Originally Posted by
ElmhurstNick
I saw something tonight that I have never seen in 40 years of adult flying.
Two parents, one infant who looked to be maybe 9 months old. 737-800. One parent ended up in 14C, the other in exit row 16D. During boarding, the parent in 16D held the infant, and then passed the infant back to the other parent for takeoff and the first half of the flight. But at the halfway point, the infant got passed back to 16D and stayed being held by the parent with a blanket through descent, landing, and taxi to the gate. Flight attendants were collecting garbage and such prior to landing and didn't say a word.
Have I missed something here? Since when can you be holding an infant in an exit row? I thought at cruising altitude, ok it's like having a laptop, give the kid to the other parent if something comes up. But landing??
Also, wouldn't the parents be prohibited from selecting the exit row in advance? They were group 4 or 5.
If I haven't lost my mind and the FAs truly messed up, I will reach out to AA via X this weekend and inquire.
I believe you're not supposed to be in an exit row if you have anyone in your party who needs assistance (child, etc), as you'll be distracted in saving them vs performing exit row duties. I don't get asked on AA, but I've been asked multiple times on AS if I'm traveling with anyone under 16 or who needs assistance.