<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by NWAMileageSlave:
One final thoguht. I remember reading about an aircraft hull failing due to metal fatigue. I believe it was a very old 37 over Hawaii. It basically ripped itself a sun roof. The only fatality was an FA who was serving drinks. Everybody else was belted in. Considering the age of some (ok all) of NW's DC-9s, If that happened on a flight with my daughter in my lap, I don't know if I could hold on to her. Call it irrational, but it justifies the expense of a seat.
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Yes, it is irrational. After that crash, the FAA recommended that airlines check for microscopic cracks in the aircraft skin.
From a cost-benefit point of view, wearing a bulletproof vest 24 hours a day would be a better idea than buying a newborn a First Class seat.