reservation and make sure the seats you picked are still the ones assigned to you. If they've changed, you (or the TA) should contact JB to get things fixed.

Keep in mind the seats are subject to change until you're seated in them. Although once you get your boarding pass (with the seats listed) the odds drop drastically.

 

[Slapshot1188]

You should be fine. Don't worry.

Your assigned seats won't change unless there were some sort of equipment change but I think jetBlue only has two aircraft types and they would not swap between the two.

JetBlue is probably a great choice as well because they have a little extra room and a TV in every seat. Be sure to bring some headphones.

 

[DisneyForLife]

Please do not worry, I have flown Jetblue consistently for the past 8 years and have never had my seats changed. You made an excellent choice with Jetblue. They are a wonderful airline and their customer service has always been great. Your going to love having the TV for yourself as well as your daughter.

 

[dsneprincess]

I also wouldn't worry on JetBlue. We had an issue in August, where at purchase I couldn't get more than 3 seats for the 4 of us without purchasing the extra leg room seats. After 3 weeks of worry, when I checked in 24 hours in advance, the 2 seats across from the 2 we had opened, so we were all together. The original 2 I picked never changed.

Love the tvs on JetBlue & so do my kids! So easy, just wish they'd get Disney Channel. Late night flights can get some pretty questionable shows for me!

 

[ItsNotMuchofaTail]

Thank you for all your reassurance. My sister recommended JetBlue for the TVs and lack of cattle call boarding. I don't know how my DD will react to flying, and she is well past the age people seem to think she needs to sit with me. I can't imagine what would happen if she had to sit alone. Everything I have from JetBlue indicates we are in seats 9A and 9B on both flights. Hoping to see the TA today. Hurricane Sandy delayed my plans to meet with him earlier.

 

[goofy4tink]

I'm not sure what you have seen that has you so spooked. Yes, every single airline can change your flights, as well as your seats. Yes, you get to choose your seats with most airlines, but it isn't etched in stone since airlines sometimes have to make changes...combine two different flights, change the equipment. So, your seats could change.
Now, having said that, it doesn't happen very often. If you are flying an airline that allows you to choose your seats, then you should be fine. And Jetblue is one of the better airlines for this. I fly both JB and SW exclusively...I have never had an issue being seated with my companions....ever. Even on SW. I used to fly them back in the day when they truly had 'cattle call' boarding...and it wasn't all that awful. Now, it's almost pleasant..not cattle call at all.

So, with Jetblue, I'm sure you will have no issues. Be sure to pack things that your dd enjoys, that will occupy her during the flight. I assume you are taking the middle seat, with dd at the window. Your dd will have plenty of room that way. The tv is a wonderful thing...just be sure to either bring earbuds with you, or plan to pay a few dollars for the headphones at the gate. Don't wait until you board...they can't take cash....only credit.

 

[Hoosier37]

Just in case, report to your gate early, and explain the issue. If you do not have seats together, they will do everything they can to get you seated together. Nobody who works on that airline wants angry, panicked, or upset passengers on the planes if they can help it.

 

[DebbieB]

I think these posts are overblown. I've been flying for years and never had seats where I was sitting apart from my travel companion. There have been a couple times when I did have to get moved at the airport but was always accomodated. Sure it can happen but it's rare.