Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s crazy that no one would switch with you. No one wants middle but to make a three year old sit alone is awful. But it’s really the airline’s fault for not handling it. I think you handled it the best you could. Not a huge deal in the end. I wouldn’t have skipped the flight.

I wouldn't want to give up my seat just because the airline screwed up. They need better incentives to induce people to give up their seats. Be real people.

You are a jerk and part of the problem.

This happened to me once. In that case, it was my 3 year old son who was in a window seat about 5 rows away from me. This kid has horrible motion sickness. I had an aisle seat, and offered to switch with the woman next to him (also an aisle). She refused. So.... I pulled out his barf bag, reminded him how to use it, and showed him what button to push to alert the flight attendant after he threw up.

The lady decided to switch with me after all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just...cannot imagine being the asshole in the seat next to your child, as you lean over them to secure her in her seat belt and give her an iPad. I can’t imagine not immediately getting up and giving you my seat. What is wrong with people?

This. WTF.

Really.

But the airline should have fixed it.

The passenger likely paid extra for the aisle seat, and the airline knows that. The airline should have offered the aisle passenger something to switch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have explained to the flight attendants, within hearing of the people who refused to switch seats, that sexual harassment and child molestation are not uncommon on flights and that I would be holding them personally responsible if anyone laid a finger on my child during the flight. And I would have made sure to write down their names. I have never been on a flight where people paid extra for aisle and window seats unless they were in the premium economy section - the people who didn't want to switch for the short flight sound like misanthropic a-holes.

No one is going to give a loudmouth like you their names and the flight attendants aren’t going to, either.

Seriously. That’s a laughable statement. You have no way of compelling anyone to give you any of their information.

I vote SW

Anonymous wrote:I would have explained to the flight attendants, within hearing of the people who refused to switch seats, that sexual harassment and child molestation are not uncommon on flights and that I would be holding them personally responsible if anyone laid a finger on my child during the flight. And I would have made sure to write down their names. I have never been on a flight where people paid extra for aisle and window seats unless they were in the premium economy section - the people who didn't want to switch for the short flight sound like misanthropic a-holes.

No one is going to give a loudmouth like you their names and the flight attendants aren’t going to, either.

So many things wrong in this situation. Bottom line is the airlines are responsible because they force people to pay extra for seat assignments now and wipe their hands when something goes wrong, expecting passengers to figure it out themselves. They are only concerned with revenue and nothing will change until enough people make a public stink to affect their PR, so everyone should hit social media anytime they have an issue like this - even when passengers move to accommodate you, because it's still on you and the other passengers to resolve a problem the airline created.

To the PP who suggested linking seats, you can actually do that, at least in some airlines. I have done that multiple times ever since my daughter and I were separated (after reserving seats together), and she was only 1. The gate agents obvs knew she could not be placed alone and fixed it, and told me they had linked our seats for the return flight, so if something happened to the assignments we would stay together. Ever since, I call the airline after booking and ask. Sometimes they claim they can't, I just explain why child can't sit alone and they say they'll "maje a note" but either way we've never had a problem since. My daughter is 4 now and I'm guessing at some point she'll get old enough they won't care about separating us, but it has definiteky worked while she's been a toddler.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP what airline was this?

And did you directly ask the 6 people sitting in those seats to switch with you?

With the six people I would have started out being sweet and polite and if that didn't work I would turn up the "force field" and if that embarrassed them in front of the other passengers so be it.

And I would have put on my headphones and ignored you.

Then you are an asshole.

Nah.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just...cannot imagine being the asshole in the seat next to your child, as you lean over them to secure her in her seat belt and give her an iPad. I can’t imagine not immediately getting up and giving you my seat. What is wrong with people?

This. WTF.

Really.

Agree. WTF

I would have handed them a $50

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP what airline was this?

And did you directly ask the 6 people sitting in those seats to switch with you?

With the six people I would have started out being sweet and polite and if that didn't work I would turn up the "force field" and if that embarrassed them in front of the other passengers so be it.

And I would have put on my headphones and ignored you.

Then you are an asshole.

Anonymous wrote:There has to be more to this story. As crap as airlines service can be, I really don’t see an airline allowing an unattended 3 year to sit by themselves. The unaccompanied minor rules are so strict and you have to be 5 to even qualify for unaccompanied minor status.

And if it truly is true and you had proof it would have been all over CNN for the past 48 hours.

Something is missing from your explanation.

I believe this. I have status (high status) with an airline, and several times had the problem with the automatic upgrades where I kept declining them in order to keep my seats with my sons. Even called the desk dedicated to Global traveleres to ask them to put a hold on the upgrade. Anyway, long story short, the upgrade cleared, they screwed up the seating and a similar thing happened. Except that in my case my option was to offer someone my seats in First class, but would you believe the Flight Attendants were pissy about it because the seats are not supposed to be given away to others? I had to get a bit adamant and point out that the other option was to leave my toddler sitting in economy with strangers. Flight attendants really don't give a $h!t what you do as long as they are upholding their perverse rules.

Anonymous wrote:I would not have boarded without a seat. I would she stood at the gate agent and strongly asked for seat assignments. And on the other side I would switch in a minute so that a parent could sit next to a child.

They had seat assignments when they boarded. They were given three middle seats. It’s likely all the aisles and windows were assigned to people who paid $25 for their seat. If those people aren’t drinking for whatever reason, drink tickets aren’t an incentive.

I’ve learned from reading DCUM that a lot of people don’t reserve seats for their family, and then demand others switch seats so they can sit next to their kids. Your fellow travelers probably thought you were trying to game the system and probably figured you got what you deserved. They were also dealing with a smaller plane than they thought, mixed up seating assignments, etc.

OP, you should have offered to reimburse one of six people for the fee they paid for their seat. Next time, carry $50 in cash so that you can bribe someone if necessary.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just...cannot imagine being the asshole in the seat next to your child, as you lean over them to secure her in her seat belt and give her an iPad. I can’t imagine not immediately getting up and giving you my seat. What is wrong with people?

This. WTF.

Really.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have explained to the flight attendants, within hearing of the people who refused to switch seats, that sexual harassment and child molestation are not uncommon on flights and that I would be holding them personally responsible if anyone laid a finger on my child during the flight. And I would have made sure to write down their names. I have never been on a flight where people paid extra for aisle and window seats unless they were in the premium economy section - the people who didn't want to switch for the short flight sound like misanthropic a-holes.

You must never fly United. When booking seats you can clearly see aisle and window seats cost more.

I have flown United at least once within the past year (in January), though I try to avoid them because the experience is never less than wretched and my status is with AA. I had an aisle seat and did not pay extra.

That’s because you have status. People without status have to pay to choose their aisle or window seat on AA.