Anonymous
Post 05/20/2018 00:13     Subject: Airplane seating situation
Same thing happened to my family on United - they changed the plane for our cross-country flight due to maintenance issues and our seats evaporated. Then they started calling passengers who they'd found seats for on the new (smaller) plane. They called my 2yo's name - he was supposed to fly across country alone. I raised holy hell. It should be illegal to try to separate small children from their parents on flights.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 23:50     Subject: Airplane seating situation
Write to the airline to complain. I had a seating situation on a plane that I described in detail and they gave me a $150 travel voucher for my inconvenience.
Anonymous wrote:I need opinions on what you all would have done in this situation. My family, DH, me and DD (3) we’re flying out of Florida yesterday back to DCA. We had reserved seats all together. Well due to the whether or maintenance (never got the true story) our plane got switched and it was a different size. We find out at checkin when we aren’t assigned seats. The lady at the counter said they gate agent would settle it for us. We make it to the gate and the gate agent tells us she will make an announcement since there are a lot of people with unassigned seats.

We sit down and wait. Well the next thing we know they are boarding. So we go back and ask for seat assignments. They had forgotten us. (Although I never heard any other names and we were sitting right there.) They get us seats but they are all over the plane. I don’t need 3 together. I would prefer one of us though with my 3 year old. The gate agent said there was nothing she could do since 75% of the plane was boarded. We were all 4 rows apart in middle seats so nothing even good to trade. The flight attendants on board were sympathetic, but all they could do was ask people to move from an aisle or window to a middle.

I have changed seats multiple times for people and when the flight attendants asked we got blank stares. So my 3 year old sat alone for take off then switched off sitting on my and my Dh’s lap until landing where she sat alone. Would you have just not gotten on the flight? I thought about it, but I had to be at work today (work weekends).
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 23:49     Subject: Re:Airplane seating situation
Definitely would have made a stink. No way would anyone else helped her with the oxygen mask/life vest. Even true for an older kid. I can't believe no one switched with you. I think I would have said my child tends to get terribly airsick, so I want to be next to her to hold the barf bag. I'm guessing that would encourage the people next to her to move!
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 23:47     Subject: Airplane seating situation
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.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 23:43     Subject: Airplane seating situation
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.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 23:40     Subject: Airplane seating situation
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.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 23:35     Subject: Re:Airplane seating situation
Anonymous wrote:I had this happened to me once on transatlantic flight. The airline screwed up the booking and my seat disappeared. By the type they figured it out, the only seats left were in different rows (one of those horrendous five middle seat planes). I asked a person to switch with me (identical seat, different row). She reacted very loudly and negatively (I believe she was with a big group and didn't want to move closer to them). I wished her luck taking care of my 3 year old (who was not comfortable with strangers at all) and told her that I would enjoy my flight in peace. She moved immediately after that.


You're lucky, I would never move for that. Your kid can scream all it wants. I have earplugs and no obligations.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 23:32     Subject: Re:Airplane seating situation
I had this happened to me once on transatlantic flight. The airline screwed up the booking and my seat disappeared. By the type they figured it out, the only seats left were in different rows (one of those horrendous five middle seat planes). I asked a person to switch with me (identical seat, different row). She reacted very loudly and negatively (I believe she was with a big group and didn't want to move closer to them). I wished her luck taking care of my 3 year old (who was not comfortable with strangers at all) and told her that I would enjoy my flight in peace. She moved immediately after that.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 23:27     Subject: Re:Airplane seating situation
Anonymous wrote:That sucks, OP. I would have made a huge stink and someone would have switched. There are times when you cannot be nice.



Yea but this isn’t really one of them.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 23:22     Subject: Airplane seating situation
I think it is awful that no one would switch. Last time I got separated from my ten year old, someone offered to switch, even before I asked. I was pointing out the seat and telling him that he would be fine, I'd be right behind him, and someone jumped up and offered, which was sweet.

That said, I wonder if the problem is that they charge you for seat assignments now. Someone who just paid $35 or $50 for a specific seat is much less likely to offer to change to a less desireable seat. Just a thought.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 22:57     Subject: Re:Airplane seating situation
I would have refused to fly. I'd just tell the FA that a 3 year old can't sit on her own, so if the airline cannot seat her next to at least one of you, you'll deboard. Tell them it's a safety issue if you like.. after all the FA's always say they're there for your safety, right?

This means they'd have to offload your luggage, so my guess is they'd finally find a way to solve the seating situation.

Also, there are lots of flights between DC and Florida, so at worst you'd be on a flight later that day.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 22:47     Subject: Airplane seating situation
This happened to us on government tickets to Asia. We had no seat assignments and were told that it was because they were government tickets and nothing we could do. Three kids all by themselves and the two of us completely elsewhere. Kids 9, 6, and 2. ONE person switched so I could sit with the 2 year old The other two kids each sat alone on a 14 hour trip to Tokyo. It was awful. They were great but what a sucky situation.

I was just on a flight from SFO to IAD where 2 kids maybe 2 and 4 were in the window and middle, mom in the aisle behind them. Lady in aisle next to the two kids "would rather not" switch. Aisle for aisle, one row. I do not understand it. Middle seat kid peed his pants midflight, serves her right.
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 22:30     Subject: Airplane seating situation
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?


Right?! Seriously...those people are jerks


My thoughts exactly!! Seriously if one of you people stumble upon this thread, PLEASE do an anonymous AMA. It blows my mind that you could let that happen
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 22:10     Subject: Re:Airplane seating situation
I would not have let this issue rest. I would literally have pushed the issue until someone moved or I was kicked off the plane (presumably the former...)
Anonymous
Post 05/19/2018 22:07     Subject: Airplane seating situation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
This is on you, OP. I've gone on countless flights with my kids, and the situation you want to avoid is asking people yourself on the plane. So here's what you should have done -

1. You should have insisted to get seat assignments upon check-in.
2. If unsuccessful, you should have insisted at the gate, and gone back to ask repeatedly. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
3. If unsuccessful, tell the flight attendant that your child cannot sit by herself (don't ask, tell), and say that you will be asking other passengers to switch. And proceed to do so. Only one of you needs to be seated with your child.

No passenger has ever refused to switch with me in the past, when it's been a question of being seated next to my young child. Stick with the least desirable seat that you've been assigned and ask the person next to it to move to the more desirable one.


OP did nothing wrong. Nothing. I completely disagree that it’s on her. People are assholes. The flight attendant should have forced someone to switch.


Not a chance. If I paid the aisle or window seat, no one is going to force me to move. The OP needs to learn how to advocate for herself at the ticket counter.


Do you have kids?


Yup. And there is a good chance the people sitting to the left and right of OPs daughter have children too. And OPs daughter was just fine.
I stand by my opinion that OP (or maybe her pushover of a husband) need to advocate for herself.