Originally Posted by
wrp96
Some airlines, and I don't know if Alaska is one, will not let a parent sit in the exit row if their child is on the plane, even if on a separate reservation. The thought being that in an emergency you will try to get to your child, no matter what instead of fulfilling your exit row duties. If that was the reason though, and again I don't know if that is Alaska's rule, it should've been explained to you more clearly and politely.
That sounds close to what could have happened here. Oddly, at one point the gate agent asked if we were married, which seems like an odd qualifier. Either way it seems like a pretty weak argument. I could easily argue that sitting apart could make my wife more effective in her responsibilities.
It all caught me by surprise because like I said, we did the exact same thing going down and coming back from Kona last month. Son and I in premium economy and wife in exit row, all boarding at the same time.
Will still send this off to Alaska Listens. I guess in the future - we will just board separate from one another.