Grandparents insist on taking my kids’ first class seats

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going on a family vacation + cruise later this summer to Greek Isles. Originally booked for myself, DH, and our two kids (16 and 14). We invited my parents a few months ago and they decided to join us. Our family booked 4 first class seats IAD-ATH using FF miles on United (DH is Global Services on United and got a good deal) and my parents ended up booking 2 coach seats in cash many months later (no status). Well, yesterday my parents decided they wouldn’t go on the trip unless they flew first class and that our kids don’t need to fly first class and we should allow them to switch. My dad even offered to give each of my kids $50 to move from first to coach so that they could have lie flat seating transatlantic.

DH is super annoyed. My parents are being real jerks about this and how kids don’t need first class and my dad’s back aches so he totally needs first class. What do I do?

If either of your kids is a girl watch them carefully. Reports are that there are rings of people there now that put a drug in the drink of a young woman or teen, then rape them, sometimes also killing them. Greek Isles is having an issue with it. A young woman was dismembered and another was drugged but managed to get away

Dude. Anxiety meds STAT

[Anonymous]

As a 1k United member, I have similar problems traveling. Relatives are constantly asking me for tickets for free and acting offended when I don't want to give them the points. They're basically money to me, not perks. It's like asking someone to give you the rewards points on their credit card that they usually redeem for cash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I saw your update. I think your reaction to your parents is awful. You are a horribly unsympathetic daughter and person

Do you people not understand elderly people or people with health problems?

Old people often have health issues that make it hard to travel!!

His back is hurting! SO he does not want to fly to Athens! It's hurting too much to fly coach or first class. Why do you think he is lying??

You are a swelfish, awful person. I suspect one day you will be an old person in pain and your kids will be terrible to you because you modeled such bad behavior.

Wow. Your family sucks.

Why do you think he decided to go on a pleasure trip with a bad back, and purchased coach tickets, and expected a free upgrade from his children?

My dad would die before he would take money or resources away from his grandkids just for his own pleasure. God god, what kind of parents do you have?

Because he was hoping he'd be able to handle it back pain wise and then the pain got better rather than worse. He realized it was a bad idea. It's not insurance fraud. He is OLD and in PAIN and desreves SYMPATHY. And his daughter is giving him none of that.

She's a spoiled brat and so are her kids.

And FYI to your question what kind of parents I have - my parents have dementia and other disabling conditions. It is awful. They can't even go to the doctor without us hiring a wheelchair transport. So complaining about a parent with a bad back realizing he can't fly coach to greece is just....I can't even.

People who cannot empathize with people with health issues and instead dismiss and ridicule them suck. I hope people like that get their come uppance some day when they develop health issues of their own.

And....teens flying in FIRST CLASS?? Jesus. Talk about entitled.

Well, if that's the case, you can blame it on good old Mom and Dad. Children can't spoil themselves, you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I saw your update. I think your reaction to your parents is awful. You are a horribly unsympathetic daughter and person

Do you people not understand elderly people or people with health problems?

Old people often have health issues that make it hard to travel!!

His back is hurting! SO he does not want to fly to Athens! It's hurting too much to fly coach or first class. Why do you think he is lying??

You are a swelfish, awful person. I suspect one day you will be an old person in pain and your kids will be terrible to you because you modeled such bad behavior.

Wow. Your family sucks.

You’re wrong wrong wrong.

You are right right right and sound like a great daughter.

[Anonymous]

I love my folks and my in laws but they don’t tell me how to spend my money or attempt to change spending decisions I have made, period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m more blown away by a 14 year old that expects to fly first class. That would be my parent’s ticket to those seats. Hahaha.

This was my thought 42 pages ago.

My 15 year old nephew once tried to order surf and turf "market priced" that was going to cost over $100. I looked at him and said, "Yeah, no. Until you're the one paying the bill, you order something with a price beside it, and that price better be one of the lower ones."

Anyone not paying for their plane ticket sits in coach, in the middle if necessary.

The husband who earned the miles/$ gets to decide and he did. His use of his money (or to whether, their use of their money) is their decision and theirs alone. The parents should have upgraded themselves or asked for help upgrading. Second guessing the decision maker was 10000% wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I saw your update. I think your reaction to your parents is awful. You are a horribly unsympathetic daughter and person

Do you people not understand elderly people or people with health problems?

Old people often have health issues that make it hard to travel!!

His back is hurting! SO he does not want to fly to Athens! It's hurting too much to fly coach or first class. Why do you think he is lying??

You are a swelfish, awful person. I suspect one day you will be an old person in pain and your kids will be terrible to you because you modeled such bad behavior.

Wow. Your family sucks.

Why do you think he decided to go on a pleasure trip with a bad back, and purchased coach tickets, and expected a free upgrade from his children?

My dad would die before he would take money or resources away from his grandkids just for his own pleasure. God god, what kind of parents do you have?

Because he was hoping he'd be able to handle it back pain wise and then the pain got better rather than worse. He realized it was a bad idea. It's not insurance fraud. He is OLD and in PAIN and desreves SYMPATHY. And his daughter is giving him none of that.

She's a spoiled brat and so are her kids.

And FYI to your question what kind of parents I have - my parents have dementia and other disabling conditions. It is awful. They can't even go to the doctor without us hiring a wheelchair transport. So complaining about a parent with a bad back realizing he can't fly coach to greece is just....I can't even.

People who cannot empathize with people with health issues and instead dismiss and ridicule them suck. I hope people like that get their come uppance some day when they develop health issues of their own.

And....teens flying in FIRST CLASS?? Jesus. Talk about entitled.

So according to you, if all six of them had coach tickets, OP and her husband would have been responsible for upgrading her parents to first because his back hurts? Is that right?

[Anonymous]

My parents would be embarrassed to ask this of me. They are even uncomfortable with me paying for dinner when we go out.

I'm embarrassed FOR her parents. This is just a wierd dynamic. If I were here I would just restate the obvious to them so see if they hear how ridiculous they sound

"We already planned our trip to Greece and the cruise and made arrangements. We would love having you there with us. You also said you would like to come and made your own arrangements to join is. Now, in learning we've purchased first class tickets for our children, you want us to downgrade our children to give YOU their first class tickets, when you could have purchased first class tickets when you planned your trip?"

Personally, I would just tell them the name goes with the ticket and I'm sure they can upgrade if they would like.

[Anonymous]

If grandparents in question have been helpful with your kids and have a good relationship with them I would let them sit first class. I feel like this wouldnt be a question a generation ago, and it highlights how things have changed! Its a tough one as they were raised in that era so for them its just the way it should be.

[Anonymous]

If anyone else is interested in this saga, I found updates from OP on pages 37 and 40. That’s as far back as I was willing to look so maybe there were other posts.

[Anonymous]

Rude for them to demand it, they can pay the difference in price to you and give your kids $50 each.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rude for them to demand it, they can pay the difference in price to you and give your kids $50 each.

Did you not see the update a few pages back? The grandparents bailed on the trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If anyone else is interested in this saga, I found updates from OP on pages 37 and 40. That’s as far back as I was willing to look so maybe there were other posts.

Thank you! I wasn’t willing to go through 48 pages

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a 1k United member, I have similar problems traveling. Relatives are constantly asking me for tickets for free and acting offended when I don't want to give them the points. They're basically money to me, not perks. It's like asking someone to give you the rewards points on their credit card that they usually redeem for cash.

How on earth do they know your status? Who talks about this kind of stuff? Maybe they ask you because they can’t figure out any other reason you’d brag about your airline status besides having miles and upgrades to give away!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If anyone else is interested in this saga, I found updates from OP on pages 37 and 40. That’s as far back as I was willing to look so maybe there were other posts.

Thank you! I wasn’t willing to go through 48 pages

Thanks from me too. So . . . the grandparents are staying home.