united-guy ewr

We're flying out to SFO from JFK for Memorial Day Weekend. I will be combining some biz on the trip, and so have already purchased an economy class seat and used a CR-1 for the upgrade there and back. Of course, UA is holding all sorts of seats, and not releasing any C class for me to get one for the Mrs, so the option is a std award (a complete rip in my opinion for a cross-country trip- 90k miles), or to try for a coach seat. The big issue is that we are taking our 4 month old son- so, while sitting together would be great, I want one of us to be comfortable with the lap-child. Will UA care if we switch back and forth from her coach seat to my C class seat during the flight?

lucky9876coins

Typically FA's have no problem if you switch between the seats once, but constantly switching will obviously be an issue, since it can be a disturbance. You are lucky if they let you do it once, but I would not push your luck. Enjoy your flight!

flyupfront

My experience (watching others try this) has been that the FAs do not allow it. You may have better luck but I have seen people try this on three occasions in the last couple of years and have always been told "no".

BenjaminNYC

I believe that what you propose to do is rude to other passengers. Sorry, just my opinion. Think of others... one switch, fine. Multiple switches, annoying to other pax.

As an aside, why not just purchase a seat? Using 90,000 miles for a domestic Y ticket is crazy, IMHO.

Lastly, can I please encourage you to get a seat for your child? Why do you think it's safe to hold your baby on your lap in a plane going down the runway at 170 mph? Do you hold your baby on your lap in a car going 80 mph???

sfofly98

Actually, the flight attendants probably won't allow you to switch cabins. We don't allow passengers to cross cabins (You can check the friendly reminder in Hemispheres). These are JFK flight attendants and this is a premium service flight. Essentially this is a International service plan for our SFO-JFK and LAX-JFK (and the reverse) customers. And I have to agree, buy the seat for your child. We wish the FAA would mandate it. The car analogy is a good one.

LGA_UAL

Officially, I believe you are allowed one switch. I think I remember reading that on here, but I can't remember for sure. Maybe one of our resident FAs on FT can check in the FAOM to see if that is still the rule.

richee

Can't agree with that. It makes as much sense as saying: "Why would you yourself walk around on a plane going 500 MPH. Would you move about in a car going on the freeway at 90 MPH?" (sorry to contribute to this inane debate that goes on ad nauseum on various forums of flyertalk).

Brick

That kid is safer as a lap child on a flight than he/she is in a car seat in a car. If you force parent to pay for a seat for an infant, they'd likely not fly but drive and that puts the kid at more risk.

So if you really want to protect the kid as best as possible you would not require a seat on an airplane.

1kBill

On my ICN-SFO flight last week, a mother and two kids had seats EFH in C, with dad in the back. For the meal service, dad moves up to C while mom goes to the back. After a while mom is back in C, dad is again in the back. They made at least one more swap so dad could work on his laptop. Maybe even another - I stopped paying attention to it. I napped through breakfast, so I don't know who got that.

With full knowledge of the FA's.

So it does happen.

MatthewLAX

BJ is right--it is rude to disturb others by repeatedly exchanging seats in a premium cabin, especially with a child.

What I would recommend if your wife's upgrade does not clear is for you to fly one way in Business Class with your wife and child in Economy and for your wife to enjoy Business with you and your child in Economy for the other way.

You mentioned that you want to get work done on the trip so if you are alone in Business Class for one flight, you should best be able to complete some of that work. I too like to use a transcon flight in a premium cabin to get work done. Thus, it seems reasonable that unless your child is extremely quiet for the entire flight, if you take her into Business Class she will be disturbing other passengers who like yourself are trying to get work done and who may have paid a premium price to be in the C-Cabin.

I say this now (and watch me do just the opposite ) that I shall never take children of my own into a premium cabin unless I am sure they will be well behaved and not disturb any of the passengers around them.

In any case, have a nice trip!

Punki

MatthewLAX, I have flown over 100,000 miles a year on UA for the past 8+ years, almost always in first or biz, and have never once run into an unruly child. I think the rumor of their existence is greatly overstated.

I am sure that you, like everyone else I have seen with children in first and biz, will teach your children to behave beautifully. Yes, it is possible that they might cry, especially at take off and landing if they are babies. Babies do that. The rest of us have to deal with it.

We were in an international club in Europe last week and sat next to two children who were so beautiful and well-behaved that I was suspicious that perhaps they were Stepford kids. That was even more disturbing than rowdy behavior.

MatthewLAX

I hope you are right. I admit, I am just a 2P and have only been a 2P for a few years now, but last summer there was a screaming child in First Class in the row across from me between Los Angeles and Washington. His mother was unable to calm him down and he cried for the last two hours of the flight. Perhaps it was the exception, but after sitting through that I always encourage others to keep their young children in Economy.

Punki

Crying babies are a whole different ball game. Babies cry--especially when their ears hurt and they don't know why.

It may be that he was a first child and the mom was nervous flyer. Just the fact that she was upset about his/her crying on the flight may have made it difficult for her to relax enough to quiet him/her down.

I was once on a flight sitting next to a very freaked-out mom with a crying baby. I offered to walk him for her and the minute I picked him up, he fell asleep. I am sure that part of it was because I was calm and relaxed and was able to communicate my relaxed state through my touch to the baby. It may also be that he had just cried enough to finally pop his ears.

Since none of us can account for our own behavior as babies, we should probably cut them as much slack as we possibly can. They have no idea if they are in first or coach.

RNOHoosier

Why does this ridiculous kids in premium cabins garbage have to be rehashed as nauseum? The bottom line is, if someone is willing to pay (cash, miles, certs, whatver) to have their kid in a premium cabin then that kid has a right to be there. If you don't like it, honestly that's too freaking bad. In all my years of flying the number of obnoxious / crying children I've had to deal with is SIGNIFICANTLY dwarfed by the number of obnoxious adults I've had to deal with (both in C or F and Y). I'll take a whiny kid over an obnoxious whiny adult any day. And before anyone starts, I don't have kid so I'm not coming at this from a parent's perspective.

I also want to comment on BJ's statement that switching seats some how disturbs other pax. The solution to this is simple: reserve an aisle seat. If you're not climbing over someone to reach your seat I fail to see how you're disturbing anyone. Is the sudden appearance of a different seat opponent going to shock you to the extent that you will be "disturbed?" I think that's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. I think, however, from an FA standpoint, switching cabins is problematic because its hard for them to know who is really supposed to be there and what's going on.

whovous

When my wife and I flew IAD-LHR in December, we asked and received the OK to swap, and did so a couple of times. No kid, though.