Grandparents insist on taking my kids’ first class seats

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell the grandparents they can pay the difference between the seats and have them. Watch them backpedal when they realize it’s $10k. They’re not demanding $1000 seats….

This

[Anonymous]

I already know what would happen in my family. We were upgraded but my mother was on a separate itinerary so she wasn't. My kids had a full on argument with my mother trying to convince her to take one of their first class seats. She kept refusing, they kept insisting. We finally worked out a compromise (with the help of a very nice purser who was amused by the boys) of letting the two boys rotate their seats and my mother acquiesced to taking one of the first class seats.

Anyway, I don't think your parents should demand it, but I'm a little surprised that your kids wouldn't want to give their grandparents the better seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know that your husband is United GS but don’t know that the flight doesn’t have first?
99% sure I am correct on that.

Calling troll on this one.

NP. They’re loving the pages of people going of on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know that your husband is United GS but don’t know that the flight doesn’t have first?
99% sure I am correct on that.

Calling troll on this one.

NP. They’re loving the pages of people going of on this.

I called it out on page 3 of this. OP was like oopsie! Definitely a troll.

[Anonymous]

You first mistake was inviting your parents to go on a trip with you....

Can they afford to pay to upgrade?

I would call their bluff and tell them " ok so i guess you aren't coming"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely no reason teens need to be in the luxury of business class.

Nobody *needs* to be in the luxury of business class.

[Anonymous]

OP here. DH has done some investigating and has an idea. Curious to people’s thoughts. My parents could cancel their current tickets and keep the $3K future flight credit. Then, DH can buy them two new round-trip business class tickets using FF miles. It will cost 744,000 FF miles for both at current prices. For reference, we spent about 320,000 for the four we already have, so they are way more expensive now, but still better than paying cash. Then, all 6 of us will be in Polaris business class both ways and all 6 of us can access the IAD Polaris Lounge before departure. In exchange, DH thinks we should ask my parents for $3K to help offset the FF costs since they’re still walking away with $3K in future flight credits that only my parents can use for themselves in the future.

I think my parents would go for this. They will have spent $6K total on airfare, $3K of which they can use in the future and the $3K they committed to spending on flights to ATH. The other alternative is to upgrade my parents current tix to business class using $8K cash (PlusPoints and miles upgrades are waitlist only and DH says they’ll never clear). The cash upgrade seems like a bad value vs. the FF miles option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. DH has done some investigating and has an idea. Curious to people’s thoughts. My parents could cancel their current tickets and keep the $3K future flight credit. Then, DH can buy them two new round-trip business class tickets using FF miles. It will cost 744,000 FF miles for both at current prices. For reference, we spent about 320,000 for the four we already have, so they are way more expensive now, but still better than paying cash. Then, all 6 of us will be in Polaris business class both ways and all 6 of us can access the IAD Polaris Lounge before departure. In exchange, DH thinks we should ask my parents for $3K to help offset the FF costs since they’re still walking away with $3K in future flight credits that only my parents can use for themselves in the future.

I think my parents would go for this. They will have spent $6K total on airfare, $3K of which they can use in the future and the $3K they committed to spending on flights to ATH. The other alternative is to upgrade my parents current tix to business class using $8K cash (PlusPoints and miles upgrades are waitlist only and DH says they’ll never clear). The cash upgrade seems like a bad value vs. the FF miles option.

OP, I think your DH's option makes sense.

But you need to present it to your parents as an either/or choice:
1) Pay you the $3K for the upgrade
2) Keep their seats and sit in coach
Do not give them any other options. This is the best value for you - they do not get the chance to bleed you dry.

[Anonymous]

I’m newly Team DH. Seems like a good plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. DH has done some investigating and has an idea. Curious to people’s thoughts. My parents could cancel their current tickets and keep the $3K future flight credit. Then, DH can buy them two new round-trip business class tickets using FF miles. It will cost 744,000 FF miles for both at current prices. For reference, we spent about 320,000 for the four we already have, so they are way more expensive now, but still better than paying cash. Then, all 6 of us will be in Polaris business class both ways and all 6 of us can access the IAD Polaris Lounge before departure. In exchange, DH thinks we should ask my parents for $3K to help offset the FF costs since they’re still walking away with $3K in future flight credits that only my parents can use for themselves in the future.

I think my parents would go for this. They will have spent $6K total on airfare, $3K of which they can use in the future and the $3K they committed to spending on flights to ATH. The other alternative is to upgrade my parents current tix to business class using $8K cash (PlusPoints and miles upgrades are waitlist only and DH says they’ll never clear). The cash upgrade seems like a bad value vs. the FF miles option.

I mean, the entire premise is an extraordinarily bad value. You’re going to use over a million FF miles for one stinkin round trip vacation, plus make the grandparents dump out an extra $3k, plus have United keep an already spent $3k in escrow for old people who don’t really want to fly in economy but also don’t want to pay what it costs to fly in first class? The good value solution (that I know you don’t want to consider) is to refund the 4 first class miles tickets and switch everybody to economy together. That saves everyone conflict and also $$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. DH has done some investigating and has an idea. Curious to people’s thoughts. My parents could cancel their current tickets and keep the $3K future flight credit. Then, DH can buy them two new round-trip business class tickets using FF miles. It will cost 744,000 FF miles for both at current prices. For reference, we spent about 320,000 for the four we already have, so they are way more expensive now, but still better than paying cash. Then, all 6 of us will be in Polaris business class both ways and all 6 of us can access the IAD Polaris Lounge before departure. In exchange, DH thinks we should ask my parents for $3K to help offset the FF costs since they’re still walking away with $3K in future flight credits that only my parents can use for themselves in the future.

I think my parents would go for this. They will have spent $6K total on airfare, $3K of which they can use in the future and the $3K they committed to spending on flights to ATH. The other alternative is to upgrade my parents current tix to business class using $8K cash (PlusPoints and miles upgrades are waitlist only and DH says they’ll never clear). The cash upgrade seems like a bad value vs. the FF miles option.

Okay now I am curious how you got 4 roundtrips to Europe in business for 320k. Even under the old.award chart (which United blew up last month), it was 60k each way per person, so would be 480k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all seem terrible, but you and your DH are the worst for not putting old people in the most comfortable seats.

+1 Grandpa should never have had to ask. I am Italian and no daughter of mine would be a primadonna on her throne in first class while her Grandmother is cramped in steerage. Not after Ellis Island, mia cara.

Isn't it "cara mia?"

[Anonymous]

I’m shocked you didn’t offer it to them to begin with. But you came from them, and their insistence is equally as rude. I feel bad for your kids with 4 such awful role models.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree that you should be giving the first class seats to your parents, but it also rude for them to demand it.

They may just be discouraged that you have not taught your children to have respect for elders.

Why do kids needs first class? Your parents’ days in earth are numbered. Be bigger than that.

[Anonymous]

1. Your parents are entitled jerks.
2. Your daughter is an entitled jerk.
3. Your son sounds nice.
4. The jury is still out on your and your husband, based on what decision you come to.
4. Everyone should sit in the same cabin; if that's coach, so be it.