kmcbrid2

My wife will be traveling with our three childern all under 6 yrs old from Asia to US.

Most of the flights we have found means 1 or 2 childern will be sitting alone with empty seats. What are most airline policies of childern sitting with adult strangers when flying. Will airlines keep a seat empty next to a minor child or will they seat an adult, stranger, next to a child?

lost*in*cyberspace

No, airlines won't keep an empty seat next to a minor. That would be crazy - a big loss in revenue. Anyone can be seated next to a minor child. I'm not sure why this is a concern, especially if Mom will be right there.

Look for an airline with a middle section with enough seats together. If you can only fly a 3 seat row, place one child on the aisle seat across from the rest of the family. Expensive option would be to buy an extra seat to be kept empty.

6rugrats

I don't think so. My children flew as UM many times, and no airline blocked seats next to them. Not sure why sitting next to a stranger is a problem.

rjque

Expect the seat to be occupied.

gobluetwo

But at 3-4-5 years old? That's definitely on the young side.

At the very least, I would recommend trying to find 4 seats in a row. E.g., if a 3x3 seating configuration (single aisle, 3 seats on each side), I'd try to get seats A-B-C and D in single row.

If a 2x3x2 configuration (2 seats, aisle, 3 seats, aisle, 2 seats), then get A-B and C-D, or D-E and F-G.

If 2x4x2, try to get all middle. If 2x5x2, try to get all middle.

Keep checking seat maps to see what opens up. You can't be picky about trying to sit up front or away from the galley or whatever, if sitting all together is the priority.

swise

I think there's some confusion about the question.

I think what the OP was asking is if a child could be assigned a seat away from a parent and how the airline addresses this, not, if the parent is seated on one side of a child, how the airline addresses the seat on the other side of the child.

Anyway, I think gobluetwo's reply hit on the issue well. The only thing I would add is to try and have access to an aisle, so you don't have to get around a fellow traveler to take children to the potty, and to orient the mom as follows:

|Aisle| |Youngest Kid||Mom||Middle Kid||Oldest Kid||Fellow Passenger|

or

|Fellow Passenger||Oldest Kid||Aisle||Mom||Youngest Kid||Middle Kid|

etc.

So the oldest kid is the one seated farthest away from mom and closest to a stranger. Youngest kid is seated closest to mom and farthest from a stranger. Aisle access is nearby without having to ask someone to get up so you can get by.

Depending on how far in advance you are booking this, getting 4 seats together may require a few phone calls.

good luck!

kmcbrid2

Thanks for the information and indeed we are trying to stay away from aircraft with 3x3 seating and go with aircraft that have only 2 seats or 4middle seats.

The issue as a parent is mother will need to get sleep at some point during the flight. So having a stanger sitting next to a child in todays world is not comforting.

Orginal question has been answered which was, would airlines blocks seats next to young kids.

vicarious_MR'er

Of course they don't block seats next to kids. If you can't find seats on the flights you want, then I guess you'll have to change dates. My kids are all under 6, too, and I've never once though to expect the airline to keep a seat empty next to my child so I can sleep. That's just bizarre.
I choose flights based as much on which configuration will be best as I do price or other schedule. I'm sure you can find something suitable
If I think my kids will need my awake attention, then I sleep before traveling and fill my energy on the assumption that travel won't be as restful as I wish it would be.

lost*in*cyberspace

I don't think today's world is any different from yesterday's world.

MSPeconomist

OP could purchase an additional ticket to have an extra seat empty next to one kid. It's no different than purchasing an extra seat for a customer of size or a musical instrument.

kaye

In my experience flying Asia-Europe-US; most airlines keep some seats blocked until the last minute in order to accommodate families, so even if you can't see seats together when you book they will try very hard to seat you together.

Based on my experience, you are more likely to meet friendly people who are kind to your kids than some kind of scary "stranger".

fredandgingermad

On a flight from Toronto once the kid sitting next to me his mother and two younger siblings were sitting in the middle, originally it had been the three children sitting together and the mother sitting next to me but they'd switched while I'd been sleeping

AsiaTraveler

In that configuration, I would personally try for a block of 4 on one of the "two" sides- have two seats in front of the other two seats. As a parent, I have found it easier to work ahead or behind that way rather than going across an aisle and possibly across another kid. Also, I would put the two kids sitting together behind me as you're only dealing with one kid possibly kicking a strangers' seat.

vicarious_MR'er

I agree wholeheartedly. This is what we do every time even when the config is 2-4-2. It's much easier to pass kids' things back and forth and talk to the spouse through the crack in the seat than you yell across two kids from one aisle all the way over to the other. Also, it gives you a chance to put your more seat-kicking-prone progeny behind his/her siblings instead of a stranger.

HelloKittysMum

Why will she have to get some sleep. Surely if she's that worried about strangers she'll stay awake. Yes in an ideal world you'd sleep on the flight but you also need to ensure children aren't a nuisance to other passengers (and I'm not one of the children don't belong on planes brigade but have travelled extensively with my now teenagers throughout their lives -your comfort and sleep comes last to theirs and everyone elses).