airplane -- seats not together with 5 year olds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We booked our vacation flight to California about a month out -- but there were no seats available next to each other... and only middle seats available. Our twins are 5 yrs old. Have people generally had luck with people switching seats (even tho they have windows & aisles, probably don't want to sit next to needy, possibly crying 5 year olds??) or other options/suggestions for how to handle?

I would have had more sympathy for you - but you need to plan better. You are now asking people who have windows and aisle seats to accommodate you because you didn't get your act together or aren't willing to pay more.

No, no, no. It's no longer about planning. Things are a-changing. When I booked my last flight (well in advance), aisle and window seats were considered "premium seats" for which I had to pay extra to reserve; I could get those same seats for free only if they were available upon check-in.

So pay for them. Don't expect other people to move - especially from seats they may have paid extra for- when you could have sat together but just weren't willing to pay.

[Anonymous]

last year i took lufthansa flight to franfkurt with my then 18 mo. we booked the seats with extra legroom well in advance. when we were on the plane, we were asked to take inferior seats so that some person who had a problem with his leg could take our seats. in the middle of the flight, the person with leg problem left those seats and set somewhere else, and they didn't even offer those to us! somebody else moved there.

[Anonymous]

I had to book last minute flights overseas last year with my almost 4 yr old twins & a one year old. I brought a friend to help me but the airline was zero help in getting us seats together. They said it was out responsibility as it was last minute. My kids were already sad over the death of their grandma but we could only get one person to switch. I sat with the one year old but everyone else was spread out. It was awful because 3 year olds can't easily claim over people and find the bathroom, open up the stuff in their meals, etc. I tried offering to buy drinks and anything I could think of but people wouldn't switch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here with an update. The 'soft block' myth turned out to be a real thing -- at least on Virgin America. They advise getting to the airport to be there when the gate check in opens (around 90 mins early) - and they arranged us all to be together on the soft block row. They give priority to the split up family on the flight with the youngest kids.

For those of you who want justice for us to be punished for life not allowing us to be able to book our vacation with more advanced notice - on the way back (when we had seats together) - we were seated in front of a family with a crying baby and two yippy dogs in travel carriers.

Well, that is the only think more annoying than you on the plane, OP, so I guess karma is real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:last year i took lufthansa flight to franfkurt with my then 18 mo. we booked the seats with extra legroom well in advance. when we were on the plane, we were asked to take inferior seats so that some person who had a problem with his leg could take our seats. in the middle of the flight, the person with leg problem left those seats and set somewhere else, and they didn't even offer those to us! somebody else moved there.

Why didn't you just show your ticket to the new people who sat in your seat? That would have forced them to move.

Also, never agree to switch if you don't want to. That man would have found another seat. It's his issue for not paying more to get a seat with more leg room. Totally ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here with an update. The 'soft block' myth turned out to be a real thing -- at least on Virgin America. They advise getting to the airport to be there when the gate check in opens (around 90 mins early) - and they arranged us all to be together on the soft block row. They give priority to the split up family on the flight with the youngest kids.

For those of you who want justice for us to be punished for life not allowing us to be able to book our vacation with more advanced notice - on the way back (when we had seats together) - we were seated in front of a family with a crying baby and two yippy dogs in travel carriers.

Well, that is the only think more annoying than you on the plane, OP, so I guess karma is real.

Actual LOL'd at my desk

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:last year i took lufthansa flight to franfkurt with my then 18 mo. we booked the seats with extra legroom well in advance. when we were on the plane, we were asked to take inferior seats so that some person who had a problem with his leg could take our seats. in the middle of the flight, the person with leg problem left those seats and set somewhere else, and they didn't even offer those to us! somebody else moved there.

Why didn't you just show your ticket to the new people who sat in your seat? That would have forced them to move.

Also, never agree to switch if you don't want to. That man would have found another seat. It's his issue for not paying more to get a seat with more leg room. Totally ridiculous.

You are right but it happened fast and I didn't think it through, it didn't occur to me at the moment to refuse (nor to approach other passengers later). I was stressed out for flying alone with the toddler, it was my first overseas flight with a kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:last year i took lufthansa flight to franfkurt with my then 18 mo. we booked the seats with extra legroom well in advance. when we were on the plane, we were asked to take inferior seats so that some person who had a problem with his leg could take our seats. in the middle of the flight, the person with leg problem left those seats and set somewhere else, and they didn't even offer those to us! somebody else moved there.

Why didn't you just show your ticket to the new people who sat in your seat? That would have forced them to move.

Also, never agree to switch if you don't want to. That man would have found another seat. It's his issue for not paying more to get a seat with more leg room. Totally ridiculous.

You are right but it happened fast and I didn't think it through, it didn't occur to me at the moment to refuse (nor to approach other passengers later). I was stressed out for flying alone with the toddler, it was my first overseas flight with a kid.

I actually flew last week from LAX to DCA. I was seated in Economy Plus (I'm platinum status) and specifically took the aisle seat with extra leg room in a two seat pod on the right side of the plane. The guy sitting next to me was a married executive and his wife was seated toward the back in normal Economy. She got pissed and super passive aggressive when I would not agree to switch seats with her. I explained my situation that I pay extra for additional leg room and that I needed the extra space so I could do work.

I could see her tremble and her upper lip quiver as she tersely said: "It is your right and your prerogative to keep your seat next to MY husband." I apologized to Hubby and he just sheepishly shrugged his shoulders. Hubby didn't seem to mind that he was separated from his DW for over 5 hours

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:last year i took lufthansa flight to franfkurt with my then 18 mo. we booked the seats with extra legroom well in advance. when we were on the plane, we were asked to take inferior seats so that some person who had a problem with his leg could take our seats. in the middle of the flight, the person with leg problem left those seats and set somewhere else, and they didn't even offer those to us! somebody else moved there.

Why didn't you just show your ticket to the new people who sat in your seat? That would have forced them to move.

Also, never agree to switch if you don't want to. That man would have found another seat. It's his issue for not paying more to get a seat with more leg room. Totally ridiculous.

You are right but it happened fast and I didn't think it through, it didn't occur to me at the moment to refuse (nor to approach other passengers later). I was stressed out for flying alone with the toddler, it was my first overseas flight with a kid.

I actually flew last week from LAX to DCA. I was seated in Economy Plus (I'm platinum status) and specifically took the aisle seat with extra leg room in a two seat pod on the right side of the plane. The guy sitting next to me was a married executive and his wife was seated toward the back in normal Economy. She got pissed and super passive aggressive when I would not agree to switch seats with her. I explained my situation that I pay extra for additional leg room and that I needed the extra space so I could do work.

I could see her tremble and her upper lip quiver as she tersely said: "It is your right and your prerogative to keep your seat next to MY husband." I apologized to Hubby and he just sheepishly shrugged his shoulders. Hubby didn't seem to mind that he was separated from his DW for over 5 hours

you are a more seasoned flyer than myself!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:last year i took lufthansa flight to franfkurt with my then 18 mo. we booked the seats with extra legroom well in advance. when we were on the plane, we were asked to take inferior seats so that some person who had a problem with his leg could take our seats. in the middle of the flight, the person with leg problem left those seats and set somewhere else, and they didn't even offer those to us! somebody else moved there.

Why didn't you just show your ticket to the new people who sat in your seat? That would have forced them to move.

Also, never agree to switch if you don't want to. That man would have found another seat. It's his issue for not paying more to get a seat with more leg room. Totally ridiculous.

You are right but it happened fast and I didn't think it through, it didn't occur to me at the moment to refuse (nor to approach other passengers later). I was stressed out for flying alone with the toddler, it was my first overseas flight with a kid.

I actually flew last week from LAX to DCA. I was seated in Economy Plus (I'm platinum status) and specifically took the aisle seat with extra leg room in a two seat pod on the right side of the plane. The guy sitting next to me was a married executive and his wife was seated toward the back in normal Economy. She got pissed and super passive aggressive when I would not agree to switch seats with her. I explained my situation that I pay extra for additional leg room and that I needed the extra space so I could do work.

I could see her tremble and her upper lip quiver as she tersely said: "It is your right and your prerogative to keep your seat next to MY husband." I apologized to Hubby and he just sheepishly shrugged his shoulders. Hubby didn't seem to mind that he was separated from his DW for over 5 hours

Should have told her you were sure her official seat ate wouldn't mid taking her husbands economy plus seat...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:last year i took lufthansa flight to franfkurt with my then 18 mo. we booked the seats with extra legroom well in advance. when we were on the plane, we were asked to take inferior seats so that some person who had a problem with his leg could take our seats. in the middle of the flight, the person with leg problem left those seats and set somewhere else, and they didn't even offer those to us! somebody else moved there.

Why didn't you just show your ticket to the new people who sat in your seat? That would have forced them to move.

Also, never agree to switch if you don't want to. That man would have found another seat. It's his issue for not paying more to get a seat with more leg room. Totally ridiculous.

You are right but it happened fast and I didn't think it through, it didn't occur to me at the moment to refuse (nor to approach other passengers later). I was stressed out for flying alone with the toddler, it was my first overseas flight with a kid.

I actually flew last week from LAX to DCA. I was seated in Economy Plus (I'm platinum status) and specifically took the aisle seat with extra leg room in a two seat pod on the right side of the plane. The guy sitting next to me was a married executive and his wife was seated toward the back in normal Economy. She got pissed and super passive aggressive when I would not agree to switch seats with her. I explained my situation that I pay extra for additional leg room and that I needed the extra space so I could do work.

I could see her tremble and her upper lip quiver as she tersely said: "It is your right and your prerogative to keep your seat next to MY husband." I apologized to Hubby and he just sheepishly shrugged his shoulders. Hubby didn't seem to mind that he was separated from his DW for over 5 hours

Which is why he didn't volunteer to get up HIS seat to switch with whoever was sitting next to DW in the back row.

I love how the people who want to switch seats always want to switch to BETTER seats.

[Anonymous]

I have not read all the responses, but I just want to say that if it comes down to you asking people to move, please be nice and extremely grateful if they move for you. I was on a plane recently (w/out my children) and a family was in this situation. The mother didn't even notice until she was on the plane, and then asked me and others to move in a very entitled way. I moved, but nobody else did. The mother actually had the nerve to ask another mother with a nursing infant to give up her aisle seat so mother #1 could sit next to her 6 year old. Ridiculous! In the end, the 6 year old sat alone (w/ mother across the aisle) and was fine. It will be a good learning experience for your 5-year old, and for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:last year i took lufthansa flight to franfkurt with my then 18 mo. we booked the seats with extra legroom well in advance. when we were on the plane, we were asked to take inferior seats so that some person who had a problem with his leg could take our seats. in the middle of the flight, the person with leg problem left those seats and set somewhere else, and they didn't even offer those to us! somebody else moved there.

Why didn't you just show your ticket to the new people who sat in your seat? That would have forced them to move.

Also, never agree to switch if you don't want to. That man would have found another seat. It's his issue for not paying more to get a seat with more leg room. Totally ridiculous.

You are right but it happened fast and I didn't think it through, it didn't occur to me at the moment to refuse (nor to approach other passengers later). I was stressed out for flying alone with the toddler, it was my first overseas flight with a kid.

I actually flew last week from LAX to DCA. I was seated in Economy Plus (I'm platinum status) and specifically took the aisle seat with extra leg room in a two seat pod on the right side of the plane. The guy sitting next to me was a married executive and his wife was seated toward the back in normal Economy. She got pissed and super passive aggressive when I would not agree to switch seats with her. I explained my situation that I pay extra for additional leg room and that I needed the extra space so I could do work.

I could see her tremble and her upper lip quiver as she tersely said: "It is your right and your prerogative to keep your seat next to MY husband." I apologized to Hubby and he just sheepishly shrugged his shoulders. Hubby didn't seem to mind that he was separated from his DW for over 5 hours

Which is why he didn't volunteer to get up HIS seat to switch with whoever was sitting next to DW in the back row.

I love how the people who want to switch seats always want to switch to BETTER seats.

Agreed and you should not have moved in your situation. Husband should have moved. However, you cannot compare this situation to one with kids and a family not looking for an upgrade.

[Anonymous]

Last year on a cross country flight, I couldn't get seats with my DDs (dh was already out there) so we sat in middle seats apart. It was fine (they are 9 and 12) but I was miffed when some whiny bride to be whined and complained until two or three people switched so she could be with her friends. She had the nerve to whine that people wee "ruining her bachelorette weekend." I guess they were going to Napa. Give me a break! Yet she whined so much that the flight attendants gave people free drinks to switch and make her happy.

As a side note, I was checking on my DD during the flight and an older lady next to her was actually playing with her. It was very sweet!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had to book last minute flights overseas last year with my almost 4 yr old twins & a one year old. I brought a friend to help me but the airline was zero help in getting us seats together. They said it was out responsibility as it was last minute. My kids were already sad over the death of their grandma but we could only get one person to switch. I sat with the one year old but everyone else was spread out. It was awful because 3 year olds can't easily claim over people and find the bathroom, open up the stuff in their meals, etc. I tried offering to buy drinks and anything I could think of but people wouldn't switch.

How awful. I have switched many times for families with small kids, I have never seen a situation like the one you described. It is hard to believe that in a whole plane you couldn't find a few simpathetic travelers.