United allows families to sit together for free

[slip]

During my most recent flight I got on the plane and walked down the aisle only to find an elderly gentleman sitting in my seat, the one that I chose during booking. English was his second language and he was hard of hearing - two things that I'm mentioning not to disparage him in any way but instead to point out why we didn't have great communication between us. When I said nicely that I thought there might be a mix-up and showed him my ticket, he pointed to the back of the plane and the lady beside him stuck her tongue out at me. Seriously, she stuck her tongue out at me. I sure understood what that meant!

It was a one-way non-stop flight and I had no interest in holding up the boarding so I went to the back and asked the flight attendant to just put me in his seat wherever it was. She went and managed to convince him to show her his ticket, then came back and explained that they're a couple, husband and wife, and they were absolutely gobsmacked that as a couple they couldn't just take two seats together. So I sat in his middle seat, he sat in my window seat with his rude lady beside him, and the rest of the flight was uneventful except for the free snacks that were given to me every time a flight attendant went by.

But if I weren't flying alone I wouldn't have been willing to give up my seat for a few snacks! I always choose seats together because I can't imagine being involved in a plane crash and having to scream my I-love-yous across a plane full of panicking passengers. That and being in a collision on the runways are the two things that give me pause when flying. They don't stop me from flying, at all, but I think for a couple seconds about them whenever I'm getting on a plane. Now I'm sure I'll be thinking about who I'm going to have to kick out of my seat, too.

You wouldn't have been holding up boarding, they would have been holding up boarding. No way I would have sat in the middle seat when I reserved the aisle or window.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Not much planning can be done when there are limited flight options. One a day out of our airport to Atlanta then change planes to fly to Canada. Clearing immigration can take along time depending on the amount of people working and about of planes arriving which in Atlanta is always a lot. Countries like Panama, El Salvador and Costa Rica do not require customs for a stopover. Much better system.

Add to that I am traveling with two 5 year olds.

I planned as best I could but did not want to be held hostage by the airline to pay extra to reserve seats so I can sit beside my 5 year olds. That is the point. Airlines have agreed with me.

Well from my perspective, you are expecting everyone to accommodate your emergency and changed flight situation, because you had to book a ticket at the last minute or change a flight. As I've said, in those situations, you just have to make do with the best of a bad situation. Be flexible and realize that your situation and circumstances put you in that position, not all of the people around you.

If that is your normal flying pattern, buying last minute and/or changing flights, then I think you will also have to level set your expectation. If you fail to plan when you can, and/or just keeping pointing out a very specific situations (instead of general flights) where your situation contributed to the problem, then I think you will be complaining forever, and will never be happy with the outcome.

 

[am1]

Well from my perspective, you are expecting everyone to accommodate your emergency and changed flight situation, because you had to book a ticket at the last minute or change a flight. As I've said, in those situations, you just have to make do with the best of a bad situation. Be flexible and realize that your situation and circumstances put you in that position, not all of the people around you.

If that is your normal flying pattern, buying last minute and/or changing flights, then I think you will also have to level set your expectation. If you fail to plan when you can, and/or just keeping pointing out a very specific situations (instead of general flights) where your situation contributed to the problem, then I think you will be complaining forever, and will never be happy with the outcome.

Even booking last minute seats were together if willing to pay extra. After the missed flight due to customs that was a different situation and I understand that. I never wanted anyone to switch seats just wanted to be seated beside my sons at no charge.