Anonymous wrote:

My experience is that we've not been able to book all the seats together. The aisle and window seats in all rows are the first to go and usually only the middle seats are left. When I have the option, I'll take a flight with better choices but I don't always have much of a choice. If the airlines would allow it, I'd let my little kids sit by themselves but, typically, the airlines won't allow it because the kids are capable of taking care of themselves in an emergency. The passengers on either side of them aren't likely to like it either because no one would be around to 'manage' my kid. I don't get irate when people don't want to change seats, I don't blame people but it's not my problem. It's the airline's problem to solve. Your anger is misdirected.

No you are exactly the type of person that is so obnoxious! When we search for flights, we too often see great fares and times but then see that there are only middle seats. We pass and end up on a more expensive flight or different time. I couldn't imagine being so obnoxious to actually book the middle seats anyway and then expect everyone else to move for me.

I have no problem switching seats if someone with small kids is separated because the airline screwed up and changed them. DH is over 6 feet so being in a middle seat for many hours is uncomfortable for him but he has switched with people.
From now on though I plan to ask the flight attendent why the family we are switching with is in middle seats. If its someone like you who intentionally booked the flight knowing you had only middle seats but really wanted to get that flight price or time then forget it.

How do you know that it was or was not an airline screwup?
What if the airline screwed up the seat assignment for your DH? Bet you'd be the first one asking to move. In fact, I think I flew with you once (PS- you made an ass of yourself.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have said yes, but these days more often than not I'm going to say "no" ... I'm not going to voluntarily get stuck in a middle seat for any flight longer than, say, an hour.

You're just dumb. Being a nice person aside, anyone who chooses to sit next to a preschooler they don't know over sitting in a middle seat is missing an essential part of their brain.

Or maybe you're a child molester...that's the only reason I can think of why someone would insist on sitting by a kid they don't know.

Really???? Do you folks actually want to sit by my 2 and 4 year olds by yourself during a cross country flight?? Be my guest! Good luck with that!! That is essentially free babysitting for me!

I know people who work for airlines and have confirmed that they change the seats at the last minute. No investigation needed to figure that out, really. I have NEVER booked seats apart for my family. Why would I do that with 2 small children?

Many families do book only middle seats because on cheap fare deals these are the only seats that are left. When people miss their plane or a flight is cancelled rather than waiting for an even later flight they will jump on standby for middle seats only. These people expect that everyone will move for them. Why should my family get split up so the other family can save money!

I will move to a comparable seat, but I won't give up an aisle/window for a middle. Sorry. Usually, I pay extra to be able to choose a seat and/or do premium economy.

Anonymous wrote:I have said yes, but these days more often than not I'm going to say "no" ... I'm not going to voluntarily get stuck in a middle seat for any flight longer than, say, an hour.

You're just dumb. Being a nice person aside, anyone who chooses to sit next to a preschooler they don't know over sitting in a middle seat is missing an essential part of their brain.

My experience is that we've not been able to book all the seats together. The aisle and window seats in all rows are the first to go and usually only the middle seats are left. When I have the option, I'll take a flight with better choices but I don't always have much of a choice. If the airlines would allow it, I'd let my little kids sit by themselves but, typically, the airlines won't allow it because the kids are capable of taking care of themselves in an emergency. The passengers on either side of them aren't likely to like it either because no one would be around to 'manage' my kid. I don't get irate when people don't want to change seats, I don't blame people but it's not my problem. It's the airline's problem to solve. Your anger is misdirected.

No you are exactly the type of person that is so obnoxious! When we search for flights, we too often see great fares and times but then see that there are only middle seats. We pass and end up on a more expensive flight or different time. I couldn't imagine being so obnoxious to actually book the middle seats anyway and then expect everyone else to move for me.

I have no problem switching seats if someone with small kids is separated because the airline screwed up and changed them. DH is over 6 feet so being in a middle seat for many hours is uncomfortable for him but he has switched with people.

From now on though I plan to ask the flight attendent why the family we are switching with is in middle seats. If its someone like you who intentionally booked the flight knowing you had only middle seats but really wanted to get that flight price or time then forget it.

It is a shared public space, and every honorable gentleman, lady will olidge when asked.
I would be hesitant to ask a stranger and get the help of an air hostess. I know that if you are rood to her, you will be asked to skip the flight
A little curtesy goes a long way

I think it's obvious that airlines need to do away with middle seats.

Anonymous wrote:Not to excuse anyone's obnoxious behavior, but on our last cross-country flight I booked 3 seats together and when we got to the airport the airline had changed the seats for the second leg of the flight and had us in three separate middle seats. The agent at the flight of origin could not (or would not) change it and because our flight arrived late and we ran to catch our second flight there was no time to address the issue at the gate. In the end, there happened to be an empty seat next to my daughter and the other person in her row was very pleasant. Choosing your seats doesn't always guarantee them.

I have had very similar experiences more than once.

Really???? Do you folks actually want to sit by my 2 and 4 year olds by yourself during a cross country flight?? Be my guest! Good luck with that!! That is essentially free babysitting for me!

I know people who work for airlines and have confirmed that they change the seats at the last minute. No investigation needed to figure that out, really. I have NEVER booked seats apart for my family. Why would I do that with 2 small children? However, I have had my seats changed at the last minute to accomodate a "celebrity" where my 6 month old was put two rows behind me. So, if I wasn't near him to feed him, he would scream the entire flight, which I am sure folks don't want. You should seriously blame the airlines for this and not parents. Really...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This freaks me out that airlines would switch seats and think it's OK to let a 3 year old fly alone. We booked months ago for a flight in a few weeks, and no hell way is my 3 year old sitting alone. I would be asking everyone to help me if that happened. Sorry that would piss you off OP.

Really? I'd be overjoyed to foist my 3 yo on someone else for a few hours.

Me too! They are also more than welcome to sit next to my five year old. I'd actually get to read a magazine. Whenever this has happened to us, a person sitting next to my young child has always volunteered to move rather than sit there.

p.s. I think the OP is trolling

It is RIDICULOUS to me that airlines do this. Blame the airline, not the parents.

And they wonder why Southwest is getting so much more business.

There is no way in hell I would not raise a ruckus when the airline switched on us. I certainly hoped the parents of the child who was molested on a flight (couple of years ago) sued for all they could possible get. Fucking airlines.

It's amazing to me how the airlines have managed to deflect attention from the fact that they are causing this problem.

They sell off seats, including the ones someone has already selected, and then let us tear each other to pieces.

I think an airline is obligated to let one parent sit next to a child under 5 (and probably under 9), and I would certainly volunteer to move my seat in those circumstances.

If it's a second parent (or just two adults) then I would probably look at where their seat is, how young the kid is, etc.

Anonymous wrote:The people who keep crowing that if you book early, you will avoid the problem, don't know jack shit about how airlines operate--airline change bookings all the time.

But, hey, if you want to sit next to my two preschoolers, so you can indignantly prove that you are somehow better prepared for life than me, you be my guest.

Exactly. We've been re-assigned to separated seats several times ... but every time started out with seats together. As a not-so-helpful gate agent told me, our tickets gave us guaranteed seats on the plane, not the seats we originally chose nor other seats together. This conversation was with regard to a trans-Atlantic flight that I had booked approximately 90 days in advance, BTW.