RANT: I don't care if you want to sit next to your kids on the airplane

[Flight]

I projectile vomit up and down all the isles if I don't get a free upgrade to 1st class. My wife holds her breath til she passes out if she isn't upgraded with me. I always try to warn the flight crew but they simply don't believe til we're forced to call the bluff.

 

[elphaba91]

Yup. Those people are annoying. And, they exist everywhere. "I want THIS seat...see there's one over there, go take it." The same thing happens on planes....people want to see your ticket. They bloody well know they are in the wrong seat....but I suppose they expect us to be the same kind of crass seat poachers that they are. Those people, I will NEVER switch for. If you ask me nicely BEFORE you poach my seat, I will give it due consideration and see if your suggested trade is fair and reasonable, but poach my seat? The ONLY acceptable answer would be that you had a seat in first class and instead wanted to sit in the back, and would I mind taking your assigned seat in first class? As if that would ever happen.....

Actually, I have heard of that happening once! A well known youtuber was upgraded on a flight; his wife and 5 kids (including a baby and toddler) were not. Even then, I think the other passenger was a bit taken aback.

 

[justgrace]

Just saw this in the news and thought of this thread:

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2016/...oon-be-required-to-let-families-fly-together/

 

[hereyago]

Just saw this in the news and thought of this thread:

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2016/...oon-be-required-to-let-families-fly-together/

Oh boy fun if it gets passed. I wonder what happens if they make the necessary plans to be seated per this rule if is inacted then they get put on another flight, what would happen then? would they get priority over the flyers who all ready booked their particular seat?

What if it is a whole family: aunts, uncles, second.cousin twice removed with just 2 kids in the bunch) which you can see at MCO, one kid has an entourage of family for pre boarding unless.they have changed that in a few years.

 

[mnrose]

Just completely unnecessary. Families CAN sit together. They just need to make arrangements IN ADVANCE and pay any appropriate seat fees. It's the "cheap" families that want the "free" seats and "together" that create the problem. We are flying in March for spring break, and guess what? We have seats where we want. Gee. Not that hard. Just requires a little advance planning.

Note that this bill has been introduced before and never passed. My guess is it won't this time either.

 

[maxiesmom]

Oh boy fun if it gets passed. I wonder what happens if they make the necessary plans to be seated per this rule if is inacted then they get put on another flight, what would happen then? would they get priority over the flyers who all ready booked their particular seat?

What if it is a whole family: aunts, uncles, second.cousin twice removed with just 2 kids in the bunch) which you can see at MCO, one kid has an entourage of family for pre boarding unless.they have changed that in a few years.

I would think if it passed, which isn't likely, that it would have some sort of you cannot pass go type of thing when booking tickets. As in, if your kids are a certain age it would force you to certain seats or tell you you cannot book that flight.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Just completely unnecessary. Families CAN sit together. They just need to make arrangements IN ADVANCE and pay any appropriate seat fees.

I have to disagree.
Most every airline out there often changes things around, changing aircraft, consolidating flights, bumping people from the flights they booked to another flight at about the same time, etc..
Have seen this happen to me more than once. And, I have always booked way early, and selected appropriate seats.
In my personal experience, DELTA is the worst offender.
In fact, the earlier you book, the longer of a time window there is for one to be shuffled around.
I check my flights often, and have had to go in and change our seats because, yes, once again, the airline changed things around, and they do bother to try to keep your party together, at all.

ESPECIALLY since the OP of this thread was flying during the big post holiday snow-pocalyps (sp???) with hundreds of flights cancelled and changed around, I can see absolutely NO way to assume that this woman had found herself seated separately from her child due to her own negligance. In fact, I would go so far as to say that even if she HAD booked a better seat for her child, and assumed that somebody would be expected to trade seats with her, that this all happened exactly as she had planned.

Flying today is just a crap-shoot... russian roulette.

 

[maxiesmom]

We have no way of knowing if the woman was given the option of a flight that was leaving soon with no seats together or a flight that leaves later with seats together.

If you book a certain flight, pay for seats,and still find your family split up that is one thing. Not taking the proper steps and deciding instead to ask/guilt/badger others into moving for your family is quite another.

 

[mnrose]

I have to disagree.
Most every airline out there often changes things around, changing aircraft, consolidating flights, bumping people from the flights they booked to another flight at about the same time, etc..
Have seen this happen to me more than once. And, I have always booked way early, and selected appropriate seats.
In my personal experience, DELTA is the worst offender.
In fact, the earlier you book, the longer of a time window there is for one to be shuffled around.
I check my flights often, and have had to go in and change our seats because, yes, once again, the airline changed things around, and they do bother to try to keep your party together, at all.

ESPECIALLY since the OP of this thread was flying during the big post holiday snow-pocalyps (sp???) with hundreds of flights cancelled and changed around, I can see absolutely NO way to assume that this woman had found herself seated separately from her child due to her own negligance. In fact, I would go so far as to say that even if she HAD booked a better seat for her child, and assumed that somebody would be expected to trade seats with her, that this all happened exactly as she had planned.

Flying today is just a crap-shoot... russian roulette.

Well, IRROPs are going to happen in the flying world....planes are substituted for mechanical reasons, weather events happen which cause cancellations. What's the airline supposed to do? Give "families" priority over every other passenger on the plane? Really? I assume what happened in the OP was that the woman and her child were on a later flight because the one they were on originally was cancelled. That means they were going to need to "squeeze in" wherever there was space because, guess what, a whole bunch of other people (including some families) already HAD seats on that plane. And, no law is going to make the airlines provide family seating in that case. Indeed, the law says that it applies ONLY at the time of booking. Changes, such as weather delays, etc, means everyone has to suck it up a bit and deal, and that includes families.

Whether good or bad, part of flying in today's world is being able to handle these last minute changes and accepting it with grace, instead of expecting that everyone else is going to accommodate any particular passenger's desires.

 

[Bluestars]

My husband and I often pay extra to be seated in an exit row. We have a lot of extra leg room and don't have to worry about families with young children because kids under 15 can't sit in an exit row.

We took a SW flight and paid extra to board early. A lady ended up sitting beside me and complained that she wasn't able to sit with her kids because she had to board last. I didn't feel sorry for her because she could have paid extra to board early. Since she seemed so concerned, I asked about the ages of her kids. They were 11 and 14. LOL. I secretly rolled my eyes and told her that I am sure her kids will be fine. Somehow, her kids made it through the two hour flight without sitting beside their mother.

 

[mnrose]

You do have to wonder how these kids make it through a school day, or ride the bus without mommy present, don't you?

 

[DebbieB]

Just saw this in the news and thought of this thread:

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2016/...oon-be-required-to-let-families-fly-together/

What he is proposing is if there are no seats together at booking, that they are informed and can make a choice from there. I don't know how that would work with SW.

 

[mummabear]

Really? I assume what happened in the OP was that the woman and her child were on a later flight because the one they were on originally was cancelled. That means they were going to need to "squeeze in" wherever there was space because, guess what, a whole bunch of other people (including some families) already HAD seats on that plane. And, no law is going to make the airlines provide family seating in that case. Indeed, the law says that it applies ONLY at the time of booking. Changes, such as weather delays, etc, means everyone has to suck it up a bit and deal, and that includes families.

In that case the priority should go to the people who were bumped from their original flight like a line.
And to put it simply yes assuming the parent had arranged on their original flight to be booked next to her child that is more of a priority than an adult just wanting to sit in that seat because they like ti better.

You do have to wonder how these kids make it through a school day, or ride the bus without mommy present, don't you?

Never seen air masks deploy on a school bus, you?

 

[PollyannaMom]

In that case the priority should go to the people who were bumped from their original flight like a line.
And to put it simply yes assuming the parent had arranged on their original flight to be booked next to her child that is more of a priority than an adult just wanting to sit in that seat because they like it better.

For a tiny kid, sure. If you originally booked next to your infant or toddler, and the airline changed your flight, it should be the airline's responsibility to keep you together. But the OP never did come back and say the age of the child in this case. And most school-age kids I know would consider it a grand adventure to be "allowed" to sit by themselves. I definitely think age should factor in.

Also, I think it would go a long way toward making this much less of an issue if, when they are moving people around, they make sure it's the person moved who goes to a "better" seat, not the ones being accommodated.

 

[maxiesmom]

[QUOTE="mummabear, post: 55167265, member: 427350"

Never seen air masks deploy on a school bus, you?[/QUOTE]

I haven't, but I have seen many school bus accidents. If kids are old enough to handle that without their parents they are old enough to grab a mask and place it over their face, on the very small chance that would occur.

Would you also then be for forcing parents to sit with their children? No more buying first class for the adults and leaving the kiddos in economy? Or no more dividing up so everyone can have a window seat?

 

[maxiesmom]

What he is proposing is if there are no seats together at booking, that they are informed and can make a choice from there. I don't know how that would work with SW.

Are they not already informed of that? Can many adults not look at a seat map and read it?

 

[mnrose]

In that case the priority should go to the people who were bumped from their original flight like a line.
And to put it simply yes assuming the parent had arranged on their original flight to be booked next to her child that is more of a priority than an adult just wanting to sit in that seat because they like ti better.



Never seen air masks deploy on a school bus, you?

No, but I HAVE seen bus accidents, and even been in one. Somehow, even as a third grader, I managed to survive that one without my mommy's hand to hold.

And, WHY should people on earlier flights have rights that trump people on later flights. Makes no sense whatever. Your flight didn't go. Mine did. That creates a bumping nightmare that goes on and on and on. Much easier to fit people whose flights were cancelled into the flights than to reseat absolutely everyone.

 

[mnrose]

[QUOTE="mummabear, post: 55167265, member: 427350"

Never seen air masks deploy on a school bus, you?

I haven't, but I have seen many school bus accidents. If kids are old enough to handle that without their parents they are old enough to grab a mask and place it over their face, on the very small chance that would occur.

Would you also then be for forcing parents to sit with their children? No more buying first class for the adults and leaving the kiddos in economy? Or no more dividing up so everyone can have a window seat?[/QUOTE]
LOL. Perfect. This definitely happens. Apparently the rule needs to be "I get what I want, whatever it is I want, when I have my children in tow." If I am double mega super platinum, I get upgraded, I get to drag my spawn with me because well, it's what I want. Too bad for the other mega platinums (because I am double mega super platinum) who have to go back and assume our coach seats.

I have children. I've flown with them since they were 5 months old (and even then, I purchased them seats, and managed to sit next to them). So, I get parents liking to be "close" to their kids, but my kids are also extremely capable of sitting on their own. Heck, since they were 11 years old, they'd PREFER not to sit next to us if possible (not that I let that happen....it's my job to supervise them not someone else's), and I sure wouldn't raise a fuss if we got separated. I actually have faith in humanity, and if those oxygen masks deployed, I'm confident that they would get them on and use them properly.

 

[DebbieB]

Are they not already informed of that? Can many adults not look at a seat map and read it?

I've seen people post here "I didn't think they would separate me from my kids", especially with airlines that charge extra for pre assigned seats.

 

[Teacup53]

Along the lines of this thread, the first time I flew with my little ones they were 1 and 2.5 so we decided to a buy seat for the 1yo because we were going to use carseats on the plane. Mind you we flew SWA and knew the boarding process and the requirements of where carseats can be used (window seats) so we used family boarding and headed towards the back of the plane so that we would have a chance to get situated and get the carseats installed.

Well, the flight was completely sold out and towards the end of the boarding process it was obvious that there were more passengers than seats. The FA came back to ask us to gate check the carseat and put my son on my lap as he was young enough to be a lap baby. I politely said no, we were not willing to do that, and then asked if I needed to show the itinerary showing that we bought him a seat? (they take the boarding passes when you enter the jetway). She apologized and said no, she believed us and then found the correct family who was occupying a seat with lap baby and they had to remove said child from seat to allow for the passenger who paid for the seat to sit.

On the way back, we paid for EBCI because we knew about the crush of families coming back from MCO and didn't want the stress of checking in at 24hrs. As with lots of SWA flights there was a large family with multiple kids who ended up being scattered, I could see that people were being asked to move but one of the children (9-10yo) calmly sat next to me and was better behaved than some of the adults in the party. She colored, watched a video, etc, during the flight, my 1 yo actually fell asleep about 10 minutes into the flight and slept the whole way and I got to read! (best flight ever!!).