Helpppppp not sitting together? Sort of budget related

[Hikergirl]

This is one of the reasons people pay to pick their seats. If its important for you to sit next to your your kids then you need to pay to pick seats together. Like it or not, that is how flying works now.
Some airlines don't charge, you could look into them next time.

 

[Hikergirl]

Call the airline now - SOMETIMES the phone agents can assign seats in these situations and fix the problem.

Otherwise, just check in with the gate agents at the airport and explain the situation. They will beg other people to change seat assignments to fix the problem. At Christmas, I gave up two aisle seats for two middle seats on a 4 hour flight because of a similar situation. People will grumble, but will generally help. Especially when you threaten to put your unmonitored 3 year old next to them LOL

Once you are on the plane I suggest buying the people who change seats with you a drink or something - on my flight, the mother who needed the seats didn't even say thank you to me, although a pilot who was flying jump seat on the flight overheard me talking to the gate agent about it all and he thanked me twice for doing it - once getting on the plane, once getting off - I think in large part because the mother didn't!

Maybe you are really just kidding but I hate that kind of attitude. Why should someone be "threatened" to move because a parent didn't want to pay the money to make sure she had a seat next to her child?

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

5) Ask the people sitting beside your single seats if they'd be willing to trade. If you managed to snag aisle, you'd be asking people to move from a middle seat to an aisle seat, which, unless they are traveling with the person in the window seat (I'm assuming a 3x3 config), they are likely to be willing to do. Do not just sit in the seat and then ask the person - ask as if you know they'd be doing you a favour.

ETA - don't count on them automatically fixing it for young kids. Kids from the age of 5 can fly alone, so the airlines certainly think that they can sit alone. There was a story a few days ago of a mom who ended up separated from their 2 year old daughter - there is only so much the airline can do, once seats are assigned. Also, the computer (which assigned the seats) has no idea how old anyone is (unless you have a, rare, child fare), so it doesn't prioritize which groups it keeps together and which it splits (actually, it probably does, but based on passenger status and/or fare class - things it knows).

The OP has been assigned 3 middle seats. So if she asks someone, she is asking someone to move from their window or aisle seat, into a middle seat. In effect they are going from a preferred seat to one that very few people want.

 

[rigs32]

Maybe you are really just kidding but I hate that kind of attitude. Why should someone be "threatened" to move because a parent didn't want to pay the money to make sure she had a seat next to her child?

Especially since the airline won't refund money spent to select that seat. I wouldn't move to accommodate someone and lose money in the process.

 

[Marionnette]

The gist of it is the airlines cannot charge anything extra for a parent to sit next to a child that is under 13. They must sit them together. The only exception allowed is if the only seats available are ones with more leg room/seat pitch, or in another cabin class. But if at the time they sold the tickets, two seats are available with the same leg room/seat pitch and cabin class, then they can't charge more for the privilege of being guaranteed to sit together. So they won't be able to pull this "let's charge more for preassigned seats" garbage to the same extent now.

You keep editing your replies to say something completely different than what you originally posted.
Original post:

Wrong - read the WSJ link I changed my post to refer to. The airlines cannot charge anything extra for a parent to sit next to a child that is under 13. They must sit them together. The only exception allowed is if the only seats available are ones with more leg room/seat pitch, or in another cabin class. But if at the time they sold the tickets, two seats are available with the same leg room/seat pitch and cabin class, then they can't charge more for the privilege of being guaranteed to sit together.

 

[SirDuff]

The OP has been assigned 3 middle seats. So if she asks someone, she is asking someone to move from their window or aisle seat, into a middle seat. In effect they are going from a preferred seat to one that very few people want.

If you read my full post, my second step was to keep looking at online check-in to try to change seats and to get at least one aisle seat - hence my comment "if you managed to snag an aisle seat". That's exactly why I suggested trying to get at least one aisle (even if it is a solo aisle) - so that they wouldn't be asking someone to "downgrade" (which is not an easy sell).

 

[Lvsdisney]

I'm gonna venture that whoever is sitting next to that 3 year old will GLADLY give up their seat. Middle seat > crying/kicking 3 year old ANYDAY!

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I'm gonna venture that whoever is sitting next to that 3 year old will GLADLY give up their seat. Middle seat > crying/kicking 3 year old ANYDAY!

But this solution goes back to, I either give up my seat to someone that refused to pay for it or I suffer the consequences. Something seems wrong with this.

 

[Lvsdisney]

0

But this solution goes back to, I either give up my seat to someone that refused to pay for it or I suffer the consequences. Something seems wrong with this.

Suffer the consequences? When you make your request, you don't know who's sitting next to you (unless you're traveling with family). You take that risk of who will be sitting next to you. If the risk doesn't pay out (ie unhappy 3 year old) I'd rather move.

 

[MomToOne]

You keep editing your replies to say something completely different than what you originally posted.
Original post:

​

Yes, I edited my post because I realized I misread your reply. Evil me.

 

[Gracie09]

I'm gonna venture that whoever is sitting next to that 3 year old will GLADLY give up their seat. Middle seat > crying/kicking 3 year old ANYDAY!

nah. I have a ipad loaded with movies and a headset. I'm pretty immune to kids that aren't mine.

 

[MomToOne]

But this solution goes back to, I either give up my seat to someone that refused to pay for it or I suffer the consequences. Something seems wrong with this.

Yeah, the something wrong is that the airlines assigned the seats this way to start with.

It seems like most people's responses are something along the lines of "well, I had to pay it so the OP should have to pay too!". That's the problem - no one should have to pay! This is a ridiculous situation created by the airlines - they instill a fake fear in people, then demand you pay to get out of this situation. And they increase the perception of a problem by PURPOSELY making it impossible to figure out what seats are really open on the plane. There is no transparency.

Just because the OP was given 3 middle seats doesn't mean there aren't open window and aisle seats. It just means the airline chose to assign them those seats because they wanted to increase the perception that the OP should pay for upgraded seats.

 

[KBoopaloo]

You can't buy three scattered balcony seats at a Broadway show (say the only three cheap seats left) then arrive at the theater and tell the ushers that your 3 year old cannot sit alone and can you please move us to three adjacent unsold seats in the orchestra or better yet ask three people who purchased orchestra seats to move to your scattered balcony seats.

Yes, it seems crazy that airlines charge more money for certain seats in the plane and it feels like a money grab but the fact is that some seats are more desirable than others and thus people are willing to pay more for them. It is well within the airlines' rights to charge accordingly. Had this been a case where the cheap seats were the only option left, then yes, I would expect the airline to try to help as much as they could to get the OP and her family together but it seems as that was not the case. It is not that there were NO seats available together, there were just no cheap seats available together. I recently paid more for the preferred seats on JetBlue (something I HATE to do) because that was the only way my party of three could sit together. The only cheap seats left were scattered middle seats and we didn't want that so our options were to take another flight with available cheap seats together or pay $40 more per seat. We sucked it up and paid the extra to get what we wanted.

Now, if the OP gets to the airport and the flight is not full and there are still empty preferred seats, then yes, of course the airline should work to shuffle things around so the OP can sit together with her family because of the 3 year old but on a sold out flight, they should not have to beg other people who may have paid extra to select their seats in advance to move to accommodate the OP's unwillingness to do the same.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

nah. I have a ipad loaded with movies and a headset. I'm pretty immune to kids that aren't mine.

The only way I could fly would be to take medication.

If the flight doesn't bother me, a child screaming his/her head off won't bother me a bit.

 

[megster1123]

Just because the OP was given 3 middle seats doesn't mean there aren't open window and aisle seats. It just means the airline chose to assign them those seats because they wanted to increase the perception that the OP should pay for upgraded seats.

And you know this how?

How do you know solo travelers haven't already requested windows and aisles? Middle seats are generally always the last to go. She didn't pay for the right to select her seats so she got stuck with the leftovers.

 

[kymom99]

I truthfully would not have reserved the cheapest fare in this situation, but....

I do agree that it's possible for the airline to monitor seat assignments of kids under a certain age. I think both parties bear some responsibility.

I had this conversation in a previous thread. Apparently delta does not do this in all markets. I had never heard of it. Last time I reserved a flight was this spring out of Cvg and this was not an option. My son was flying alone as a minor. Deltas rules are that unaccompanied minors may not fly on the last flight of the day. When I made the reservation he was not on the last flight. Delta changed his flight home to one very late at night. I called to get a refund for the cost difference since the flight they made him take was a couple hundred cheaper. They gave us a credit, no refund. I didn't ask about the rule of last flight of the day because he really had no choice but they didn't even bring it up. If it's their rule they should see his age and not assign him to that flight. Or contact us to work something out.

 

[Shughart]

This is why I booked with UA. The front rows 'economy plus' you could choose your seat for an upcharge. The rest of economy you could pick without a fee. We are all 4 in a row. 1 window, a middle, an aisle, and across for another aisle seat. One kid gets the window seat on the way the other gets it on the way back. Parents will be on the aisle. Maybe try a little harder and plan a little better next time.

 

[kymom99]

To actually be helpful:

1) Keep checking with Delta - people cancel/upgrade/move seats. Trying to get three seats together will be tough, but you may be able to get two .

2) Try to get at least one aisle seat - they'll be easier to "trade" (see point #5)

3) Get to the airport early and ask again when you check in. Upgrades/cancellations may have come through since you checked in and/or people moved around when they checked in and a pair may now be open.

4) Ask again at the gate. Again, upgrades may have cleared since check-in and/or no shows (which wouldn't have been known when you checked in) may have opened up a pair of seats.

5) Ask the people sitting beside your single seats if they'd be willing to trade. If you managed to snag aisle, you'd be asking people to move from a middle seat to an aisle seat, which, unless they are traveling with the person in the window seat (I'm assuming a 3x3 config), they are likely to be willing to do. Do not just sit in the seat and then ask the person - ask as if you know they'd be doing you a favour.

ETA - don't count on them automatically fixing it for young kids. Kids from the age of 5 can fly alone, so the airlines certainly think that they can sit alone. There was a story a few days ago of a mom who ended up separated from their 2 year old daughter - there is only so much the airline can do, once seats are assigned. Also, the computer (which assigned the seats) has no idea how old anyone is (unless you have a, rare, child fare), so it doesn't prioritize which groups it keeps together and which it splits (actually, it probably does, but based on passenger status and/or fare class - things it knows).

A minor under a certain age (5-14) is charged an extra fee and assigned someone to be responsible for them. It's required that they register for the unaccompanied minor program. I believe it is $150 each way. So it seems to me the airlines feel children need support during a flight. And under 5 apparently cannot fly alone under any circumstances

 

[Veronique]

You people are so weird. If you can't afford prefered seating, a child under 13 should just be alone? How is that fair for the CHILD? Let's spend some more time judging people with tight budget and punishing their children for it.

Clearly, airline should book any child with a parent. If no two seats next to each other are available, they shouldnt let the booking go through. It's not rocket science.

I hate that mentally. If we lived in a world where the money you own was entirely based on merit and effort, I might get it. But we don't. You're lucky you can spare dollars for those upgrades. Other people can't or if they do, they'll have to cut somewhere else along the line.

Also, it is entirely true that airline DO NOT let you see all available seats.

The feature to pay to choose seat shouldn't even exist. If a family is split and you feel pressured into giving up a seat you "paid for", you should be mad at the airline who didnt block at least two seats together.

 

[megster1123]

The feature to pay to choose seat shouldn't even exist. If a family is split and you feel pressured into giving up a seat you "paid for", you should be mad at the airline who didnt block at least two seats together.

I should be mad at the airline?

How does that even make sense? What is the airline supposed to do when a party of 2 book two seats in a row of 3? Hope that a solo traveler comes along to buy that leftover seat? Decline to sell a ticket to a family because they only have single seats and by your rule, have to book two together? Hike up airfares because they can't fully sell all the seats due to your rule? I see that working out really well.

As far as feeling pressured and budgeting and everything else you commented - I worked with a super strict budget for our trip. I cut back from some areas because I knew the expense of airfare would be non-negotiable. I took the time, booked the correct tickets for my family...maybe my kids get fewer Mickey bars in the end, but I know they'll have a comfortable and stressfree flight. That is more important to me. OP didn't even know who she booked her airfare with. Her crisis with seating should not be everyone else's.