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Annabella
Leads a Charmed Life
PeaNut 43,843
July 2002
Posts: 42,250
Layouts: 46
Loc: East Coast
 |  Posted: 2/5/2013 9:08:23 AM
I traveled once with my 2 year old and 7 year old across the country by myself. I had us all checked In together with seat assignments together, but something happened last minute and things did not turn out that way.
The plane was full and nobody wanted to switch us seats. It was so odd. I handed the person next to each child their bag of flight supplies. My 2 year olds seat mates were given his diaper bag.
All of a sudden they were willing to switch us. Lol
PIMP!!!!!!!!!!
I used TankTop's method one time flying with my four year old DD. No one would switch with me. Same seats, just a different row. What middle aged guy wants to sit next to a four year old that isn't his own?
I starting pulling out books, snacks, sippy cup, etc. She had spilled a juice box on the previous flight, and I was warning the guy, as well as telling him she couldn't read yet and would want him to read to her.
He muttered some profanity and just got up and moved.
LOL |
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melanell
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 26,836
January 2002
Posts: 14,476
Layouts: 86
 | Posted: 2/5/2013 9:13:35 AM
But I think it is unreasonable to expect another passenger who paid extra or who checked in early to get the seat they wanted to trade with another px who is in a bind due to their own lack of planning.
I can totally understand that, but it sounds like people sometimes do take the necessary steps to sit together and still wind up separated. And that's really lousy. 
I have had the experience myself of boarding a plan with assigned seats and finding someone else already in my seat. It was just me & DH and plane wasn't full, so it wasn't a big deal. But if I had a first time flyer, a nervous flyer, or a child with me, I would have been asking them to move.
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sunny 5
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 472,024
June 2010
Posts: 2,072
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 2/5/2013 9:14:00 AM
people have their reasons for not switching seats. my dh has to have particular window or aisle seats (on a certain side of the plane) to survive the flight due to leg disabilities. he is not going to switch if he has a good place...it is too painful. | |
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Burning Feather
I conceived but I can't see you
PeaNut 158,336
July 2004
Posts: 36,184
Layouts: 3
Loc: Ain't no black widow serial killer going to get between me and my man
 | Posted: 2/5/2013 9:16:41 AM
It amazes me that at what it costs to fly passengers are supposed to engage in a survival of the fittest game of musical seats to keep parties traveling together seated together.
Different airlines have different pricing structures and benefits (as I'm sure you already know).
As far as Southwest goes, their prices are lower, which is why people use them - price. But to keep that price low, they struggle to maintain a "10 minute turnaround" and part of that process is using an open boarding system, which has been tested to be faster than assigned seating. They have changed it through the years and now have the A, B, and C boarding sections, but essentially it's still open seating.
They do now have two levels of early boarding that just started in the past week or so. I can't remember excactly, but I beleive that they have a $10-$15 upgrade at the gate that allows customers who paid full price for their tickets to board before group A. They also have a $40-$45 rate that allows passengers on discounted fares to board at that same time. Families with small children are boarded between groups A and B, but as someone else said, that's usually under age 4.
They could assign seating, but their turnaround times would go down and their rates would go up.
I'm kind of surprised that people think the price to fly is "so high" when there are only a couple of airlines that can even manage to make money instead of lose it every single quarter. Obviously the price - whatever business structure they choose to use - doesn't even cover the cost of operating an airline. |
Carla
 <<<<<CLICK and see what's up at our place! Updated 4/7/2012.
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dalayney
Shut the PEA UP! Yer gettin me all twitterpaited!
PeaNut 123,471
January 2004
Posts: 16,356
Layouts: 165
Loc: Husker by Heart in WI
 | Posted: 2/5/2013 9:31:27 AM
I do appreciate the answers. Thanks peas.
If we don't get the delta flight we want w/our disney package (economy plus seats, better flight times, and out of milwaukee! woo hoo! No ohare! )... then we'll do Southwest and pay the extra to board first. (although I am "pooh sized" so that could be interesting. I heard stories on that also, so will try and get a window seat, and have my 7yr old sit in the middle so the only space I would be invading, is his.) 
I really need to fly more often. 
But for the airlines, that you get to choose your own seat? Ya, heard that really doesn't stick either... that half the time, you still get split up, or don't get the seat you asked for.
As far as poor planning on my part, Nope. Really couldn't be helped. Didn't know until today, if hubby was able to go, as something came up at work, so now that we have the "go" heck yes, we're heading to disney! woo hoo!  |
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~Alison~
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 268,398
July 2006
Posts: 2,566
Layouts: 4
Loc: New York
 | Posted: 2/5/2013 9:31:51 AM
If you want to be absolutely sure that you will all sit together I'd pick an airline that has assigned seating. Even if it costs more, it may be worth it not to have to stress worrying if you'll be together. On a Southwest flight you always run the risk of being seperated. A flight to Disney is packed with families with young children which means there will be plenty of other families like yours who will be hoping to sit together. Someone is going to be in the last boarding section and therefore seperated. | |
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Just T
I need therapea!
PeaNut 65,272
January 2003
Posts: 13,715
Layouts: 0
Loc: In my own little world
| Posted: 2/5/2013 10:14:11 AM
people have their reasons for not switching seats. my dh has to have particular window or aisle seats (on a certain side of the plane) to survive the flight due to leg disabilities. he is not going to switch if he has a good place...it is too painful.
Well, of course, there are situations like your dh's. But, people have shared here and on other threads that NO ONE would switch. I have a hard time believing that every person on a plane has a physical reason for not being able to switch seats so that a mom can sit next to her child. As others have shared, when handed a diaper bag or other items, all of the sudden, miraculously, the person could switch.
It seems that most people think that seats not together equals poor planning, when that is not always the case. | |
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dalayney
Shut the PEA UP! Yer gettin me all twitterpaited!
PeaNut 123,471
January 2004
Posts: 16,356
Layouts: 165
Loc: Husker by Heart in WI
| Posted: 2/5/2013 10:17:30 AM
It seems that most people think that seats not together equals poor planning, when that is not always the case.
Or everyone on the plane thinks someone ELSE will finally give up their seat. |
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paigepea
I'm PEAchy Keen!
PeaNut 74,479
March 2003
Posts: 16,998
Layouts: 116
| Posted: 2/5/2013 10:32:19 AM
Oh my goodness. I haven't flown southwest in years and now I don't plan too. Worrying about seats would cause me too much stress and flying already causes me stress.
We mostly fly Cnd airlines and we never had any of these problems. I would worry about any airline that thinks it's ok for a minor to sit alone - what would happen in an emergency or even if that child had an emergency.
Has anyone else in another country heard of this because I've really never heard of it before. |
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Just T
I need therapea!
PeaNut 65,272
January 2003
Posts: 13,715
Layouts: 0
Loc: In my own little world
| Posted: 2/5/2013 10:34:32 AM
Another thought of mine...am I the only one who NEVER finds cheap flights on Southwest? I actually like flying SW, I like the SW terminal at the St. Louis airport MUCH better than I like the main terminal, but I can't ever find cheap flights. I must be looking at the wrong times or something. | |
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scrappower
Allons-y Alonso
PeaNut 174,150
October 2004
Posts: 12,988
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 2/5/2013 10:48:23 AM
Another thought of mine...am I the only one who NEVER finds cheap flights on Southwest? I actually like flying SW, I like the SW terminal at the St. Louis airport MUCH better than I like the main terminal, but I can't ever find cheap flights. I must be looking at the wrong times or something.
I fly Southwest 80% of the time and always get cheaper flights on them. Sign up for their Ding notices for the destinations you are looking for.
Also I have never had an issue sitting with my dh on our flights. We usually just pay the $10 extra for earlybird boarding. It isn't the fiasco that some are making it out to be.
AND they don't charge for checking luggage, pillows, blankets, you get a free drink and snack, etc. You can even rebook with no penalty. They are so much better than most out there. |
 
Blessed Be! | |
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pudgy_groundhog
Chubby old groundhog
PeaNut 113,457
October 2003
Posts: 16,080
Layouts: 351
Loc: Hudson Valley area in NY
| Posted: 2/5/2013 10:57:29 AM
Southwest typically isn't an option for us (based on location and flight destinations), so with our daughter we've only flown airlines that have assigned seating. We typically plan our vacations far in advance and even when purchasing with plenty of time, there have been times we can't choose our seats (not sure why?). So it's not always a lack of planning. On a flight last year we were all issued different seats. The agent was really helpful in trying to make something happen (she got us two seats together and for the third seat got us an aisle seat so we had a good "bargaining chip" - people on the plane were helpful and we all got to sit together, even though we didn't ask anybody to move - there were other people moving around).
I understand people not wanting to give up seats for whatever reason, although I've found that people are usually pretty willing to help others out. I was pretty sure that if my daughter ended up alone, somebody would've switched pretty quickly. She was four at the time and super chatty - I think within two minutes her seat mates would've been begging to switch. |
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pudgy_groundhog
Chubby old groundhog
PeaNut 113,457
October 2003
Posts: 16,080
Layouts: 351
Loc: Hudson Valley area in NY
| Posted: 2/5/2013 10:59:02 AM
Another thought of mine...am I the only one who NEVER finds cheap flights on Southwest? I actually like flying SW, I like the SW terminal at the St. Louis airport MUCH better than I like the main terminal, but I can't ever find cheap flights. I must be looking at the wrong times or something.
I've flown Southwest before and like them, but haven't flown them in years. I always check them, but their tickets are never cheaper (which I think has to do with our flight destinations). |
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MergeLeft
Typical Liberal
PeaNut 221,236
August 2005
Posts: 19,088
Layouts: 67
Loc: Houston
 | Posted: 2/5/2013 11:01:31 AM
On airlines where you can choose your own seat, I've never had a problem with having our seats changed when we get to the airport. If we booked them together, we sit together. I mean, disasters can happen - your flight can be cancelled and you get rebooked on a later flight or whatever - but pretty much if you book well enough in advance that you get to choose your seats, those are your seats.
We fly Southwest pretty frequently though and have had good luck with checking in online exactly 24 hours before boarding. We're usually in the B group and have no problem finding seats together. |
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melanell
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 26,836
January 2002
Posts: 14,476
Layouts: 86
| Posted: 2/5/2013 11:07:41 AM
my dh has to have particular window or aisle seats (on a certain side of the plane) to survive the flight due to leg disabilities. he is not going to switch if he has a good place...it is too painful.
My dad is the same way. He needs to keep his leg stretched out as much as possible.
About 12 years ago he had a knee replacement, which helped, but before that even car rides were painful for him.
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Darcy_Collins
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 514,615
July 2011
Posts: 2,113
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 2/5/2013 11:12:44 AM
But for the airlines, that you get to choose your own seat? Ya, heard that really doesn't stick either... that half the time, you still get split up, or don't get the seat you asked for.
This is really not something to worry about. It doesn't happen half the time - more like once in a blue moon. Most of the time it's when the original flight is modified - change of aircraft - etc. 99% of the time if you prebook your seats you'll show up and have the same seats. If you happen to draw an unlucky straw and you do end up in different seats - ask the GATE ATTENDANT (don't wait until you're on the plane) to at least put you and your 7 year old together. If you are REALLY unlucky and the flight is so full there are not two seats open together - ask the gate attendant for one AISLE seat. This is the important step. Then offer YOUR AISLE SEAT to the person with the aisle seat next to your 7 year old (I'm assuming worst case scenario and a full flight where your child is in a middle seat). If they are in an aisle seat next to your child, most likely they're NOT flying with someone.
Most of the horror stories you hear are because people don't prebook their seats and end up with a bunch of middle seats. It is much harder to ask someone to give up their aisle seat and go sit in your middle seat so that you can sit next to your child.
On our last flight - we booked last minute and there was nothing but middle seats available and it was an airline where I had no status whatsoever. We went ahead and booked them and then luckily the gate attendant found one aisle seat. I had no trouble asking the person to switch aisle to aisle - that way I could sit next to my younger child - my older child and husband were fine sprinkled throughout the plane.
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***Jen***
That's What She Said
PeaNut 29,051
February 2002
Posts: 10,109
Layouts: 1
| Posted: 2/5/2013 11:16:40 AM
It amazes me that at what it costs to fly passengers are supposed to engage in a survival of the fittest game of musical seats to keep parties traveling together seated together
Then don't fly Southwest. |
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littlelambchop
PeaNut
PeaNut 350,195
December 2007
Posts: 460
Layouts: 10
 | Posted: 2/5/2013 11:43:48 AM
I don't fly very often any more, but when I do, it is usually on JetBlue and I pay extra for legroom - no way I'm giving up my seat in that situation. I do remember one time being asked on another airline to give up my emergency row seat to another passenger. I looked up at him and he was at least 6'6"! I felt bad for him and gave him my seat. |
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WiiPii
Dirty little freaks!
PeaNut 374,795
May 2008
Posts: 7,327
Layouts: 0
Loc: too far away....
| Posted: 2/5/2013 12:07:29 PM
We mostly fly Cnd airlines and we never had any of these problems. I would worry about any airline that thinks it's ok for a minor to sit alone - what would happen in an emergency or even if that child had an emergency.
Has anyone else in another country heard of this because I've really never heard of it before.
You betcha. I shared my story on the first page. It was Air Canada and we had window and middle seats selected and assigned but when we got to the airport our seating had been rearranged and we were both middle seats at opposite ends of the plane. 
I too wondered what would have happened in an emergency. Who is responsible for the children when we would have had to exit the plane through separate exits? The flight attendants as the kids are now essentially "unattended minors"? The passengers they are sitting with? Left to fend for themselves?
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Mostly it's just a silly message board. Except when it isn't.
-missbitts
This is NSBR. Peace is not important to us. We LIKE drama. We seek it out. We create it if need be.
- Voltagain
In honor of my previous self!  | |
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Hol-meister
PeaAddict
PeaNut 274,252
August 2006
Posts: 1,766
Layouts: 0
Loc: Back in Eastern WA
| Posted: 2/5/2013 12:56:11 PM
We flew Southwest at Christmas and had a women upset because she couldn't sit with her husband and no one was willing to give up their seat so they could sit together! They were one of the last ones on the plane and she was very upset about it. She was very indignant that no one was willing to let them sit together. And the two seats that were open were only a couple rows apart. Not like one would be in the back and one in the front. They didn't have kids either. I just rolled my eyes and muttered get over yourself. As my 14yo old sat alone(his choice).
We were in middle group b and there were 5 of us and we could have all sat together, DS chose to sit alone. C group is when you start to have issues sitting together.
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*KAS*
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 408,684
January 2009
Posts: 6,742
Layouts: 0
Loc: Georgia girl
 | Posted: 2/5/2013 1:07:31 PM
It looks like the seating issue has been rehashed to death, and I'm not sure if you are going to Florida or California Disney.
BUT, if you are going to Orlando, I just wanted to give you a friendly heads up that the following day, Sunday the 24th, is the Daytona 500 about 90 minutes from Orlando. If you're headed park hopping you're good, but just in case you planned to hit the beach, I wouldn't do that on Sunday! Have fun!  |
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KELLI
Had to delete my old account, but I've been here since July 2006! | |
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knjmcdonald
PeaNut
PeaNut 538,186
January 2012
Posts: 120
Layouts: 4
Loc: Texas
| Posted: 2/5/2013 2:31:19 PM
Flying Southwest today. I paid $10 each way for early bird check-in. I got A24 each way. I was able to get my preferred seat (window) in row 5. The plane wasn't full.
About why preassigned seats change: There are many reasons. Flights are combined or the type of aircraft has changed. The computer will just randomly reassign seats. A large group is ticketed (usually 30 days out). I always check my reservation every week to make sure my seats haven't changed. If them have I call customer service and ask them to be changed back or at least together. If you have no luck ask to speak to a supervisor in the US. I worked as a TA and I can tell you that outside of 24 hours there is someone who can make a change. Inside of 24 hours the seats typically switch to airport control. Obviously, a TA would be on top of this for you as any change to the record would end up in their queue.
You should also prepare your child for the possibility of sitting by themselves. I travelled alone to by GP's nearly every summer. I knew I was going by myself so, I wasn't upset by it. |
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peanuttle
PeaAddict
PeaNut 136,677
March 2004
Posts: 1,049
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 2/5/2013 2:40:15 PM
Just pick your seats when you pick your flight. Done and done.
Last summer, flying home from WDW to San Diego, our flight was delayed, in which we had seating arrangement next to each other and got put on a flight all separated. My 6yo DS had to sit alone. I asked the flight attendant as well as the other passengers to switch with us and no one would, so he had to sit by himself. I was livid!
Needless to say, I will never fly United again. Not that other airlines won't do this, but their service and lack of caring was inexcusable. | |
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CreativeEngineer
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 134,808
March 2004
Posts: 6,138
Layouts: 4
Loc: East Coast
| Posted: 2/5/2013 2:45:45 PM
Needless to say, I will never fly United again. Not that other airlines won't do this, but their service and lack of caring was inexcusable.
 Did the FA attempt to get you seats together? Was she busy doing other federally mandated things before take-off? If the other passengers said no, what exactly did you expect her to do?
I understand being irritated having a flight delayed. But it seems that they did their best to accommodate your family on another flight. I'm not certain, but I don't think they can demand or mandate that someone switch seats. Any FA or travel experts care to chime in? |
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Pauline J
PeaNut
PeaNut 203,331
May 2005
Posts: 452
Layouts: 0
Loc: The Wild Blue Yonder!
| Posted: 2/5/2013 2:49:20 PM
A couple things I haven't seen mentioned here:
Even with airlines that assign seats you wouldn't believe how many people mess them up when they're checking in online. Then they're indignant when they get to the airport and we don't have seats together anymore.
Also, you need to factor in the Federal Air Marshall's (FAM's). They HAVE to have very specific seats and we HAVE to remove other customers (who may have had their seats reseved for months) to accommodate the FAM's. We try to find them comparable seats but that isn't always possible.
As an airline employee we are able to fly for little to no cost as a standby. That means we always get scattered seats even for our 6 year old. With preparation, talking about what might happen, he was fine. | |
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shirt
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 34,233
March 2002
Posts: 5,060
Layouts: 99
Loc: MN
| Posted: 2/5/2013 2:54:17 PM
I was furious, but there was another family on the plane, 2 parents, 2 grandparents, 2 toddlers. They'd had their tickets for A YEAR!! They were told they were being split up to 3 different flights. Their 3 year old had been switched, alone, to a different flight. They had to fight like crazy to get things changed. We won't be flying USAir again. It was ridiculous.
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Same thing happened to us on USAir coming back from Hawaii. We had to change planes in Phoenix. Me, DH, and my parents were all going to get on the flight but separated (even reserving seats in advance). 2 DDs 13 & 14 were not going to get on that flight. I was pissed. Long story short, they ended up on the plane with us, sitting next to each other. |
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dalayney
Shut the PEA UP! Yer gettin me all twitterpaited!
PeaNut 123,471
January 2004
Posts: 16,356
Layouts: 165
Loc: Husker by Heart in WI
| Posted: 2/5/2013 3:26:14 PM
BUT, if you are going to Orlando, I just wanted to give you a friendly heads up that the following day, Sunday the 24th, is the Daytona 500 about 90 minutes from Orlando. If you're headed park hopping you're good, but just in case you planned to hit the beach, I wouldn't do that on Sunday! Have fun!
Thanks for the heads up! Yep, we'll be at WDW. The 1/2 princess marathon is also that weekend. We're arriving on the 23rd sat, and just hitting downtown disney that day. Then sunday we might hit MK (xtra evening hours) as they predict most people will be on their way home. (who knows though, I heard there really isn't a big "slow" time anymore) It's supposed to be a 3-5 rating crowd calander wise, the whole week we're there..... but ya never know. |
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dalayney
Shut the PEA UP! Yer gettin me all twitterpaited!
PeaNut 123,471
January 2004
Posts: 16,356
Layouts: 165
Loc: Husker by Heart in WI
| Posted: 2/5/2013 3:36:22 PM
Ok, I understand how difficult it would be for airlines. I really do. And I'm trying not to be difficult.
But it's only going to take ONE time.... where some sicko decides to fondle some poor kid, who was forced to sit by themselves.... when poor mom or dad is 2 rows away, that all hell will break loose, airlines will be sued. (which if that would happen, hell yes they should be!) Sorry, but airlines need to figure this out. They're begging for trouble on this issue. (small child having to sit w/strangers)And I'm not talking about kids as solo flyers.... Flying unattended is a whole different subject.
And, No amount of preparation can prepare my 7yr old to sit by 2 strangers,... without mom or dad. My kid is just not made that way. Great that your kid is, but mine's not. It will be his very first trip on a big plane. LOL. He needs his mom or dad, next to him. period.
Now that my rant is over, I'm ok, we'll all be ok, I'm not going to worry about it anymore, and will take all nessesary steps for it not to happen. Again, thank you peas for all of your perspective. |
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3kidmama
AncestralPea
PeaNut 268,201
July 2006
Posts: 4,918
Layouts: 8
Loc: Northwoods
| Posted: 2/5/2013 5:22:53 PM
But it's only going to take ONE time.... where some sicko decides to fondle some poor kid, who was forced to sit by themselves.... when poor mom or dad is 2 rows away, that all hell will break loose, airlines will be sued. (which if that would happen, hell yes they should be!) Sorry, but airlines need to figure this out. They're begging for trouble on this issue. (small child having to sit w/strangers)And I'm not talking about kids as solo flyers.... Flying unattended is a whole different subject.
And, No amount of preparation can prepare my 7yr old to sit by 2 strangers,... without mom or dad. My kid is just not made that way. Great that your kid is, but mine's not. It will be his very first trip on a big plane. LOL. He needs his mom or dad, next to him. period.
THANK YOU!!!!
PEAS - s4xual abuse DOES happen on airplanes! DO NOT let your child get seated apart from you! They can get pinned into a space with a perv next to them fondling them and feel powerless to stop it in such an alien environment.
My the father of my cousin's wife was a Pilot with American Airlines, and growing up she flew back and forth many times/month between her divorced parents' homes. She was repeatedly molested and struggles to this day with the terrible effects. She never felt she could tell her parents so flight after flight she suffered terrible things. 
Pay more for your tickets, but DO NOT let your children sit away from you! PLEASE! | |
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babybeansmom
gimme a diet coke and nobody gets hurt!
PeaNut 218,205
August 2005
Posts: 6,180
Layouts: 3
Loc: vacuuming....again!
| Posted: 2/5/2013 5:55:10 PM
When I fly with DD and DH (there are only 3 of us) we can often get 2 seats together but not always 3.....so one of us gets the kiddo.....one of us gets a nice quiet flight
Hopefully when you get your seats you can get them together and check in EARLY to make sure you get those seats! | |
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Darcy_Collins
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 514,615
July 2011
Posts: 2,113
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 2/6/2013 8:53:25 AM
Their 3 year old had been switched, alone, to a different flight. They had to fight like crazy to get things changed. We won't be flying USAir again. It was ridiculous.
I know we're in airlines are ridiculous mode - but while the COMPUTER may have temporarily put a 3 year old on a different flight - the parents didn't have to "fight like crazy" to get that fixed. No airline lets a 3 year old fly unaccompanied. I believe USAirway's minimum is 5.
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melanell
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 26,836
January 2002
Posts: 14,476
Layouts: 86
| Posted: 2/6/2013 9:11:48 AM
And, No amount of preparation can prepare my 7yr old to sit by 2 strangers,... without mom or dad. My kid is just not made that way. Great that your kid is, but mine's not. It will be his very first trip on a big plane.
I totally understand that.
My DS #1 is very emotional, and while we wait for him to hopefully outgrow it, for now, even at 9 he would likely still be very upset to have to sit apart from us if it was his first flight.
Familiar places and experiences, he's all Mr. Independent now, asking to be allowed to do this alone and that alone, but put him in an unfamiliar environment, and he still wants us close by. |
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shannoninkc
PeaAddict
PeaNut 304,038
March 2007
Posts: 1,354
Layouts: 0
Loc: Where you vacation.
| Posted: 2/6/2013 9:34:36 AM
I've mentioned this before on 2peas, but I'm another mom who had her seats switched up and my 9 year old was seated by herself on her first flight ever. No one would move after I asked them, until my daughter started to cry. Then the delightful young man decided he didn't want to sit next to a crying child for 4 hours. Gee thanks. I would sit in the toilet to let a child, (let alone a crying child) sit next to a parent. And it was USAirways too.
I'll also add that we did have seats together, and I offered to be bumped due to the airline overbooking. As it ended up, they had room, and they gave us the last two seats, which were not our original seating assignment. | |
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Epeanymous
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 15,108
May 2001
Posts: 2,159
Layouts: 1
 | Posted: 2/6/2013 9:42:52 AM
I've had the experience of having picked my seats and purchased them months in advance, only to get my boarding passes months later and find that I have been separated, seat wise, from my toddler. It is much more difficult to get people to switch seats than you might expect, and I have learned (because it has now happened more than once) that I have to insist that the airline handle it before I get on the plane, because relying on the flight attendant or other passengers to deal with it has been hard. I felt badly last time it happened because it meant other people who also had purchased their seats in advance were separated on the flight, but a toddler isn't going to be able to fly independently. | |
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