Question for solo travelers

[boop0524]

My neighbor came back from a trip where she was so upset with Delta. Her and her 8 year old flew to Denver and back. In each leg they were both placed in middle seats 5-7 rows apart. She had purchased basic economy but assumed that the warnings during purchase that you might not be seated together did not apply since she was traveling with a child.

On the way there she was able to bully someone into switching, giving up their aisle seat for her middle seat.

On the way home no matter how much she cried or screamed no one would switch.

Her child survived!

Wow that is awful!!

 

[JimMIA]

If flying alone, I would probably under any circumstance change my seat to let a family sit together...I know what that's like. On a recent trip from Pa to Florida, I was travelling with my grandson. Grandson had the window seat and I was in the middle next to him. A lady sat in the aisle seat. She asked me if I could move to the window seat and put my grandson on my lap so her husband could sit in my seat. Ummmm, NO WAY! I was not about to fly with a 4 year old on my lap for 2.5 hours. Sadly, she was passive-aggressive the whole trip and wouldn't even acknowledge my grandson when he spoke to her

I guess I've just been lucky, because I've never had anyone just be a compete idiot on a flight.

I don't know what gets into people on airplanes, but sometimes it just brings out the worst in them. That lady had a completely unreasonable request to begin with, and then was a PITA when you said no.

I think I would have told her to put her husband in HER lap!

 

[bcla]

My neighbor came back from a trip where she was so upset with Delta. Her and her 8 year old flew to Denver and back. In each leg they were both placed in middle seats 5-7 rows apart. She had purchased basic economy but assumed that the warnings during purchase that you might not be seated together did not apply since she was traveling with a child.

On the way there she was able to bully someone into switching, giving up their aisle seat for her middle seat.

On the way home no matter how much she cried or screamed no one would switch.

Her child survived!

The case I mentioned was on one of Delta's regional partner airlines, although obviously purchased from Delta. I was accomodated without asking, but if there was no other way I wouldn't have bothered. My kid was 7 at the time and would have been fine for a two hour flight to Seattle.

 

[bcla]

I guess I've just been lucky, because I've never had anyone just be a compete idiot on a flight.

I don't know what gets into people on airplanes, but sometimes it just brings out the worst in them. That lady had a completely unreasonable request to begin with, and then was a PITA when you said no.

I think I would have told her to put her husband in HER lap!

That was specifically asking for something that violates rules. Anyone over 2 years old must have an individual seat. I would have politely declined too. And then there's the issue of someone being unbelted.

 

[Moliphino]

We had seats altogether going to WDW. Then airlines had to switch planes and flights due to plane's major maintenance issue. We were all then separated by rows and people. Youngest (12) was extremely upset/crying with being separated. Didn't help she was placed between 2 adult males which made her uncomfortable. Although I had a close eye on her, it wasn't enough. A very kind stranger woman, mid-flight switched with her so she could sit next to her dad. When traveling solo, we would/have swapped.

We had that happen when flying to Paris. The airline did their best to get families with kids together, but it was too much work to fix things for every party. I wound up sitting by myself about 10 rows ahead of the rest of my family. Not what we planned on (I was right on the website as soon we were able to book seat assignments to get us the best seats together that I could), but we were all adults.

For me, it would depend on the situation, as others have said.

 

[Darcy03231]

IMO if you're traveling with children and you need to sit together it's up to you to purchase the the type of tickets you need to do that, even if they cost more. Don't purchase the cheapest seats hoping that someone will swap with you. I realize that sometimes things can happen beyond your control, such as flight/aircraft changes. In that case I'd speak to the gate agent and ask what they can do. That happened to us once. The gate agent couldn't get us all seats together, but was able to put me with one child and my mother with the other one. Children were 3 and 5 at the time.

 

[amcnj]

It would depend. On “discount” airlines I always book one of the exit row or other seats with more leg room, because I need it. On others I try for the aisle so I can cheat at times and get my shoulders and legs into the
aisle, watching for the beverage cart of course!

 

[Wendy1985]

I agree with the poster about pre teen I was 11 I don’t think we even got in the air before I feel asleep and my mom had to hear about it from her boyfriend who was my chaperone it’s funny because my mom asked him and what is new about that point is if we were separated on the flight I don’t think my mom would have had to hear about it from him

 

[rigs32]

I am quite tall. In an aisle seat or a window seat, I have a little more opportunity to stretch a leg out. No way would I move to a middle seat unless the flight was less than an hour.