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

[TLSnell1981]

It's quite possible, this was NOT "bossy mom's" original flight. I've booked early and had premium seating arranged, only to have the airline (Delta) cancel/delay/change departure time and/or flight number. "tweak" our reservations., change our assigned seating and have us scattered ALL OVER the (fully sold out/overbooked sardine can plane.
So, it's quite likely, this was the airline's (probably Delta) common penny pinching practice "blunder". A situation TOTALLY out of the "demanding"mother's control.

And, answering post #106, if I paid $88 for a (I'm assuming) a comfort class seat? It's highly likely, that I would still change. Although, the last premium fee we paid ..was $25 We are also FF...so upgrades are usually complimentary. So, I'm unsure, what the current rates are.

Has the OP retired from his/her thread?

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I myself love SW. I scope out the passengers before getting on the plane and I can tell who I need to make sure not to sit near. Usually it's the ones with the dogs, or the families with little kids that they are letting run wild and paying no attention to.

I avoid the ones holding a turkey. That never ends well.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

Oh Please OP, tell us, was the kid happy to be seated away from mom?

 

[JoeA]

I avoid the ones holding a turkey. That never ends well.

Would you give up your seat for a comfort turkey? Or are you an evil troll?

 

[justgrace]

Kids 5 years old and older have flown unaccompanied on many airlines for years. They sit next to another passenger.
(I wouldn't refer to the passenger using the stranger word, since sadly that's often taught as the equivalent of "danger". )

And on Southwest? Certainly kids have been split up, especially with very large families. I've seen it happen.

I know about unaccompanied minors, but I think it's a different situation when a parent wants to be next to their small child on a plane. Maybe I'm just oblivious when little kids get split up from families. The flights where the flight attendants have asked have mainly been flights to Disneyland, so maybe that's why the flight attendants were more accommodating to smaller kids and families? Who knows! It's probably just a hit and miss thing.

is this a new rule? I ended up spread out from my kids many times when they were under 8. Flight Attendants were usually aware and only once asked someone to switch (he refused, which was fine).

They were good travelers and we flew a lot so inevitably ended up with weather issues or other bumps which caused reseating. Other than the time DS cracked his head up at LAX and we were rebooked on a later flight after he got 5 staples in his head (he was 2) I never asked anyone to move so I could sit with my kids. I always told people where I was and offered to switch with them if they did not want to be next to kids, but also told them they were welcome to stay in their assigned seats of course, and welcome to tell me if the kids caused any issues (OK; I did not offer to switch once when DH and i were in first and hte kids were in coach together,but by then they were over 8 and I was not worried about them at all lol ).

I don't think it's a rule, I just think it's a courtesy thing they did if a small child was going to be spit from the family. So the flight attendants would try to get 2 seats so that they could at least sit with 1 parent/adult. Maybe this isn't the norm though, based on a couple of other replies which people have said they've seen small kids get split from parents.

Haha! That's funny about parents in first class vs. kids in coach. My sibling and I would be none to happy if my parents did this to me! We would probably say, "You guys take the coach while we get first class!" LOL

 

[Mickeymickey197555]

I always keep checking until I can snag an aisle or pay for one if I have to. I would trade an aisle for an aisle, but absolutely not for a middle or window.

 

[justgrace]

I do realize that--it stinks and that policy drives me crazy.
Still does not mean someone else should have to pay the price. Very few kids are really incapable of sitting 20 feet or so away from a parent. And if your child is truly not going to be okay sitting that far from you, then you need to book direct, or call the airline, etc or at least be prepared to ask very nicely and buy a few drinks or pay some, etc to get someone to switch.


Me? If you ask nicely and I can move into basically the same seat, I'll probably move--but maybe not. Maybe I am next to my own family (I got yelled at once for not being willing to move so someone could sit with her 12 year old----literally yelled, when she shut up and I told her the kid next to me was mine and 10 that was kind of interesting. ) or maybe I have already gotten everything I want out of my carry on, and stowed in the seatback pocket, etc and it would be a big hassle---and a lot depends on how you ask and how in need of having you there your child seems, etc.

What!?! She thought your kid was her kid? Well that's embarrassing!

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Another selfish person here who won't move. We travel by air at least once a year. We pay extra for seat assignments on legacy carriers. I constantly check those to see if there are plane changes, and make sure we stay together if there are. Yes, we do understand the airline doesn't guarantee seats won't change but fingers crossed it has never happened.
In the past 2 years we have started flying SW and always pay for EBCI. When our boys were younger we'd sit three and the aisle across or behind. Now we do all aisles near each other. We pay so we can sit by each other, we are a family on a trip and it's important to us. My youngest is 19 and oldest 20. We all just sit as close as we can.

I have never been asked to switch seats, not has anyone in my family but I get claustrophobic and can't do middle or aisle. Once we got on a plane having paid for assigned seats. My son was aisle behind me and a man was in the aisle sest. He said my son could have the middle. I turned around and said no, he had the aisle seat. This man didn't want the middle seat as the lady in the window had a lap child close to the oldest age limit of a lap child. Guess he figured nobody would say anything.

If it is important to sit with your family then pay to sit together. Don't threaten your child will talk nonstop to me or anything. If you want to switch then make it a comperable seat. Do not play the I have children so I'm special card.

It is understandable that there were lots of frustrated passengers this week and nobody knows what happened with this lady. But maybe if she asked someone nicely she would have gotten better results, but if OP paid for premium seat this rant from them is understandable.

 

[arminnie]

I will give up one aisle seat for another aisle seat. But NO way will I degrade my seat for someone else who has failed to plan.

 

[bsblady01]

I take it you don't have kids

 

[Shanti]

This is how international flights do it, and it makes much better sense than to go down the aisle and wait for someone to put their stuff up in the compartments before you can continue to your own seat. I always wonder why domestic lines (that I have been on) don't do the same thing.






Without knowing that mom's circumstance, I'm not assuming she had the opportunity to book a flight with assigned seating. Sometimes the seats do not show up as available, and you have to take what they give you.

Domestic lines board front to back because passengers in the front typically paid more, so one of their perks is getting first crack at overhead bin space.

 

[Wishing on a star]

It's quite possible, this was NOT "bossy mom's" original flight. I've booked early and had premium seating arranged, only to have the airline (Delta) cancel/delay/change departure time and/or flight number. "tweak" our reservations., change our assigned seating and have us scattered ALL OVER the (fully sold out/overbooked sardine can plane.
So, it's quite likely, this was the airline's (probably Delta) common penny pinching practice "blunder". A situation TOTALLY out of the "demanding"mother's control.

Oh believe me, I can see that Delta might do that... Delta is evil... The very worst... But, when you have booked an upgraded (Delta Comfort) seat, are they not supposed to give you a new seat that is also upgraded? Did they refund you the money that you had paid for the Delta Comfort? (or whatever they call that section)

Anyhow, with almost any airline, and especially with snowmaggeon... I would make NO assumption that this person had not booked the seats that they needed. And, would, in fact assume that the airlines had screwed this mother and her child. Either on purpose, or out of the chaos of just trying to get as many people on planes and in the air as possible given the situation.

I can see why the OP might not return to this thread. But, unless they do, assumptions are all we have to go on.

 

[justgrace]

I have also never asked to change. I have run into demanding moms quite a few times on SW flights who were insistent that someone HAD to switch with them.



Southwest's policy:

An adult traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding. If the child and the adult are both holding an “A” boarding pass, they should both board with the “A” boarding group.

I have often seen moms asking to preboard with a child too old or asking for someone to move for them. The only time I have experienced a flight attendant get involved, is when due to a delayed connection or something similar, a parent with a very young (under 6) child was going to be separated.

I've also seen families try to preboard with kids that were wayyy passed 6 years old. Most of the time, the flight attendants taking the ticket to go in the plane don't even say anything to them. One time a few years ago, SW was in the middle of boarding group A to the plane, and a guy with C boarding went up to the ticket taker and handed her his ticket. She said, "Sir, you're in group C. Do you want to wait for your group?" He replied with a stern, "No" and she just let him go ahead and board right then. You see all kinds at the airport!

 

[Sabeking]

Ahhhh...nothing like reading a good ole plane thread on the Dis for a Wednesday night activity. What has it been, a good month since we have had one?! Thank you all.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I don't like sitting anywhere near small children. I also have to sit by the window. It comforts me for some reason. I have a terrible fear of flying. Last night, I had a dream the plane I was sitting in was having troubles. That woke me right up at 3:30am and I couldn't go back to bed. My flight to Disney isn't until this weekend, and I already have anxiety over it.

 

[Minniesgal]

I fundamentally disagree with this mentality. I think airlines should ensure that all children are sat with an accompanying adult and they should move loan adults if this is necessary.

If there is any kind of airborne emergency then the correct place for a child is beside the adult responsible for them. Also I have been on many many planes where kids are actually sick and it needs a parent.

An adults desire to sit in an aisle seat is not more important than a minor child being properly supervised and supported. I hate this attitude.

However, I think it should be up to the airline to ensure that all children have appropriate supervision not on random parents to go around asking people to move. It should be policy that accompanied children seat beside those who accompany them.

 

[scrapquitler]

Honest question. Does SE have a limit on the number of people who can pre board? Surely not everyone is able to pull to do it otherwise it would defeat the purpose.

I have been on Southwest flights to/from Orlando that have had so many small children that they skipped the pre-board for families with small children (which they usually do between group a and b).

 

[Poohforyou]

I take it you don't have kids

Why would you assume that? I have a child and wouldn't automatically move for someone. I certainly wouldn't move in the scenario presented. If I've ever had to ask someone for a favor I've always been very gracious. You know the whole "you get my flies with honey than vinegar" thing.

 

[Shanti]

Sorry you didn't plan ahead. I raised kids I can monitor yours for a couple hours - hand me the coloring book & crayons, DS & games or your phone to keep it busy, we are good to go.

I'm a teacher and if given the authority, could manage all of the potty-trained kids on the plane at once. I'm also mom to an autistic child (now high-functioning). In his earlier, needier days I wouldn't have dreamed of booking a flight for him without assigned seating next to me. I would just not travel before doing that.

As a teacher I also get a few parents making unreasonable demands every year- it goes with the territory so I've got lots of experience with very politely not giving in. "I'm sorry, but I prefer to keep my seat" is all that demanding mom would get out of me.

 

[scrapquitler]

I wonder if some parents just
Have anxiety about what would occur in the event of a problem during the flight. Basically--they are there to know they are okay and that they are close. They aren't their to feed them goldfish crackers and juiceboxes. (Even though she did. Lol.)

While I don't care where my older kids sit, I'd be lying if I said my mind didn't wander into all the "what if" scenarios.

I was once assigned a seat that was nowhere near my NINE MONTH OLD child (who I had paid for). My husband and six year old were also seated nowhere near me or each other. And when we approached the gate agent, we were told that they would fix it on board. It was not good. That 9 month old had to have a window seat because he was in his car seat, and it took them a while to find him a seat, then they had to put me next to him because REALLY...was anybody going to want to sit next to a nine month old that wasn't theirs?? In the end, I did get seated next to my son, and my husband and DD ended up together as well, but it was a big hassle.