Quick question re: Airline travel and seating

[mommaU4]

Okay, I just thought I'd pop on here real quick to see if anyone has any advice for me.

I am trying to book 6 tickets to CA for me, my DH, and our 4 kids.
I am going through Northwest online reservations and was up to the point where it asks you to choose a seat.

They have this little seat map that shows where all the seats are for each leg of the trip and what is available. There are no seats together though!! Not even 3 and 3 (2 rows of 3 behind each other).

They have two seats here and one here and another over there, that kind of thing.
My kids are too young to sit alone (5,5,9 and 11). So I don't know what to do.

There is an option of not choosing your seats at this time, but I wanted to see where we'd be sitting now. If I booked tickets and didn't choose my seats, do they assign them? And what if they can't get us all together?

I doubt they want my kids next to a bunch of strangers half way across the plane from me, but if these are all showing as occupied then I'm afraid of how our seating will end up.

I'm not sure what to do. This may sound silly, but if anyone has any advice I'd appreciate it.
Thanks!!

 

[Divamomto3]

they won't allow your kids to sit alone, so when you board, the flight attendants will ask single travelers if they mind moving because you need to sit with your children.

 

[ktpool]

I would book the tickets (if there are that few seats left, you might miss out on the flight altogether). When you check in, explain the situation. They will likely tell you to go ahead and board, and they fight attendants will help you with rearranging to be with the children (maybe split up 3 and 3).

This is waht happened to my family a while ago. It was all good...most people will be happy to help you!

 

[annegal]

Could the 9 & 11 year old sit together and then Mom and dad each sit with a 5 year old?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

honestly--9 and 11 can sit alone. I have flown unaccompanied since age 5...a 9 and 11 on the same plane as their parents, but seated elsewhere will be fine.

Also--if you check in early (go for 2 hours early)--they can move you around. Some seats get released on flight morning and the agents have the ability to move around if necessary.

I'd seat an A + 5 yo, A + 5yo and the 9 & 11 yo.

They will be fine!!

 

[Beth76]

Don't worry about it. They won't let your kids sit alone. Besides what person would want to sit next to a small child without the parent? When I went to Philly a few years ago with my 2yo, out of the 4 legs I could only get 3 with seats together. When I got to the airport for the one flight, they switched seats around and put us together. I didn't even have to ask.

Also when DH, DS and I went to Phoenix this year, DS and I were together but DH was in a different row (different reservations). Again, they seated us all together at check-in automatically, without us asking.

 

[mommaU4]

Could the 9 & 11 year old sit together and then Mom and dad each sit with a 5 year old?

Thanks for the advice guys!!

I thought that might be what they'd do, ask others to trade seats. (Although, I hate to do that. I hope it doesn't annoy people....)

And I wouldn't mind having the older two sit together, but on the seat map they showed, they didn't even have seats close. Like two seats for the older two and then myself and one of the twins across the aisle or right in front or behind.

The seats were really spread out. It's a booking for only 20 days out so that has alot to do with it, and it's a small airport with smaller planes so that makes it hard too.

I think ktpool is right, if I don't make a quick decision, I might lose out all together.
I guess it will all work out.

Thanks again!!

 

[Pinnie]

Keep in mind that some of the pax are going to be paying EXTRA for some of those aisle seats on NWA under their new policy. It may be harder to get someone to exchange with you if that is the case.

pinnie

 

[RachelEllen]

THe only thing I'd add is that if you book seats now with the intention of switching, try to book single seats that are 'complimentary' to the any two you can get together. That is, if you book a middle and window, also book a single aisle. People are much happier to switch from aisle to aisle or window to window. It's asking a bit much of people, plus people may refuse, to switch from their aisle seat into a middle.

I'd also add, not to add stress, that it's a bit disingenuous to suggest that the flight attendants won't let you be split up. If you can't switch seats at the airport, and people won't switch with you, there's not a lot the flight attendant's can do.

 

[safetymom]

Don't be surprised if some people don't switch with you. You might want to look at other flights.

 

[cdrn1]

I flew NW to FL three times since March. Prior to that I had never used NW. The first time, I was alone and sat in something like the 8th row. The second and third time we were in 15, 16, 18. So were all the other families with kids. I remember thinking it was odd that so many seats were gone when I booked our May flights in January. Now I am wondering...does NW purposely seat those travelling with little kids in the back? Just curious.

 

[Snow Brite]

I have had this situation come up many times, as I also have four children. They will not let the 5 year olds and possibly the 9 year old be away from a parent on the flight. While they are old enough to fly alone, they charge extra for children flying alone to compensate for the additional attention from the flight attendants. It is not pleasant for anyone on the flight to have unruly, scared or bored and unattended children so the airline will try to fix this. Other single people won't have the option of staying in their seat if it comes to that, but it never has and we have done this SO many times.

If there are any seats together at all then get those now. You will probably end up 3 and 3 but maybe 2 and then 2 somewhere else and then the oldest 2 across the aisle or behind. You will be VERY likely to end up in the last, last row back by the bathrooms with the seats that don't recline and the jet noise. They seem to reserve this row for this purpose as it is undesirable.

This will be done at checkin in all likelyhood. Because of the new charges for aisle and bulkhead, this will be more complicated, but frankly that is the airlines problem for not considering families wanting to sit together when they instituted this stupid policy.

 

[marjie8230]

totally don't worry about it. Go ahead and book. A few years ago, I booked 3 of our 4 tickets directly with the airline and booked the 4th through expedia or whatever. Anyway, I initially connected all four tickets to sit together and had to contact the airline about 4 times because we kept getting seperated (it will alert you online.) On the fourth call the rep said it wasn't a big deal because they will always sit children with their parents. It could get sticky though so I would recommend getting there ahead of time and mentioning it to the boarding agent.

 

[DebbieB]

I fly NW frequently PIT/MSP, often last minute trips, I usually do not get a seat when I book it. They hold alot of the seats in the front half for their elite flyers. These will sometimes open up when you do online check-in at 24 hours (if they are still open). Northwest.com also allows you to switch seats on their website, so keep watching it.

 

[epcotfan]

Keep in mind that some of the pax are going to be paying EXTRA for some of those aisle seats on NWA under their new policy. It may be harder to get someone to exchange with you if that is the case.

pinnie

Air Canada does the same thing. We pay a premium to pick our seats in advance so we can get an aisle and middle seat. I would pick the seats now. At least you can get a couple of pairs of seats together.