Make sure you are seated together for flight home

[dester]

Traveling with 4 children we thought we had seats together when we booked. Got to the off airport check in facility and found out two of our seats were 8 rows apart. The staff said it happens all the time with change of aircraft and if you don't check you could be out of luck.
The staff was nice enough to call the airline and get us all together so I would recommend you check your seats again before heading to the airport.

 

[Schmeck]

When they put all of your group together, then they most likely broke up other family groups - think of all the families flying out of Orlando each day!

 

[maxiesmom]

That happens all of the time. It is always a good idea to keep an eye on your flights. Many airlines change equipment around and your assigned seats can be moved.

Did you choose your seats when you purchased your tickets, or did you assume because you were flying with children that you would be seated together? Because that is not the case.

 

[momofrrr]

Same thing happened to us last time both going and coming. I was so angry. We were not seated anywhere together and there are 5 of us. We were all over the plane. They told me it was because they had changed the type of plane and the computer readjusts the seating automatically. I am sorry, I feel you pain. Fortunatly my kids are old enough to sit alone on the plane, they don't need me to open their peanuts for them, but it was a FAMILY vacation.

 

[NotUrsula]

One of the advantages of flying SWA -- no surprises unless it's your own fault for showing up late at the gate.

 

[LilyWDW]

This is something that you deal with when it comes to air travel. It can and does happen all the time. It is very important to keep on eye on your flights. You never know when something will change. It is not the job of the airline to make sure you are seated together.

 

[tjmw2727]

A good warning for anyone flying any airline (except SWA). I am glad things worked out for you!

I fly at least montly with 2 kids for those interested here is my experience:

Airlines change schedules and flight times and the computers don't always keep seat assignments. Since we all now book internet fares there is no way for the computer or airline to know kids from adults. With internet fares everyone is "adult"

This is why I never use a travel agent or online booking agent like orbitz, I like to control my reservation. I book my seats (or EBCI on SWA) and if necessary I do pay the fee to have my family sit together. I check my flights/seats every few weeks, more often as the flight gets closer.

No airline guarantees seats - most people don't understand this. They simply guarantee transportaiton from point A to point B. I am not saying its ok but with folks wanting low fares these days that is the way it is.

 

[pospisil]

It doesn't bother me to be split up. I hate flying, so I try to sleep anyway, and DS9 watches his DVD player, so he doesn't care who is sitting with him.

 

[ireland_nicole]

well that's ridiculous- when we book we are given the option to book seats- of course one would expect that is where they are likely to sit. OTOH, I'm sure it would be good for sheer entertainment value( no, not really) if they tried to seperate my autistic DD from me... not something I'd recommend, but I guarantee you no stranger would want to sit with her long. My DH is travelling 16 hours with both children next month- should be interesting if they try to seperate them- unbelieveable! If they don't expect you to keep you seats, then why give you the option to book them- and in the case of Aer Lingus (my DH's trip this summer) send you emails to confirm your seat choice at least once a month?

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

My daughter an I were separated on our return trip home from Orlando when she was 7. I wouldn't have minded her being a few rows away from me but they had me at the very front of the plane and her at the very back (about 30-40 rows in between the two of us). Fortunately the person sitting next to her was traveling solo and had no problem switching seats with me when the airline asked. I don't think they wanted to be stuck next to a 7 year old for an 8 hour flight

 

[momH2the4th]

We left for Orlando last Thursday. We printed our boarding passes BEFORE going to the airport and our seats were still the same. After getting to the airport, checking 1 bag and going to our gate, we found out that the original plane had mechanical problems and that 30 passengers were being bumped because the new plane was a smaller one. We did not find this out until we had been sitting there for 15 minutes. Everybody had to check in again at the gate. Luckily we were on row 37, rows 39 and back were bumped to a later flight. If we had not checked in at the gate our seats would have been given to someone else. Moral of the story, we will now ALWAYS check in at the gate just in case!

 

[maxiesmom]

If they don't expect you to keep you seats, then why give you the option to book them- and in the case of Aer Lingus (my DH's trip this summer) send you emails to confirm your seat choice at least once a month?

Because airlines can change airplane sizes up until the last minute. The can change to either a bigger or smaller aircraft, depending on how ticket sales are. They can change aircraft because there was a problem with the one you were supposed to be on. Or they can change flight times and all the seat assignments get switched around.

I think it is great tht Air Lingus sends you e-mails confirming your seats. Most American airlines don't do that.

Also, if you read your contract of carriage, all you are promised is the flight itself. There are no guarantees of time, equipment, or seat assignments.

 

[mjkacmom]

This has happened to us before - no big deal. The last time, I snagged the 2 seats with my oldest, and left DH with the rest of the crew. BEST FLIGHT EVER!

 

[crisi]

This has happened to us before - no big deal. The last time, I snagged the 2 seats with my oldest, and left DH with the rest of the crew. BEST FLIGHT EVER!

If your kids are old enough/mature enough/responsible enough for the length of the flight - it really isn't a big deal. Most U.S. flights are only a few hours, most kids who are school age can handle being separated from their parents for that time - and for a lot of them, its more exciting to be "big" than anxiety producing.

When the kids are little, or anxious, or likely to cause problems - it is a big deal.

Because our kids are older and pretty responsible, we will allow ourselves to be broken up when we fly to/from Disney.

 

[bumbershoot]

well that's ridiculous- when we book we are given the option to book seats- of course one would expect that is where they are likely to sit. .... If they don't expect you to keep you seats, then why give you the option to book them...

Many reasons why, but they've been doing this for a LONG time.

One of the reasons I was happy to fly Southwest was because I actually got to literally CHOOSE my seat. I had had my supposedly chosen seat changed on me for SO many flights since I went away to college in '87, that I was just tired of the nonsense "choosing" the other airlines had me do.

If your kids are old enough/mature enough/responsible enough for the length of the flight - it really isn't a big deal.

She said that she sat with 2 of her kids, and her husband was with the others. No one was away from a parent in the post that you're responding to.

 

[monkey30]

Yes we have had this issue before. They had a 4 and 6 yr old seperated from Dh and I!
In the end they managed to get at least 2 sets of 2 seats together, so Dh took one and I took one and baby, no one was by themselves, I would never want or expect someone else to look after my kids its a 5.5 hr flight!

We try hard to get there early to avoid this happening and our seats are prebooked. Just hope it stays that way and deal with whatever we have to!

 

[surfgirl]

Airlines change schedules and flight times and the computers don't always keep seat assignments. Since we all now book internet fares there is no way for the computer or airline to know kids from adults. With internet fares everyone is "adult"

I disagree that everyone is an "adult". We may all pay the same fare, but when I make reservations, I have to list how many "adults" and how many "children" (ages 2-14 - may differ for each airline). That is exactly so that the airline knows who is a minor and who is not a minor so that minors can't be split apart from parents.

I've had it happen, but as soon as I've brought it to the FA's attention, it has been resolved.

This is also a good reason to pay attention to using different ff accounts to book flights -- if someone is on a different confirmation code, call the airline and make sure your records are linked. That way, in the case that something changes, the airline knows that your records are together.

Also, there are airlines that charge different fees for children (ages 11 and below) and adults - I've never encountered it domestically, but I know with SAS, we had different fare prices for the adult tickets and the children tickets. I think children pay 70% of adults - only the fares, not the taxes.

 

[tjmw2727]

I disagree that everyone is an "adult". We may all pay the same fare, but when I make reservations, I have to list how many "adults" and how many "children" (ages 2-14 - may differ for each airline). That is exactly so that the airline knows who is a minor and who is not a minor so that minors can't be split apart from parents.

I've had it happen, but as soon as I've brought it to the FA's attention, it has been resolved.

This is also a good reason to pay attention to using different ff accounts to book flights -- if someone is on a different confirmation code, call the airline and make sure your records are linked. That way, in the case that something changes, the airline knows that your records are together.

Also, there are airlines that charge different fees for children (ages 11 and below) and adults - I've never encountered it domestically, but I know with SAS, we had different fare prices for the adult tickets and the children tickets. I think children pay 70% of adults - only the fares, not the taxes.

I was simply trying to point out that the computer can't distinguish ages when a flight is changed. All the fares online are "internet fares" regardless of the ages of the travelers.

If folks understand the issue they can be more proactive in heading off problems.

FWIW minors can be and are separted from parents, I have experienced it and seen it more times than I can mention. Sometimes the FA's can get a parent seated with a child othertimes not esp if it is a school age child.

As for discount fares for children (or seniors) they are usually a % of the full fare and most often more than the internet fare.

 

[shaylyn]

well that's ridiculous- when we book we are given the option to book seats- of course one would expect that is where they are likely to sit. OTOH, I'm sure it would be good for sheer entertainment value( no, not really) if they tried to seperate my autistic DD from me... not something I'd recommend, but I guarantee you no stranger would want to sit with her long. My DH is travelling 16 hours with both children next month- should be interesting if they try to seperate them- unbelieveable! If they don't expect you to keep you seats, then why give you the option to book them- and in the case of Aer Lingus (my DH's trip this summer) send you emails to confirm your seat choice at least once a month?

lol I'm thinking the same thing about my mentally handicap severely adhd 8yo. Five minutes sitting with him and strangers will be begging to switch seats! I'd kinda like the break though, lol, free babysitting, whoo-hoo!

 

[scrapquitler]

I've had it happen, but as soon as I've brought it to the FA's attention, it has been resolved.

Same here. There was the flight that we took (booked only 2 weeks ahead of the trip) where we had four separate seats. They had my DH in one row, DD8 separate a couple rows behind him, DS age 9 months was in a completely separate part of the plane and I was about 4 rows away from DS.

When we got to the airport, I knew they were going to have to do something, because there was little likelyhood that some stranger was going to want to sit next to and deal with my 9 month old for me. Sure, they might not have been HAPPY that their seat assignment was changed, but really....

It turned out to be no problem at all. I didn't care if all four of us were together or not, as long as each child had a parent in the same row. Anything else would have been irresponsible (and I imagine would have been a liability issue for the airline to leave a small child with no parent there - imagine if one of them had a peanut allergy and didn't tell the flight attendant and got peanuts?). DH sat with DD and I sat with DS a few rows away, and we didn't mind that at all.