pvn

"ability to select seats" is not necessary for "airline will seat you next to your child" to be met, and having a little popup box doesn't exempt an airline from it's moral obligation to put a car seat child next to a parent.

Would all of you "PUNISH THE PEON WHO DARES TO BUY BASIC ECONOMY" people be happy if the airline put the parent and child next to each other but didn't tell the passenger what seats they would be in? Because that's basically what they did, they didn't let the passenger pick what seats she wanted.

More importantly, why are all you guys determined that this passenger get screwed as much as possible?? What are you guys going to miss out on if she's less than completely miserable?

pvn

So if a handicapped person buys this fare, too bad? They shouldn't be allowed to have any consideration? Regardless of what the law says, even? A checkbox on a website overrides the law in your opinion?

pvn

there would definitely be some flyertalk regulars who would complain for YEARS about it

Widgets

Would disallowing families with kids from purchasing Basic Economy violate some consumer protection law? I think it would be smart, but I see how it could be called discrimination.

be001

Agreed! All these people must be delta shareholders upset they weren't able to squeeze another $50 out of a family's budget due to there actually being a few regulations left

MEMLawGuy

This +1,000,000.

Why does anyone care? All they did was purchase a fare that guaranteed they got seats but weren't able to pick preferential ones. You show me which person will be mad that they got a middle seat in the third to last row vs. getting an aisle seat in the last row with someone else's unattended 2-year-old in the middle. Because that person either 1) also bought a BE ticket and has no right to complain or 2) CHOSE to sit in the middle, knowing that was what they were picking when booking their regular econ ticket.

And the comment upthread about it being wrong to purchase the cheaper ticket and then "hack" their way around the no seat assignment rule.... that's a total load of ....

This forum is full of people that do that exact same thing all the time. People (myself included) buy cheaper first class fares and then SDC (read: hack) their way to the better/preferred/more expensive flight all the time. DM's ask for co-terminal changes. Medallions get fees waived that shouldn't be all the time. Are we all breaking the rules? Should we deserve a miserable experience too?

The people from OP's post purchased a ticket. They then asked for something. They got it. They didn't break any rules. They played the game within the system and won. Good for them.

Zorak

I'm not suggesting that anyone can override the law with a checkbox. I freely admit to not knowing what the law fully requires in this situation.

From a purely philosophical/moral standpoint though, it's unclear to me that "you can't buy an E fare" would constitute invidious discrimination against handicapped passengers. And FWIW my best friend since we were 11 is wheelchair-bound, so it's not that I'm unaware of or insensitive to disability issues.

(Note, the wheelchair-bound friend is not the same as the friend taking the E trip in the original post, I'm just bringing him up for context)

By way of analogy we were spectators at a pro hockey game and sat in the wheelchair section. I forget what we paid compared to the seats around us, but it's unclear to me whether sports arenas should be forced to provide wheelchair seating in every single price category, or if failing to do so, whether they should be forced to make wheelchair seats in more expensive sections available at nosebleed prices if there are no wheelchair-accessible nosebleed seats.

I don't think it'd be right if the only accessible seats cost $1000 more than the cheapest seat, so I guess it's a question of degree.

Interesting question though. Will have to think about it some more.

Zorak

Well, I'm also the OP, so make of that what you will

The difference is, when I buy a cheap F fare and then try to SDC onto SFO-JFK in D1, I accept the possibility I may have to fly my original itinerary. If I ask about the possibility of a fee waiver I realize I may not get it.

I doubt, if we told my friends, "you have 24B, child #1 has 27A, your mom has 35F, and child #2 is in 16C" that that would be a viable outcome for them, and probably not for any of the travelers around 27A or 16C. (Not that the ages matter but child #2 is less than a year old.)

I'm totally happy for them that they at least got seats together; I'm also a good enough a friend that I'm trying to help them make the trip as smooth as possible (in contrast to the people on the first page who think I should just let them learn a lesson); but at the same time I think I'm viewing this objectively as an issue with people using this as an excuse to save $$.

By the same token, how do you feel about fake emotional support animals, or "miracle flight" pre-boarders? Totally ok with it?

pvn

uh? yes, the point of the basic economy fare is to save money.

unless you're suggesting that this woman has a fake baby then this isn't the same thing.

turkeyRIOO

It is impossible to tell an e-fare on amex travel until you try to get a seat assignment. I always check delta.com first to know the dollar value of the e-fare. Only way to get out of e-fare is to call or book PE.

Zorak

1. But only subject to certain restrictions that you agree to.

2. No, I've met both kids but it's a question about the "get away with any rules bending you can" ethos. Which I don't think my friends have, I don't think they plan to ever buy another E fare. But MEMLawGuy seemed to be implying.

gooselee

So, DL should very strictly enforce the rules/policies of the purchased fare, huh? Seems to me that someone with an identical screen name to yours has been posting in another thread about how DL should be flexible and lenient with their policies, rather than adhere to a "draconian, strict interpretation of the rules" when dealing with a certain family that wanted to occupy 4 seats when their tickets, by the letter of the law, were only valid for 3 seats.

My company just piloted a new corporate OTA that uses Expedia as a backend. E fares are sold and you have to click into the fare rules to see the restrictions. It's quite messy and I expect lots of very angry employees if Basic Economy fares (on all airlines) aren't suppressed from the search results.

+100 to all of this. E fares restrict the passengers from selecting their own seats. It does not preclude DL from assigning them whatever seats DL thinks makes sense given the situation. There is nothing in there that says DL is prohibited from assigning their own seats to whatever passengers they want at whatever time. The DL agents made a great move in meeting the family's need to be together, but giving them some of the least desirable seats on the plane in exchange.

MSPeconomist

Then E fares should not be sold to children under age X or to anyone traveling with children under age X. If they want seat aassignments in advance together on the basis of traveling with children, charge them the fare difference. Having children does not entitle you to special benefits for which others must pay.

Zorak

This seems like a pretty reasonable and balanced summation.

I've asked my other friend (the wheelchair user) what his take on E fares is (he is also a lawyer although granted he doesn't specialize in accessibility issues)

MSPeconomist

I'm not one of the "people who do the exact same thing all the time." I've never asked DL to waive a fee for me, although I don't unnecessarily pay them more money than what I owe. I don't buy FCM tickets for cheaper times and plan to SDC onto the flights I want: I purchase a ticket for the flights I plan to take and then occasionally switch to some inter (cheaper or more expensive) flight if my meeting arrives early. The possible exception would be purchasing or picking an award ticket with the domestic connection that's offered after an international arrival, ideally with plenty of time for immigration and customs, and then sometimes trying either to switch in order to get home earlier or to change to a later flight so that I can take a shower and/or avoid having to leave the airport during rush hour. Despite being DM since DL invented the DM level, I've never attempted a coterminal change.

Please don't assume that everybody here tries to break the rules. OTOH, I will accept FF miles and try to use them as appropriate and I will seek upgrades to which I am entitled according to published program rules.