RANT: I don't care if you want to sit next to your kids on the airplane

[Lisa loves Pooh]

How do you know you paid more than they did?

I think the basis of the statement is that many airlines charge an extra fee for the privilege in sitting in specific seat types such as bulkhead, aisle, or extra legroom seats. So the odds are that someone in those seats was subject to these fees.

When I flew on JetBlue, there were many open seats up front and they were offering passengers the opportunity to upgrade for the same fee I paid when I booked originally.

It doesn't automatically mean I paid more for my ticket. It just means a specific additional fee was paid.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

And that would be your choice. The OP should not be made to look like an ogre because they decline. What's "no biggie" to you, is a matter of importance to them.

To be fair, the OP posted on a rather disgruntled manner. OP isn't an ogre for declining. But folks are going to draw their conclusions about the OP as OP did the mom.

I don't fault them for keeping their seat or finding the woman's demand rude.

Honest question. Does SE have a limit on the number of people who can pre board? Surely not everyone is able to pull to do it otherwise it would defeat the purpose.

I have been on flights that were Orlando bound where the flight suspended family boarded because (their words), practically the whole plane would need to board at that time making the effort rather pointless. So I do think they do limit to some degree. But I don't know when they determine they need to limit or just suspend pre-boarding or family boarding.

 

[eliza61]

I have to say, I guess I will get flamed here too but I also fall into the category of I am not switching seats. I pick my seats early, pay if i have to and i like the window seat, period. It would have to be a case I felt that no big deal or an equal seat at least and that if good reason, but, short of the storm which i understand people got bumped and are just trying to make it home, on every other flight tehre is plenty of opportunity to board early, pay for seat etc, not my fault they waited and they can just sit where they were assigned. Then again im not a huge fan of airplanes and I like the window so thats why I make sure my seat is assigned early.

Nope I'm also in that category. I'm tall for a gal, nowadays with seat space being þhe way it is, I need/love the ability to stretch my legs out. Why can't kids sit by themselves. you're on a plane, you can see them probably the entire tome

 

[DawnM]

I have no idea why OP hasn't responded to ANY of the inquiries. It says on her profile she was viewing this thread 17 minutes ago. So that makes me wonder if this is just a pot stirring thread.

 

[maxiesmom]

I think this issue actually really steams from the airlines desire to nickel and dime its passengers.
If I book an airfare for 5 people it is a reasonable expectation to be sitting "together", if I book 5 seperate single airfares than it is not.

No, it stems from people deciding that money is more important to them than sitting together--until they get on the aircraft. Then apparently it is ok to try and guilt or badger another passenger into moving.

 

[LiveYourLife]

Hypothetical situation:

You're traveling from Orlando to NYC, non-stop. You've paid your base airfare and you opted to upgrade your seat to an aisle, extra legroom seat. You paid $88.00 for that specific seat on top of your airfare. The posters who are in the camp that say they would change seats for a family to sit together and your new seat is a middle seat, 3/4 of the way back in the plane, it would honestly be no big deal to you, and you would just switch seats?

For those that still say yes, I want to do what you do for a living!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My boys will be seven and nine when we fly next fall. SW is our cheapest option, and I am fully prepared to pay the extra charge for all of us to board early to make sure that each child has a parent next to them. I would never expect another passenger to give up a seat because I was too cheap to pay the extra money to preboard.

Keep in mind that you aren't paying for preboarding but rather the computer to check you in on your behalf. (Worth the money especially if you can't check in at the requisite 24 hours ahead of time.)

Also you have a connecting flight with tight connection OR your first flight is delayed, then the extra fee may not help you. Or your original direct flight is cancelled. (Hence why my husband aims for direct flights.)

Not everyone who finds themself in a seating predicament is there because
they are too cheap.

I don't understand why--so long as the person requesting is POLITE ABOUT IT--people must assume the person failed to spend extra money or whatever. (I understand that the mom OP talks about was rude.)

That said--we have never had an issue with Southwest and we have tried all options (early bird, 24 hour check in, family boarding, family boarding suspended on an Orlando bound flight).

 

[maxiesmom]

I guess I should share that I have been asked to move twice. Once I declined because I was seated near the front of the plane, and the person wanting to trade was seated near the back, and I was trying to make a tight connection (not my fault, my original flight was delayed). The second time I was on the aisle seated next to 2 girls who looked around 10 years of age or so. Mom wanted me to trade for a middle seat at the back of the plane. Sorry, I get claustrophobic, so nope I didn't move. Mom got one of the people directly in front of us to trade, and you know what? She didn't talk to her kids once during that flight. She had to be near them, but her total interaction was an arm coming back over the seat and dropping bags of snacks down. That was it. The girls watched a movie the whole flight, and were totally fine.

 

[Topper]

This is the attitude I am talking about, you feel you need to be compensated because someone has asked if you can move seats so they can sit next to their child, my compensation is them not spilling their drink on you

Wait, what? So a person who pays extra for a seat assignment should gladly give up their seat with no compensation to someone who did not pay extra for their seats?

Really?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I guess I should share that I have been asked to move twice. Once I declined because I was seated near the front of the plane, and the person wanting to trade was seated near the back, and I was trying to make a tight connection (not my fault, my original flight was delayed). The second time I was on the aisle seated next to 2 girls who looked around 10 years of age or so. Mom wanted me to trade for a middle seat at the back of the plane. Sorry, I get claustrophobic, so nope I didn't move. Mom got one of the people directly in front of us to trade, and you know what? She didn't talk to her kids once during that flight. She had to be near them, but her total interaction was an arm coming back over the seat and dropping bags of snacks down. That was it. The girls watched a movie the whole flight, and were totally fine.

I wonder if some parents just
Have anxiety about what would occur in the event of a problem during the flight. Basically--they are there to know they are okay and that they are close. They aren't their to feed them goldfish crackers and juiceboxes. (Even though she did. Lol.)

While I don't care where my older kids sit, I'd be lying if I said my mind didn't wander into all the "what if" scenarios.

 

[Marionnette]

BTW the true way to avoid having to move from your seat due to families being split up, is to book an exit row seat (yes, it costs extra). Since no one under the age of 16 (or is it 18) can sit in an exit row - I've never been guilted into moving by another passenger or FA.

While this makes sense for some, there are some of us who are unwilling or unable to fulfill the requirements made for someone sitting in the exit row. That's why we pay a little extra to ensure that we have the seats that we prefer.

 

[asta]

As someone else mentioned in this thread it really works much better if you ask the flight attendant for assistance. That takes personality out of it and also lets the FA decide if the parent has a real need.

 

[LiveYourLife]

While this makes sense for some, there are some of us who are unwilling or unable to fulfill the requirements made for someone sitting in the exit row. That's why we pay a little extra to ensure that we have the seats that we prefer.

I agree with the unwilling or unable part. Exit row seats also are considered a "premium" seat for most airlines (I believe all of them except SWA) and there is an up charge to book exit row seats. My post was just advice on how to reduce the possibility of being guilted into changing seats from a premium (extra charge) to a non-premium seat since passengers under a certain age cannot sit in an exit row.

I've been settled in to my extra legroom, premium seat and been guilted by a FA to move to a non-extra legroom and the exchange was free drinks. Sorry Fannie Flight-Attendant, you would have to roll me off the plane on a gurney if I attempted to consume enough alcohol on a two hour flight for me to break even on the seat change that you are wanting me to make! LOL!

 

[mnrose]

I think that's perfectly fine. I'm sure you wouldn't just rudely say "so sad, too bad" to her but explain that you need the aisle seat for your knees.

Why is any explanation required? A polite "no, thank you" should do the trick quite nicely. A stranger is NOT required to an explanation of my personal reasons for wanting the seat I pre-selected.

 

[DisneyChula]

How do you know you paid more than they did?

What they paid is irrelevant. If I paid extra to guarantee a specific seat for myself, I am not going to feel bad about not accommodating someone's demand for my seat. If someone were to politely ask me for my seat, then I would consider it. However, I still wouldn't feel bad about saying no if the seat that I would be expected to take is in an area that I specifically paid extra to not be in.

 

[mnrose]

I think this issue actually really steams from the airlines desire to nickel and dime its passengers.
If I book an airfare for 5 people it is a reasonable expectation to be sitting "together", if I book 5 seperate single airfares than it is not.

In today's world, like it or not, there is only one way to assure that you get seats together. That is to pre-select your seats and pay the fee the airline imposes for doing so. Otherwise, no, sorry, you are not necessarily going to get seats together. The airlines have now (wisely, from a business perspective, not so much from a comfort and convenience of the passenger perspective) pretty much unbundled fares. Your fare gets you "A" seat on the plane, and that's it. Want a specific seat, pay an additional fee. Want seats assigned together, pay an additional fee. Want a bag, pay an additional fee. Want something to eat, pay an additional fee. The "low, low, low" fare you pay coms at a price. That is why I always do an apples to apples comparison of fares. I see these ridiculously low fares offered on Spirit, for example, but then when I factor in the bag fee, the seat fee, the cost to buy a drink, etc, it turns out that their "low fare" isn't any better than Delta, where I get a free bag (because I have their credit card) and can get a seat assigned for a lesser fee than Spirit.

 

[mefordis]

I was flying home from Fort Lauderdale Sunday evening when a woman demanded that I move from my aisle seat so she could sit next to her kid who would be sitting in the middle seat. This was after SnoToriousBIG 2016, so every single flight was full.

I don't give a ratatouille if you want to sit with your kids. I paid for this aisle seat assignment and you wanted to take your chances at the airport! You can keep trying the passive aggressive "well he gets motion sickness." I have a kid and had dogs and witnessed one whelp puppies twice. I can handle it. Unless you want to pay me five times what I paid for this seat, keep moving on! The flight attendant made her go to her seat several rows back!

The only time I have ever given up my seat and in first no less was for someone in uniform. Their willingness to die for their country trumps someone who doesn't want to pay for their seat every day of the year!

What's the issue? She told you to move, and you didn't. She should have asked nicely but even then you had to choice to move or not to move.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

In today's world, like it or not, there is only one way to assure that you get seats together. That is to pre-select your seats and pay the fee the airline imposes for doing so. Otherwise, no, sorry, you are not necessarily going to get seats together. The airlines have now (wisely, from a business perspective, not so much from a comfort and convenience of the passenger perspective) pretty much unbundled fares. Your fare gets you "A" seat on the plane, and that's it. Want a specific seat, pay an additional fee. Want seats assigned together, pay an additional fee. Want a bag, pay an additional fee. Want something to eat, pay an additional fee. The "low, low, low" fare you pay coms at a price. That is why I always do an apples to apples comparison of fares. I see these ridiculously low fares offered on Spirit, for example, but then when I factor in the bag fee, the seat fee, the cost to buy a drink, etc, it turns out that their "low fare" isn't any better than Delta, where I get a free bag (because I have their credit card) and can get a seat assigned for a lesser fee than Spirit.

That happened to me on Ryan Air. My cousins recommended it over Iberia, and by the time I paid for all of the extras, including paying to print the boarding pass at the airport, Iberia would have been more cost effective - learning lesson for me.

 

[bethy]

We had something similar happen years ago. Our daughter was about 4 at the time, traveling with my husband. They were seated together, but a middle-aged couple asked if they could switch seats with my husband, so that they could sit together.

Now, DD comes from a long line of spewers, including my mom and my sister (somehow, not me). She vomits on planes. Doesn't matter how long, how turbulent, time of day, where she sits. She WILL throw up. (She has puked on a 40 minute flight from Cedar Rapids to Chicago, many times.) She's now 24 and still gets sick, but now can take medication (scopolamine patches) for this, but nothing is available for 4 year olds.

So, DH tells the couple that he COULD switch, but they would have to sit with DD and clean her up, and most likely themselves, when she throws up.

They declined.

This is hilarious. I cannot believe they had the gall to ask you to move away from your 4 year old!! What is wrong with people?

Now, in my case, if anyone wants to sit next to my unaccompanied spirited, wiggly, energetic DD4 PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE be my guest!!!!!

 

[bethy]

I have never paid an extra fee for assigned seats on the lines we fly (Delta, United, Alaska) . . . . I don't think the option exists on those?

But I hold my breath before each check-in knowing that there are never any true guarantees with air travel! As referenced above, no one wants to sit next to DD4 without me right next to her entertaining her and managing her every. second. of the flight!