NextTrip

Exactly! And why I've asked did OP bother to buy EBCI for the daughter, but not board at her position?

Visconti

You should at the very least appeal to the common sense of the GA or curry favor early on. And, since 90% of WN Pax are decent human beings that allows for common sense to prevail, the middle seat will not be an issue.

Just board at the front. The 10% who may object or even voice their concerns should be disregarded. After all, they're anal, nit picky, and only a small minority.

justhere

The boarding order didn't matter in terms of affecting where other people sat. It mattered to the OP if for no other reason than he would feel like he had a better shot at making his connection. That he chose to pay for EBCI rather than BS I would think was a risk/reward proposition. One that I think many in his position would do the same way.

At least he paid for EBCI to minimize the impact to himself and to others. He could have simply not paid and tried to move his 4 y.o up even more or at worst he would have only been 19 places further back than he was. I took it as he did what made the most sense and then just simply asked a question.

Exactly. No reason to interact with fellow passengers and ask a question.
That's not even close to the same thing. There's a fundamental difference between an adult and a 4 y.o. Your GF, I would assume, is quite capable of boarding at her position and then finding you on the plane and sitting in the middle seat that you saved for her. A 4 y.o. isn't capable of doing that. Or even if they are, who would leave their 4 y.o. to board on their own?

However, if you want to ask all the passengers between you and C48 if they mind, knock yourself out. I wouldn't mind if you told me your GF was just taking a middle seat. I would call you out on the plane though if I saw you both sitting in aisles or windows.
Not sure why people keep using analogies that include an adult. It's not the same thing. I don't think anyone has said that the boarding policy defies common sense. At least I didn't. I was saying that common sense told me that there was no real difference to where everyone else was going to sit whether he boarded at A19 or A41 so why get worked up about it.

Not sure I follow you last paragraph. If it happens on other carriers why should it not happen on WN? I think the DYKWIA stuff in this thread applies more to the people who don't see the difference between an adult and a child as it applies to the context of this thread.

ursine1

The strict application of the rules in this situation penalizes the OP for traveling with a child.

Those who are calling for this must apparently think that is fair, and/or are seeking the advantage of boarding before the OP.

justhere

Why does it have to be an all or nothing proposition? No one that I've seen is saying that if another passenger objects that they are anal or nit picky. They are free to object and I would hope that people are decent enough to respect their feelings.

This is clearly a divisive subject and that's ok that people feel one way or the other. What doesn't seem to make sense is the passion people seem to put into the "rules are rules and don't even ask" thought. In many instances that certainly would make sense. For example, on another airline that has FC, someone asking the GA "well seeing as Y is pretty full, you should just put me in FC as it makes sense for everyone." No point asking as the chances of it happening are slim to none and it could impact someone entitled to that seat in FC.

But in this instance does it really make sense, if you were in line at somewhere between A20 and A40, to say "no" to the OP when you know that the chances of it affecting where you sit are slim to none?

I've said in this thread that I'd say "yes" to the OP. I might even say "yes as long as you don't take an aisle seat in the bulkhead row if it's available". Or whatever seat it is that I want if it's not already taken. And I would say that if I was A20 or A40. And I would do it that way for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that if I ever needed a favor I would hope that people would afford me the same courtesy. They won't all the time, but I bet most of the time I would run into people who use common sense and are decent human beings and they would be happy to help.

joshua362

In this case, if I'm A20 or worse, seeing A19 with a child is a benefit as I know the competition for the exit row just decreased by one, which is the only thing I care about...

justhere

There you go using common sense. How does that help anything???

And before anyone says it, yes I know that if the OP boarded at A41 it also decreases the competition for the exit row by one. But that just adds to the point that it makes no difference in this context to the other passengers where the OP boards but it makes a difference to the OP in how he feels about his connection chances.

nsx

Young children are not permitted in the exit row. So there's no competition.

joshua362

Re-read my post, perhaps it wasn't too clear but, I meant exactly that (its good news for me if I'm following Mother & Child..)