Originally Posted by
hotdogs
I was flying to DFW-EWR last week with two of my children. I was upgraded and was sitting in 6B. My children were in row 8A-B. When I checked in at DFW the GA mentioned the FA might make me to pay an unaccompanied minor fee because they weren’t sitting with me!
Now I’m not asking you if you think its right for them to “sit in the back”. I could have only upgraded one companion and felt is better that two kids sat together. The question is could they charge me an unaccompanied minor fee?
Well, I've read the whole website on the issue (as I suspect you did) and can find no reference. One thing I WILL state is that it does not matter that your children were in close proximity to your FC seat - IF a different cabin would invoke the charge, the relative seating should NOT be a factor. (Otherwise who decides how far is "too far" - Too much of a chance for problems.)
I'm guessing MD-80 - so one row in between you and the kids? AND, there really isn’t supposed to be movement between cabins - I know a while ago AA issued a press release that econ pax could use FC lavs - except on inbound intl flights - but more and more I hear the pilot announce that they require FC to stay in FC and econ in econ. And I can't find any reference to the lav rule anymore on AA.COM. In any event, kids tromping up to FC every few minutes would not be welcome to me as another FC passenger. Not in any way implying that this is what happened in your case - just that if the overall scheme DID allow for NOT charging, I am sure another family WOULD abuse the cabin crossing to the nth degree.
So, I can find no reference, as stated, but IMHO a service charge IS appropriate if neither child is 15 years of age. Just my two cents.