Originally Posted by
NWAOldtimer
NW tells me that US law states that no member of a family travelling on the same flight may sit in an exit row if ANY member of the family on the same flight is ineligible for an exit row.Separate reservations notwithstanding. Anyone know whether this is true?
That's stretching the wording of the law a fair bit.
FAR 121.585(b)(7)(i) says they cannot put a person in an exit row seat if they have "a condition or responsibilities, such as caring for small children, that might prevent the person from performing one or more of the applicable functions" in the event of an emergency.
Basically, they don't want anyone in an exit row who might be trying to rescue their kids from another row instead of opening the exit.
What you're encountering is a belief that you will think first of your wife in an emergency, and that you therefore might not perform your duties in the exit row.