Proudelitist

I don't mind sitting next to a kid. That threat by entitled parents doesn't bother me. I won't be looking after the kid either. Not my circus, not my monkey.

What I mind is having to give up my pre-reserved seat because some parent couldn't be bothered to pre-reserve seats as well, or assumed the airline would seat them together.

TMM1982

^^ Truth

Jane42

Agreed! And the threat of having to take care of someone else's child should not even be said. If there is an emergency, and the parent and child are not sitting next to each other, do you think the parent is going to evacuate.....or start heading "upstream" to try to find her child. Many reasons families should be seated together.....but this needs to be figured out at BOOKING and not when they arrive on the plane.

I am a mother and a grandmother.....and I am also someone that books as early as possible so that I am able to get an aisle seat. I have my own reasons for that which, to me, are as important as the family wanting to sit together.

If it was not figured out before boarding, and seating is not available without having to move pax all around, then the family will need to wait for a flight that can accomodate them.

My thoughts are that airlines should not charge family members to be seated together. Trying to book seats together on some of these airlines is ridiculous. This seat costs this much....seat next to it a few dollars more....etc. (One parent to each minor child = free booking of seats together)

At least, that is what I wish.....

USA_flyer

I am sure the FA will do the right thing.

TMM1982

This is a good start

dfw_plt_aa

Some feel that they should be free to prey on children as this man did by demanding a right to sit next to a child away from a patent's watchful eye

http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/06/man-...-airlines.html

so it requires an act of Congress to bring common sense to aviation.

lobo411

This ended up doing basically nothing. All the bill did was direct the DOT to study the idea originally proposed.

http://airport.blog.ajc.com/2016/07/...-sit-together/

ft101

This was an unaccompanied minor so would not have been helped by this potential legislation, but I guess you knew that.

USA_flyer

This could have happened to a minor while the rest of her family was scattered around the plane. But I guess you knew that.

vanillabean

Isn't it standard with reservations made online at the airline that you're flying with that a seating chart is available at the time?

MSPeconomist

Yes, of course, although usually you must click to see the seat maps.

rickg523

Seems fair. 4 quid charge to one adult passenger guarantees family seating.
But.... what happens when there aren't two seats together left or two sets of two for a family with two young children.
The article says paying the fee GUARANTEES family adjacent seating.
Sounds like seat change notices will be going out to solos.
End result - solo travelers will in some situations be forced to accommodate families.

MSPeconomist

The title of this thread is misleading as all airlines (with the possible exception of some foreign carriers that do not permit babies in FC, although even those airlines would "let" families fly together in coach) currently let families travel together if there's space together on the flight and the family is willing to pay the fare and any requires taxes and fees, including applicable seat reservation fees. Since airlines are not permitted to discriminate, they're basically required to "let" families fly together if these conditions are satisfied. OTOH if for example a flight only has one remaining seat available, there's no feasible way to "let" some family fly together on that flight and it would be pointless for any government to require this.

rickg523

I agree the title may be misleading because no one really knows what these proposals are going to end up looking like. But I think it's not an issue of flying a family of four on a specific flight that only has one open seat left. I think it's a reaction to the airlines regularly assigning family members to random separated seats on flights with plenty of adjacent seats then essentially extorting an extra fee from parents for having their kids sit next to them.
Leaving aside the free market principles of whether carriers should be allowed to monetize family travel, I think ultimately the argument is decided on safety issues. Because if my 5 yo is seated 10 rows behind me seated between two strangers, if you think I'm exiting that plane in an emergency without her, you're nuts. I'm heading upstream to get her and I'll do what I need to if you or an FA tries to stop me. THAT presents a danger to the entire plane that overrides a solo FF desire to sit in their favorite seat or the airline's desire for profitability.

ft101

Just like you read the article and knew there were numerous seating options available which a family would no doubt have taken?

The story was just used as an horrifying tale to scare readers towards the poster's point of view.