Flame away—not paying for seats when airplane is 2 and 2?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What in the world makes you think all 4 seats will near each other? If you ask me to switch my seat that I did select ahead of time, I will kindly respond with “No.”.

You’d rather sit next to 4 yr old Larla?
But OP knows the right answer here.

Before Southwest allowed you to pay extra to get a seat, that's exactly what some people did. On a flight that I was unable to check in early to, I was flying with my 4 yr old. There were no seats together. When the airline attendant first asked for volunteers for someone to switch, no one volunteered. The flight attendant sort of shrugged, and so my 4 yr old looked for seats near-ish each other. It wasn't until I asked someone to please excuse me so I could make sure her seatbelt was on properly before someone volunteered to move so we could sit together. (The person who gave up their aisle seat got another aisle seat, it was just a couple rows removed.) The whole process took what seemed like forever and it was incredibly frustrating. I can only imagine that situations like that helped Southwest realize they needed to provide a system to allow for us to make sure this doesn't happen.

Which is my answer. Yes, you can save money, but by making other people do something for you that they didn't sign up to do. You have the opportunity to take care of the situation yourself. Don't depend on the graciousness of strangers just to save some money.

[Anonymous]

The people that did not pick a seat are the first to get bumped if it is oversold.

[Anonymous]

If I paid for a seat I'll tell you how much I paid.

Have cash on you, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What in the world makes you think all 4 seats will near each other? If you ask me to switch my seat that I did select ahead of time, I will kindly respond with “No.”.

You’d rather sit next to 4 yr old Larla?
But OP knows the right answer here.

Before Southwest allowed you to pay extra to get a seat, that's exactly what some people did. On a flight that I was unable to check in early to, I was flying with my 4 yr old. There were no seats together. When the airline attendant first asked for volunteers for someone to switch, no one volunteered. The flight attendant sort of shrugged, and so my 4 yr old looked for seats near-ish each other. It wasn't until I asked someone to please excuse me so I could make sure her seatbelt was on properly before someone volunteered to move so we could sit together. (The person who gave up their aisle seat got another aisle seat, it was just a couple rows removed.) The whole process took what seemed like forever and it was incredibly frustrating. I can only imagine that situations like that helped Southwest realize they needed to provide a system to allow for us to make sure this doesn't happen.

Which is my answer. Yes, you can save money, but by making other people do something for you that they didn't sign up to do. You have the opportunity to take care of the situation yourself. Don't depend on the graciousness of strangers just to save some money.

I thought Southwest let families board after group A. I am flying Southwest in a few weeks with my two kids and my au pair. I assumed we would be able to get seats together by boarding after Group A and sitting near the back of the plane. Has Southwest changed their boarding procedures? I haven’t flown them in more than two years.

[Anonymous]

You are using your cheapness as an excuse to inconvenience others, classy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What in the world makes you think all 4 seats will near each other? If you ask me to switch my seat that I did select ahead of time, I will kindly respond with “No.”.

You’d rather sit next to 4 yr old Larla?
But OP knows the right answer here.

Before Southwest allowed you to pay extra to get a seat, that's exactly what some people did. On a flight that I was unable to check in early to, I was flying with my 4 yr old. There were no seats together. When the airline attendant first asked for volunteers for someone to switch, no one volunteered. The flight attendant sort of shrugged, and so my 4 yr old looked for seats near-ish each other. It wasn't until I asked someone to please excuse me so I could make sure her seatbelt was on properly before someone volunteered to move so we could sit together. (The person who gave up their aisle seat got another aisle seat, it was just a couple rows removed.) The whole process took what seemed like forever and it was incredibly frustrating. I can only imagine that situations like that helped Southwest realize they needed to provide a system to allow for us to make sure this doesn't happen.

Which is my answer. Yes, you can save money, but by making other people do something for you that they didn't sign up to do. You have the opportunity to take care of the situation yourself. Don't depend on the graciousness of strangers just to save some money.

I thought Southwest let families board after group A. I am flying Southwest in a few weeks with my two kids and my au pair. I assumed we would be able to get seats together by boarding after Group A and sitting near the back of the plane. Has Southwest changed their boarding procedures? I haven’t flown them in more than two years.

You will be fine. OP clearly isn’t flying SW as they only fly one model and it is not 2&2.

[Anonymous]

Ok, you're being cheap -- which I get -- but still expecting to get the flying experience you want -- which I don't get.

Flying sucks, and people who choose not to pay for seats and then expect everyone else to accommodate their desire to sit together is one of the reasons why. Either pay for your preferred seats, or live with the seats you are assigned. If the plane is 2x2, you can't possibly be placed THAT far apart.

Frankly, I'd rather sit next to little Larla than some glassbowl who takes up the entire armrest AND the space under the seat in front of me. (Yes, I've had men -- ALWAYS men -- shove one foot under the seat in front of me.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a single mom and regularly fly alone with my kid. I have never been separated from my son, and have never paid to select seats ahead of time. In the rare event that we initially get seats assigned that aren't together, the airline has fixed it in advance of the flight. I would save the money.

+1 But I’m usually flying United so I don’t know if that makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

How do you save a bunch of money? Isn't paying for a seat like max $40? So let's round up... you save $200?

If $200 makes a difference in your budget you can't afford to be vacationing in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go ahead and roll the dice, just don’t pitch a sanctimonious fit when your seats are scattered throughout the plane and no one will move for you.

Yes I hate when parents don't pre pay for seats and then try to make those of us who DID pre pay move.

Wow, this is a rude comment. Paying for seats on the plane is a scam! And people are flaming the OP bc she didn't fall for it. Just wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a single mom and regularly fly alone with my kid. I have never been separated from my son, and have never paid to select seats ahead of time. In the rare event that we initially get seats assigned that aren't together, the airline has fixed it in advance of the flight. I would save the money.

Manipulative...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go ahead and roll the dice, just don’t pitch a sanctimonious fit when your seats are scattered throughout the plane and no one will move for you.

Yes I hate when parents don't pre pay for seats and then try to make those of us who DID pre pay move.

Wow, this is a rude comment. Paying for seats on the plane is a scam! And people are flaming the OP bc she didn't fall for it. Just wow.

You mean when everyone else paid for them you want to get away with not paying for them and inconvenience everyone else who reserved seats? At the last minute? You are an entitled scam artist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you save a bunch of money? Isn't paying for a seat like max $40? So let's round up... you save $200?

If $200 makes a difference in your budget you can't afford to be vacationing in the first place.

Are you aware that sometimes poor people are able to save up for a discount flight for a once in a lifetime trip and yes, $200 can break the budget or at least be an extremely noticeable expense. Guess we should just stay home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go ahead and roll the dice, just don’t pitch a sanctimonious fit when your seats are scattered throughout the plane and no one will move for you.

Yes I hate when parents don't pre pay for seats and then try to make those of us who DID pre pay move.

Wow, this is a rude comment. Paying for seats on the plane is a scam! And people are flaming the OP bc she didn't fall for it. Just wow.

You mean when everyone else paid for them you want to get away with not paying for them and inconvenience everyone else who reserved seats? At the last minute? You are an entitled scam artist.

NEWS FLASH!!! "Everyone" does not pay for seats, especially not on budget airlines. Airlines are outsourcing to passengers this responsibility that they took on before (placing small children with a parent.) Also, since most people are NOT paying to select a seat, I'm not scamming anybody. It's common sense that a 2 year old paying full price sits with his parent. What is this??

[Anonymous]

Normally I would get up and swap seats with someone traveling with a kid. But I might not if I paid extra to have a guaranteed seat.