Anonymous wrote:I would go completely ballistic if this happened and there's no way that three year old would be sitting alone. I don't blame you OP for being nice. I just know myself that there's no way in hell I would let them happen. This is probably why I'll probably get arrested on a plane at some point The airline should have offered people vouchers to move. And there should be a way for airlines to prioritize parents with small children in seating. Usually if you book through the airline and not a website, then the seating is better (not in this situation though where you switch planes.)

Or, offer the family the next flight out.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I also fly United all the time and don't pay extra for window or aisle seats. I do pay extra for the front half of the plane.

Look at the seat map next time when you pick your economy seats. There is an added fee on window/aisle seats in basic economy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. For a short flight like that I’d switch, but on a flight from Newark to Honolulu I was seated next to a sweet 9 year old girl whose family had been put in different places. She and her mother had two middles, the mother behind the daughter. The mom was kicking up a huge fuss, meanwhile the girl was calmly reading her book. Mom offered me $200 to switch places with her, but I wasn’t going to sit in the middle for a 12 hour flight. Finally for $500 she finally got a man next to her to take the middle, but I have to say it was a tempest in a teapot. The kid was fine, the mom could see her from right behind, it was all a ridiculous tantrum over nothing. And to anyone who tries to lay a guilt trip on me, saying I should have switched, I just shake my head.

At 9, most kids will be fine or say they are fine but most parents/kids don't want to be separated and having a stranger next to their kid. People are crazy and bad things happen to kids. I was on a flight once where the guy in front of us had two preteens who were acting up. My kid was sitting quietly and every hour or so when his kids started up, they'd blame my kid for kicking the seat and the guy kept turning around to screaming at my child. The first two times I was very polite about it and said I'm sorry but he's not kicking as he's sitting here with his feet up on his chair with his iPad. Finally the third time he was getting more abusive and I finally told him enough, it was his kids who were the problem and acting up and as he can see my child is sitting behaving not touching the seat in front of him and reading. The woman next to me also said something to the man and he finally left us alone. But, how many people except the nice woman next to me would speak up for a child and help. 9 Year olds still need help with basics. My child would not ask you if he needed something, including the bathroom and just hold it (you really want a kid next to you who had an accident). I get not switching for a 12 hour flight but use some common sense and realize that not everyone is a good person and given the climate today, I wouldn't want a stranger next to my child on a 12 hour flight.

Very few people want to molest your dumb kid.

True, but then they get stuck next to nasty people like you, which is equally as bad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meh. For a short flight like that I’d switch, but on a flight from Newark to Honolulu I was seated next to a sweet 9 year old girl whose family had been put in different places. She and her mother had two middles, the mother behind the daughter. The mom was kicking up a huge fuss, meanwhile the girl was calmly reading her book. Mom offered me $200 to switch places with her, but I wasn’t going to sit in the middle for a 12 hour flight. Finally for $500 she finally got a man next to her to take the middle, but I have to say it was a tempest in a teapot. The kid was fine, the mom could see her from right behind, it was all a ridiculous tantrum over nothing. And to anyone who tries to lay a guilt trip on me, saying I should have switched, I just shake my head.

At 9, most kids will be fine or say they are fine but most parents/kids don't want to be separated and having a stranger next to their kid. People are crazy and bad things happen to kids. I was on a flight once where the guy in front of us had two preteens who were acting up. My kid was sitting quietly and every hour or so when his kids started up, they'd blame my kid for kicking the seat and the guy kept turning around to screaming at my child. The first two times I was very polite about it and said I'm sorry but he's not kicking as he's sitting here with his feet up on his chair with his iPad. Finally the third time he was getting more abusive and I finally told him enough, it was his kids who were the problem and acting up and as he can see my child is sitting behaving not touching the seat in front of him and reading. The woman next to me also said something to the man and he finally left us alone. But, how many people except the nice woman next to me would speak up for a child and help. 9 Year olds still need help with basics. My child would not ask you if he needed something, including the bathroom and just hold it (you really want a kid next to you who had an accident). I get not switching for a 12 hour flight but use some common sense and realize that not everyone is a good person and given the climate today, I wouldn't want a stranger next to my child on a 12 hour flight.

Very few people want to molest your dumb kid.

i think some people like sitting next to (quiet, well-behaved) kids because they don't take up much space

I would go completely ballistic if this happened and there's no way that three year old would be sitting alone. I don't blame you OP for being nice. I just know myself that there's no way in hell I would let them happen. This is probably why I'll probably get arrested on a plane at some point The airline should have offered people vouchers to move. And there should be a way for airlines to prioritize parents with small children in seating. Usually if you book through the airline and not a website, then the seating is better (not in this situation though where you switch planes.)

Anonymous wrote:Meh. For a short flight like that I’d switch, but on a flight from Newark to Honolulu I was seated next to a sweet 9 year old girl whose family had been put in different places. She and her mother had two middles, the mother behind the daughter. The mom was kicking up a huge fuss, meanwhile the girl was calmly reading her book. Mom offered me $200 to switch places with her, but I wasn’t going to sit in the middle for a 12 hour flight. Finally for $500 she finally got a man next to her to take the middle, but I have to say it was a tempest in a teapot. The kid was fine, the mom could see her from right behind, it was all a ridiculous tantrum over nothing. And to anyone who tries to lay a guilt trip on me, saying I should have switched, I just shake my head.

At 9, most kids will be fine or say they are fine but most parents/kids don't want to be separated and having a stranger next to their kid. People are crazy and bad things happen to kids. I was on a flight once where the guy in front of us had two preteens who were acting up. My kid was sitting quietly and every hour or so when his kids started up, they'd blame my kid for kicking the seat and the guy kept turning around to screaming at my child. The first two times I was very polite about it and said I'm sorry but he's not kicking as he's sitting here with his feet up on his chair with his iPad. Finally the third time he was getting more abusive and I finally told him enough, it was his kids who were the problem and acting up and as he can see my child is sitting behaving not touching the seat in front of him and reading. The woman next to me also said something to the man and he finally left us alone. But, how many people except the nice woman next to me would speak up for a child and help. 9 Year olds still need help with basics. My child would not ask you if he needed something, including the bathroom and just hold it (you really want a kid next to you who had an accident). I get not switching for a 12 hour flight but use some common sense and realize that not everyone is a good person and given the climate today, I wouldn't want a stranger next to my child on a 12 hour flight.

Anonymous wrote:Meh. For a short flight like that I’d switch, but on a flight from Newark to Honolulu I was seated next to a sweet 9 year old girl whose family had been put in different places. She and her mother had two middles, the mother behind the daughter. The mom was kicking up a huge fuss, meanwhile the girl was calmly reading her book. Mom offered me $200 to switch places with her, but I wasn’t going to sit in the middle for a 12 hour flight. Finally for $500 she finally got a man next to her to take the middle, but I have to say it was a tempest in a teapot. The kid was fine, the mom could see her from right behind, it was all a ridiculous tantrum over nothing. And to anyone who tries to lay a guilt trip on me, saying I should have switched, I just shake my head.

All fine and good since it was an uneventful flight. And if there had been tons of turbulence or an emergency? You people are nuts, and so is the airline.

It would be against airline policy for a child under 16 to fly on their own without unaccompanied minor status, meaning extra oversight by the flight crew, but they would willingly put kids out of reach of their parents? It's stupidity.

Tweet at the airline. And write an email. They owe you.

And lesson learned: you don't walk away or sit down. You stand right there and stare at them.

Anonymous wrote:Meh. For a short flight like that I’d switch, but on a flight from Newark to Honolulu I was seated next to a sweet 9 year old girl whose family had been put in different places. She and her mother had two middles, the mother behind the daughter. The mom was kicking up a huge fuss, meanwhile the girl was calmly reading her book. Mom offered me $200 to switch places with her, but I wasn’t going to sit in the middle for a 12 hour flight. Finally for $500 she finally got a man next to her to take the middle, but I have to say it was a tempest in a teapot. The kid was fine, the mom could see her from right behind, it was all a ridiculous tantrum over nothing. And to anyone who tries to lay a guilt trip on me, saying I should have switched, I just shake my head.

This is a different situation though. In your case, the child was much older and the mom was reasonably close to her child. The flight was 12 hours long. I wouldn’t want to switch either.

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.

I also fly United all the time and don't pay extra for window or aisle seats. I do pay extra for the front half of the plane.

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.

This. I usually don't like when people post, "you should have..." posts, but I agree with the above because it's useful for you in the future. When at an airport, you always have to be on the situation and assertive.

I'll add one thing: did you look online the day before to confirm the flight? Generally they email out changes in flights as soon as it's changed.

Meh. For a short flight like that I’d switch, but on a flight from Newark to Honolulu I was seated next to a sweet 9 year old girl whose family had been put in different places. She and her mother had two middles, the mother behind the daughter. The mom was kicking up a huge fuss, meanwhile the girl was calmly reading her book. Mom offered me $200 to switch places with her, but I wasn’t going to sit in the middle for a 12 hour flight. Finally for $500 she finally got a man next to her to take the middle, but I have to say it was a tempest in a teapot. The kid was fine, the mom could see her from right behind, it was all a ridiculous tantrum over nothing. And to anyone who tries to lay a guilt trip on me, saying I should have switched, I just shake my head.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Scream? She would climb, including over you, etc. I would be taking her back and forth from her seat during the flight. Why would you want 12+ hours of that? No sleep with that. Are you married to your seat so you would not take an identical one in a different row?

I sit in window seats. Are you going to go in and out of the window?

Not the situation I described. You are not in a window seat. You are in a middle seat. Regardless, I wish you long and happy marriage to your seat.

Anonymous wrote:Did you ask anyone to switch with you? I would have switched so a 3YO did not have to sit alone. That’s ridiculous. Assuming one of you had an aisle seat, that should be one that you could have swapped n

+1 I definitely would have switched with you. Or my husband or any of our teens.

I am surprised that an adult in that row with your 3 year-old didn't fall all over him- or her-self willing to vacate the seat next to your little one. How strange!!!

There is no way I would have wanted to sit in a seat next to a 3 year-old if at least one parent or relative or caregiver wasn't right there next to the kid. Why didn't you ask the flight attendant to help you switch?