Originally Posted by jdrtravel

Yes, that'ts true, but it's also clear that DL will basically make sure that a young kid sits with their parents, so the warning is meaningless.

DL and the other carriers are to blame for this, not pax who don't want to pay hundreds of dollars or more for the "perk" of sitting next to their child. They have put all pax, gate agents and FA's in a difficult situation that just does not need to exist. Either give everyone assigned seats or don't give them to anyone. A mixed system is a disaster.

Also, the price difference is not nominal. I think many are under the impression that it's a $15 or $20 fee for seat selection. It's not. On international flights, I've seen the r/t price difference be over $150 per person. For a family of five, that's a $750 fee to select seats!