What should I do?

[jennsuko]

I just realized that I forgot to do advance seating for our trip in October on Airtran. I went to do it and none of the seats work for us on our return trip. There are three seats open that are not exit row along with all the exit row seats. I am traveling with a lap infant so cannot use the exit row and the 7 and 5 year old cannot go in the exit row. I'm just sick about this because I know I should have taken care of this awhile back. Will they really make us all split up?

(Please no lectures - I feel stupid enough already. Thanks)

 

[jdb in AZ]

I just realized that I forgot to do advance seating for our trip in October on Airtran. I went to do it and none of the seats work for us on our return trip. There are three seats open that are not exit row along with all the exit row seats. I am traveling with a lap infant so cannot use the exit row and the 7 and 5 year old cannot go in the exit row. I'm just sick about this because I know I should have taken care of this awhile back. Will they really make us all split up?

(Please no lectures - I feel stupid enough already. Thanks)

If you aren't able to juggle seats around before you get on the plane, explain your predicament to a flight attendant and he/she should be able to help you. An able-bodied passenger would be delighted to move to the exit row because of the extra leg-room. If I were a passenger next to your 5-yr-old I would be quite willing to trade places with you -- it's much simpler for you to babysit your own kid than have me do it.

 

[maxiesmom]

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you may end up split up from your children. The airline can ask people to move, but they will not force them to. You say there are 3 non exit row seats available, so I would guess that those may end up being your seats.

Check with the gate attendant. They may be able to shuffle some people around, but with people paying for seat assignments, you may be stuck split up. If worst comes to worst ask once you are on board the plane if anyone would mind trading seats with you. Always try to give away the better seat. People are usually happy to move forward and out of middle seats.

Good luck!

 

[crashbb]

I've written this before for someone else, but it works well here as well. My "steps to take if you cannot book seats together".

1) Try calling the airline again. Airlines hold back some seats and may be able to open up enough so that your younger children are beside you.

2) Keep checking - people cancel flights/change seats. Take a pair if you can get it (or a triple). For people in the "single seats", choose ones that other people may want so that you have good seats to trade (i.e. aisle seats near the front of the plane).

3) Do online check in at the 24 hour mark. The seats that are held back are now opened up plus some people may have been upgraded. You have a good chance of moving to seats that are together.

4) Get to the airport early and ask the check-in agent if there are together seats that you can move to (again, people may have moved/upgraded/canceled).

5) When you get to the gate, talk to the gate agent. Changes are still happening and they may be able to help you.

6) If all else fails and you get on the plane and you have all single seats, nicely ask people if they would mind trading (but know that they have every right to reject the request). You have much better odds if you are offering your "better" seat. For example, if one seat is in row 5 and the other seat is in row 32, you'll do much better asking the person beside you in row 32 to move up to row 5 (and you and your child sit in row 32) than the opposite.

7) If you are still separated, you can choose to deplane and take a later flight. Before considering this, make sure you know if there are still together seats available on a subsequent flight (and that there IS a subsequent flight). Also, this will likely be at a cost to you.

I have NEVER seen anyone get to step 7 (not saying it doesn't happen, I've just never seen it) and rarely step 6 (generally only on holiday flights with lots of families none of whom want to sit split up or even go one adult/one child one place and another adult/child somewhere else).

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

As others have suggested, keep checking several times a day. Seats open up all the time. You should be able to work something out before your departure.