You may not be able to get seats together on the plane

[ZeeBaby]

I am nervous about this issue as we are traveling in August, but I have found that most people on flights are accommodating and the flight attendants do try to help. We are flying Southwest and I think we will be ok, but it is still scary.

[niccig]

Originally Posted by wellyes

Not very nice to the poor sucker who paid the $25!

No it's not, and then you'll have that person complaining to the airline as well. I actually know a couple of mothers who would do this if the person wouldn't swap seats, hand their child to the guy in the business suit and say "see you in 5 hours", knowing that guy isn't going to be OK with it and will complain loudly to the flight attendant. I also know people that won't pony up the extra $25 and will let their 5 year sit in a middle seat with 2 other people, sucks to be them if it's a LONG flight.

ETA. My mother did this year ago on a sleeper train. She booked 2 cabins next to each other. Me and my older sister (5 and 3) in one, and she and my younger sister (2) right next door. We got on the train and they were separated and the conductor wouldn't ask people to move. She says when it go late and my sister and I running length of train loudly to get her to help us, they did move people. And knowing my mother, she probably encouraged us to make a lot of noise so we would be moved.

[BabbyO]

Umm...is this even safe. Really, you want me to leave my 3 yo next to a stranger???? Though I like the line about handing the stranger the diaper bag.

Maybe the solution is to hand the flight attendents the diaper bag..."Since you're airline can't accommodate my family without charging extra, I'm assuming that you'll be willing to do the diaper changes, feeding, and quieting."

How do airlines get away with this. It is going to get to the point where families can't afford to fly...just like they can't afford to go to a ball game, or an ammusement park. Ugg!

[infomama]

Originally Posted by niccig

I actually know a couple of mothers who would do this if the person wouldn't swap seats, hand their child to the guy in the business suit and say "see you in 5 hours".

Were they bluffing? I can't imagine anyone doing that and following through if the guy didn't move. I would never hand my dd off to a stranger.

Don't you know where your seat is when you book the flight? I imagine if we can't get confirmed seats next to our dd, we wont fly that airline plain and simple.

The whole thing is BS if you ask me.

[niccig]

Originally Posted by infomama

Were they bluffing? I can't imagine anyone doing that and following through if the guy didn't move. I would never hand my dd off to a stranger.

Don't you know where your seat is when you book the flight? I imagine if we can't get confirmed seats next to our dd, we wont fly that airline plain and simple.

The whole thing is BS if you ask me.

So many times, we have booked our flights with confirmed seats and then we turn up and they've changed our seats splitting us up. We have managed to get someone with DS, by either airline staff moving people, us asking people or once me telling the person DS would puke on her if she didn't move.

And yes, I think my ballsy friend would leave her 4 year with a stranger knowing full well that stranger would be begging her to swap seats in about 5 minutes.

[infomama]

Originally Posted by niccig

So many times, we have booked our flights with confirmed seats and then we turn up and they've changed our seats splitting us up.

That is also BS. Makes me not want to fly. Its like that Seinfeld episode with the car rental...."I have a reservation. That's what the reservation is for...to hold the car (seat in this case)." KWIM

[crl]

Originally Posted by infomama

Were they bluffing? I can't imagine anyone doing that and following through if the guy didn't move. I would never hand my dd off to a stranger.

Don't you know where your seat is when you book the flight? I imagine if we can't get confirmed seats next to our dd, we wont fly that airline plain and simple.

The whole thing is BS if you ask me.

Sometimes they will not let you book specific seats. And often they move you. And if your flight is canceled, you are screwed. We had a Christmas morning flight canceled one year and spent five hours in the airport waiting for the next flight. I had to ask two different people and practically beg to get assigned seats on the second flight so I could be reasonably sure a parent would be seated next to my then three year old.

It does seem unfair to charge extra for a window seat when that is the only place a carseat can be installed. In effect, they are charging you extra to have a safe seat for your infant through preschooler.

Catherine

[schrocat]

We usually try to swap an aisle seat for an aisle seat. It's kind of hard imagining someone swapping an aisle seat for a middle seat.

[BabyBearsMom]

If someone wouldn't move, I would probably say (very loudly) "what kind of pervert actually wants to sit with a 2 yo by himself? Are you a registered sex offender or haven't you been caught yet?". Im sorry there is something wrong with someone who would insist on separating a child from his or her parent.

[Gena]

I have not flown with DS since he was a baby, so I have not tested this, but another mom told me this:

If you have a child with special needs, call the airline ahead of time and have the child's ticket marked as a passenger with a disability and specify that the child needs side-by-side seating with his/her attendant due to the disability. Have one parent named as the attendant. The airlines have to accommodate this under the ADA (at least in the US).