The Lev

Seems to depend where you live. In my province my children's private school education received no subsidy.

Stranger

That's an ideology-driven exercise in semantics. What the text makes abundantly clear is that they *are* subsidized.

Which arguably is just plain wrong. I would argue that if parents want to put their kids in a school that is not part of the public school system, they should pay the entire bill. AB and QC support for denominational schools is outrageous. And if they do, then they shoulsd have similar support for Muslim schools, animist schools, you name it.

tracon

There is no reason AC's computers can't keep pax on the same PNR seated together.
On the rare occasion I travel on flex, the last several rows are often blocked.
Presumably the computer knows that there are...
x groups of 4 pax
y groups of 3 pax
z groups of 2 pax.
w singles.

Surely at T-24:01 theses would be given seats together or across the aisle from each other.
Then at OLCI everyone would have their predetermined seats available to them.

Sure I'm living in a dream world. But is it really that hard.

FlyerTalker683455

Well, maybe, maybe not.

Why have 4 public/catholic school boards in Ontario? If one advocates public education, one single school system should suffice. But in a country as diverse as Canada, the government might be well advised to support separate/private schools instead of presenting it to the public as some sort of domain for the privileged.

I think we are getting OT.

Stranger

Alas, I would bet they can't.

CloudsBelow

I just heard the Ministers stayed late at work this aft (all the way till 4:06pm) drafting legislation requiring airlines to provide free BOB meals to children of parents that have not fed them in the 3 hours preceding departure time & airlines are required to provide full IFE access to kids who have less than 10% battery life on their ipads.

FlyerTalker683455

They used to. Lately I have found weird auto-assignments of seats, where my wife and I were separated in basically empty (J) cabins. I don't think it's a stretch to assume that AC actually paid someone to break the software which would make decent seat assignments based on PNR.

VoodooYYC

This, X 1,000

I swear in 98% of the seat swap stories I read on this, and other forums, it's always the jackhole in 28E who wants to switch with you in 12C, so he can sit beside his wife in 12B. I'd be willing to bet there would be a much greater chance of success in asking 28D or F to move up to 12 (especially when it's a preferred seat), than the other way around. I've seen this more than once in the past 3 months. It's ALWAYS the yahoo with the crappier of the 2 seats that wants to swap for yours. If sitting with the wife is that important, then offer her seat to someone at the back of the bus.

I have a 100% firm policy not to trade seats, unless the seat I'm getting is in a class of service closer to the pointy end of the plane. I'm not even in the top 20% of flyers on this board, and I think my commitment to AC is sufficient that I shouldn't be put in a position where I look like a bad guy. The SD should not ever ask anyone above 35K to consider a move, it's insulting.

It's basically the whole issue of your poor preparation is not my problem.

FlyerTalker683455

Now, this I must agree with.

mikeycanuk

Back in '07 coming back from Provo there was a lot of juggling going on (90% of the flight were coming back from Beaches). Women and children together with the guys thrown together in the back. Non of us complained or cared less. There was however a woman who was complaining and giving grief to the FA's about her assignments. 3hrs later we all arrived safe.

Stranger

They should sit all the kids with the transport minister.

bingocallerb22

Never done it, but always wondered if I said "sure, I'll change seats if you give me $30... surely $30 isn't too much to pay to sit with your family/SO?"

Wonder what would happen ?

Stranger

Can't you guess?

That's the point, isn't it?

skybluesea

First, you would need to cut a share to AC as the seat assignment belongs to them.

Second, what happens when FA comes along and decides for operational reasons, etc. that the person who paid $30 for your seat would need to move elsewhere - you might be then finding yourself in confrontation over paying back the $30.

O'Leary @ RyanAir got it right with his proposal for standing seats that you lean on with belt of some sort to strap you in place -save all this grief.

have a great day

Fizzer

Sometimes I shake my head at the attitudes of some. I can understand how families choose not to pay for advance seat selection because of cost ( and isn't this the crux of the problem really?) but surely the age of the children should be a factor. I have little sympathy for those who want to swap seats to be with their spouses or teenagers but there has to be an age where it is inappropriate to seat children alone.

I may be wrong but I recall reading somewhere on FT where it was suggested that it was actually against regulations for a child to be unattended without incurring an UM fee ( where Dad was upgraded to J and left his child unattended in Y ). Not sure if that was on AC though. If that is true, then is it not equally inappropriate to separate a child from a parent?

I don't believe that all of a family has to be together necessarily ( although it is certainly preferable because sometimes really young kids don't want Daddy right now they need Mummy). But surely at least each child below a certain age ( 8-11?) should be with a responsible adult? Surely there would be safety issues were there an emergency.

If you accept that premise then, your personal decision to pay or not, for seat selection to be near your travelling companion, is a choice that you have. Keeping each child supervised is no longer a choice but a need and, because of that, should be accommodated without penalizing that parent by forcing them to pay for mandatory seat selection that is a "choice" for others. I would think airlines should be able to handle this without other passengers being douches about it.

Is this not similar to circumstances when a family travelling with an infant needs to bump a passenger out of a paid preferred seat at a bulkhead because this is where the bassinet goes? It's happened to me. I was frustrated but certainly I was not going to make a scene or complain about it. Maybe I should have askedwhy they hadn't paid for the seat selection to get the bulkhead row to start off with.

On a similar theme ( ie giving up your previously selected seats to help others or to meet regulations) I have a quadriplegic daughter with CP who used to travel > 25 k/ year for medical appointments. When booking I would check the seat plans and select those that were suitable for the disabled. ( There are only a few on each aircraft where the aisle armrest lifts and the backrest ahead tilts forwards to allow easier access). This was difficult as it was in the pre computer days and it usually had to be done over the phone after booking. Sometimes those seats weren't available. The only option was to address this with the agent at check in and the GA. Most folks were understanding , although some were jerks to be honest. We didn't ask for the problem and it wasn't down to a lack of planning believe me. All it took was a slight equipment /version change and your previously well planned seat was no longer the accessible one.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that when there are good reasons to keep at least part of a family together, even if you are SE+++++, and it is a worse seat than you've booked, it is still the decent thing to do . If it's just for the other's convenience go ahead and blow them off.

PS I also agree that swapping the better seats for the worse ones would frequently solve the problem.