Stunned parents told they can't sit next to children, aged 2, 4 and 6, on flight

[MULTIZ321]

Stunned parents told they can't sit next to children, aged 2, 4 and 6, on flight.


https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/stunned-parents-told-cant-sit-16046546.


Richard

 

[dioxide45]

This is why you check, check and recheck your flights and seat assignments multiple times between booking and the day of the flight.

 

[tschwa2]

I can see how it may have taken 3 days if the family insisted that all 7 have to be seated together. They had 4 adults and 3 children. I can't believe that they couldn't get each of the 3 children with at least one of the 4 adults from their group. Maybe not on their original flight if they arrived at the gate fairly late but certainly sooner than 3 days later.

 

[Ken555]

United. ‘Nuff said.


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[Luanne]

And I've had the opposite experiences with United. They have gone out of their way to see that I was seated with my daughter, even when she was an "adult". I know these kinds of experiences, the negatives ones, happen with United as well as other airlines. Maybe I'm just lucky.

 

[dioxide45]

And I've had the opposite experiences with United. They have gone out of their way to see that I was seated with my daughter, even when she was an "adult". I know these kinds of experiences, the negatives ones, happen with United as well as other airlines. Maybe I'm just lucky.

It is easy to do when there are only two, but they wanted all seven of them to sit together. I can see why this was a challenge.

 

[Ken555]

It is easy to do when there are only two, but they wanted all seven of them to sit together. I can see why this was a challenge.

I doubt that article was accurate in all respects. It’s highly likely they would have agreed to be split into several areas as long as an adult was with each child. I find it much more likely that United was uncooperative. Clearly, this is a known issue since we have a new law that directly addresses this issue...it’s just that somehow it’s not yet in force. If this wasn’t a reoccurring issue, there wouldn’t have been a law passed about it. I can’t defend any airline in this situation, regardless of circumstances nor the assumption that travelers should check their seats before arriving at the airport (which, admittedly, someone who has been to America 40 times, as stated in this article, should have known to do).


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[CanuckTravlr]

One of two things may have happened. A different aircraft was used, which usually causes all seats to be randomly reassigned. We have had this happen, which is why you always double-check your seat assignment to make sure it has not been changed.

The other possibility, which I have also seen happen, is a couple of self-entitled "elite" flyers, who just "had to" get on that plane insisted on not only being boarded but being upgraded to the premium economy section, which started the whole cascade of events. At least the family weren't already seated and told to get off the plane. But terrible customer service, in any case, by United staff in this case.

 

[Pompey Family]

Never had an issue with being seated with our children (admittedly as a family of four it's easier) as whilst it's not been made official law in Europe for airlines to seat children with their parents most airlines (with the exception of Ryanair) clearly state on their sites that they will seat children with their parents. I've paid extra on a flight to Mallorca on Ryanair ofr designated seats during the school holidays because I knew that there might be a problem but other than that I've had no issue.

Flying long haul we fly business or first so that's never an issue either.

 

[cerralee]

Reminds me of when I flew with two under 2. I had two car seats and paid for the seats so they would be safe and secured in their seats. When I boarded the plane they said that car seats had to be next to the window. They wanted me to separate the babies and put each by a window leaving me with the decision of which child to sit by a stranger. I was beside myself and placed the car seats where they told me. I couldn’t bear to hear one baby cry so I took one infant in my lap while I sat next to the other one in the car seat. So in the end I paid for a car seat to take up space on the plane. That was 30 odd years ago. I think I had two cats in a carrier under the seat as well. You do what you have to do.

 

[PigsDad]

Reminds me of when I flew with two under 2. I had two car seats and paid for the seats so they would be safe and secured in their seats. When I boarded the plane they said that car seats had to be next to the window. They wanted me to separate the babies and put each by a window leaving me with the decision of which child to sit by a stranger. I was beside myself and placed the car seats where they told me. I couldn’t bear to hear one baby cry so I took one infant in my lap while I sat next to the other one in the car seat. So in the end I paid for a car seat to take up space on the plane. That was 30 odd years ago. I think I had two cats in a carrier under the seat as well. You do what you have to do.

I understand why you were upset (I think we all would be in that situation), but I also completely understand why a car seat can only be in the window seat from an airline safety point of view. You cannot have anything that blocks egress passages in case of an emergency. That is also why any carry on luggage needs to fit completely under the seat and cannot stick out.

Kurt

 

[Sugarcubesea]

Reminds me of when I flew with two under 2. I had two car seats and paid for the seats so they would be safe and secured in their seats. When I boarded the plane they said that car seats had to be next to the window. They wanted me to separate the babies and put each by a window leaving me with the decision of which child to sit by a stranger. I was beside myself and placed the car seats where they told me. I couldn’t bear to hear one baby cry so I took one infant in my lap while I sat next to the other one in the car seat. So in the end I paid for a car seat to take up space on the plane. That was 30 odd years ago. I think I had two cats in a carrier under the seat as well. You do what you have to do.

This happened last year on a flight that I was on with United... They made the mom put the baby in the car seat by the window and that baby screamed bloody murder, finally all of the passengers near that baby demanded that the flight attendant do something...One guy was a lawyer and cited that if the parent purchased two seats for those children the kids were able to sit there, people started taking videos and suddenly the captain came back and had the flight attendant put both car seats next to each other and she took the aisle seat...

 

[pedro47]

I feel this occurred because they were traveling with an odd number 7 (seven).

 

[DRIless]

My worst seat downgrade fiasco was when I had my youngest child with us and we'd gotten bulkhead seating together, went to check in, in plenty of time, and when we physically checked in for passport check and to check bags, we were scattered all over the plane. The people in our seats had no special needs and were well heeled residents of the foreign country we were departing, so we kind of know what transpired, with no recourse. CONTINENTAL in Ecuador before 9-11.

 

[famy27]

I had a flight cancelled in the great radar fire debacle of 2014, and the new flight they booked me on didn't have flights together for me and my two girls (2 and 8 at the time). I asked United to move us to be able to sit together, and they said they couldn't. The best they could do was tell me which of the three seats had a single traveler next to it, so I could ask that person to switch. Luckily, the kind person agreed to switch, so my 8 year old sat alone, and I was able to sit next to the two year old. But honestly, if I couldn't have been seated next to her, I would still have gotten on the plane. I'd rather not be stuck in the airport for two days, and if somebody didn't want to switch with me, then they'd get to sit by my toddler. I've actually had to ask people to switch a few times because of flight cancellations. It stinks, but I had no option.

That's why it drives me batty when people say, "Oh, I'd never switch with somebody." "People should check their reservations and seat assignments." "Don't be too cheap to pay for seats together." and so forth. Sometimes you can do everything right, and the airline still screws you over and you get stuck asking people to move. Just try to have compassion for other people. Luckily, I've found that most passengers are kind and caring and willing to help.

What I don't understand is why this family didn't board the plane and ask someone to switch. I'm pretty confident they could have worked it out to have adults next to kids. That would probably have been a better option than throwing a tantrum in the gate area.

 

[am1]

Deltas policy is that they will try to get seats together but if they cant they cant and try to work it out on the plane. Seats in the back and "reserved" for families but once they fill up they fill up. Directly caused by different classes of economy seating and having to pay to reserve seats. That is fine but there is a difference between wanting specific seats and just wanting to seat together anywhere on the plane. Plus If I am paying full price for two 50 pound kids you can bet that I want to be sitting beside them instead of a 300 plus person and or somewhere that has not showered in a while.

But its a race to the bottom and employees want higher and higher pay when they cannot think on their own. That being said some are great. Some are just there for a paycheck and the rest fall into the first category.

 

[Laurie]

United. ‘Nuff said.

I rarely "boycott" companies for much, but I've received such outrageous treatment from United that (hopefully) I'll never ever fly with them again. Long long story that I don't especially care to relate right now, but it was right around the time they dragged a Dr. off the plane, then refused to board some teens wearing leggings, and shortly thereafter, put a dog into overhead and caused its death. In one of my incidents, the pilot himself (!!) intervened on my behalf to save the day (and my luggage with irreplaceable contents), but seemed to me that many of their staff were poorly trained and way too empowered to make wrong decisions and demands, against rules & regs, while displaying rudeness and contempt for their customers.