airplane -- seats not together with 5 year olds

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

I think you need to call at the 24 hour point and talk to someone about getting newly released seats.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure other passengers will be willing to move to accommodate your family. I wouldn't stress about it in advance.

[Anonymous]

I agree that you should try to reassign your seats when you check in, but you can also try talking to the gate agent when you arrive. If none of those things work, I'm certain that someone will switch with you.

[Anonymous]

OP,

So far, we've always had luck. People don't like seeing families separated and most people don't want to deal with a young child next to them on their own.

I think this is a further deterioration of airline service. Don't know what airline you're on, but for United, only by paying a few hundred more could you be guaranteed a seat next to your toddler or young child. Absolutely ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

But what if someone did pay the hundred extra to pick an aisle or window seat and now you want to switch with your unattractive middle seat? (BTW I am all for a family staying together and place this squarely on the awful airlines!). But that's just something to think about.

[Anonymous]

What? They will do it for you at check-in. You don't even have to ask. They have notice it already that your child is apart from you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that you should try to reassign your seats when you check in, but you can also try talking to the gate agent when you arrive. If none of those things work, I'm certain that someone will switch with you.

Don't count on people switching with you. If you read articles about traveling with kids, you will see that the number one complaint of the other passengers is the attitude of parents who "expect" to have people accommodate their seat needs at the last minute. People don't want to change seats - they have chosen their seats in advance, perhaps paid extra for them, have preference for window or aisle, etc. You will seriously steam off other people on the plane if you have to ask them to change seats.

That said, when I have flown and not been able to book seats together at the time of book, I immediately call the airline and request seats together (I don't call the website I booked through, or the airline I booked through - to the extent it is a codeshare. You have to call the operating airline directly). I offer to pay extra at that time for priority seats to get them together. And in the couple cases where they couldn't do anything on the phone, they said not to worry and that I should just raise the issue when I check in, and that it was their airline's policy that kids couldn't fly separate from their parents. In those cases, I still called within 24 hours to see if there was anything they could do so as to not leave it last minute (they couldn't) and ultimately they put us together when I checked in.

You should be prepared to have your seats in two chunks (that is, if both parents are flying, one parent sits with one twin and the other with the other).

[Anonymous]

I'd try to arrive at the airport on the early side. Ask at check in for seats together. If you don't get them there (they often won't switch anything up at check-in), ask the gate agent for help. If you ask the gate agent early, she will usually try to bump passengers with high points status up First in a way that will get you seats together. As a last resort, ask the flight attendants once you are on the plane.

Be prepared to split up, if you have to. Make sure each kid has their own backpack with snacks and entertainment options. In general, people are willing to switch. However, if you are on a direct flight -- don't expect people to happily give up an aisle seat.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

You have to be prepared t split up. While I hope someone has sympathy and will help you out, you aren't entitled to seats together unless you book them that way. Next time, I'd call the airline directly or find another flight.

[Anonymous]

Your 5 year old will be fine. They aren't on the plane alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What? They will do it for you at check-in. You don't even have to ask. They have notice it already that your child is apart from you.

If only this were true! I had the gate agent (& people when I called ahead, and checked in) refuse to help with this when my kid was TWO. Fortunately, someone on the plane was nice and switches with us. But the airline was no help. Other times, the airlines have been helpful. So call ahead, if that doesn't work, ask at check-in, and if that fails, someone on the flight will almost assuredly switch with you. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Call the operating airline now, if that doesn't work;
call the operating airline 24 hours before the flight, if that doesn't work;
ask at check-in, if that doesn't work;
ask the gate agent, if that doesn't work;
either accept that you'll all be sitting separately or ask fellow passengers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have to be prepared t split up. While I hope someone has sympathy and will help you out, you aren't entitled to seats together unless you book them that way. Next time, I'd call the airline directly or find another flight.

This is the response I expected on DCUM (not the other responses). It's the attitude I hear about more and more often when people talk about traveling. "It's not my responsibility to be put out because you couldn't be bothered to book your flight properly. Leave me alone. Also, make sure your child doesn't bother me." You can debate whether or not this attitude is justified, or practical, or why people take this approach (probably airline policies are driving it). I don't have any advice except to be ready for this.