Jumper Jack

Swapping is one thing.... This is just purr stealing

24left

Respectfully disagree.

Air Canada makes it perfectly clear to all of us who fly in whichever cabins, that there is a cost associated with the product and service we purchase.

Air Canada makes it clear that if we want to sit in Business Class, we need to buy a business class ticket with cash, or use the currency of upgrade credits to do so.

If I buy a ticket to sit in a premium cabin, I do not want someone else who feels entitled, to sit there without having paid. I would not do it, some others here would not do it and I will not show teary-eyed sympathy because the person is 2 or 6.

In my last 12 AC TPACs and my last 12 AC transcons, the Business Cabin has had anywhere from 2 to 6 children under the age of 10. They - their parents - paid for their seats. None of them appeared in the cabin after the flight had boarded / closed doors/ reached altitude. I think those kids are really lucky to have parents who are paying for such luxuries - and make no mistake - business class across the Pacific is a luxury.

We live in a universe heavily populated by the self-entitled.

I think Air Canada would not be amused if their employees were allowing theft in the form of self-upgrading.

In another thread on the same topic, I had suggested that AC cabin crew use those hand-held devices meant for BoB purchases and tell the self-upgrading pax that they will be happy to accept payment on the spot for their upgraded seat.

ffsim

An airline seat is a perishable thing; once the flight closes, the seller, ie the airline, loses any ability to sell unoccupied seats. Anyone who uses an unoccupied seat, whether to sit in, to place a bag on, or whatever, is certainly not stealing.

If this was akin to theft, then first-class pax who have an empty, adjacent seat turned into their bed while they sit/work/eat in their originally-assigned seat are thieves, too.

CZAMFlyer

How do we know they paid for their seats? How do we know what anybody paid? Did they part with cash, fly on points, get comped, bid an upgrade, gifted a pass, work for the company or one of a dozen other means of sitting up front? More importantly, how does the presence of a freeloading first-grader in any way detract from our "luxury experience"?

My opinion in this case (not talking about hypothetical TPACs) is not based upon rigid Policy & Procedure. It's rooted in compassion, which I admit, isn't defined within the T&C of most airline travel agreements.

songsc

Today we allow someone's child, tomorrow someone will bring his/her parent, husband/wife, GF/BF, friend, and then eventually, comfort HH.

​​​​​​​Many rules doesn't make sense, but ignoring these rules isn't the way to fix it.

CZAMFlyer

I was hoping people didn't introduce the "slippery slope" or "thin edge of the wedge" argument, because we aren't discussing bringing adults - or indeed animals - into the front cabin. Let's keep this within the scope of the debate.

CZAMFlyer

(duplicate)

24left

Everyone pays for their seats with a form of currency - money, money plus upgrades or miles.

Today it is one "free-loading first-grader", tomorrow it's grandma, 3 more kids, a spouse whose upgrade did not clear, and other pax who see that they can just move up when the doors close.


This is my view and I don't expect anyone to agree with me. But I expect that if you want to sit in J, you pay for J.

jazzsax

If this child should be allowed up front as self upgrading, then definitely as a white, able bodied, middle aged male, I am 110% entitled to sit up front for free.... along with my Emotional Support Emu.

Pay for the darn seat or get to the back of the bus like everyone else.

CZAMFlyer

See above few posts about this not being the debate under discussion.

As for 'everyone pays for their seats', I have paid for a Y seat and been comp upgraded into TATL J on 4-5 occasions over the years. What did I pay, other than the economy fare? Should I have been relegated to the back, despite having been invited by Air Canada?

canopus27

I disagree.

This is why AC chose to stop giving out complementary upgrades just because there was space available in J. To coin a phrase, doing so would cheapen the value of those business seats.

If you know there's a reasonable chance that AC will comp your kid up into business class, then there's very little motivation for you to pay for a business class seat for her. By enforcing the rules, AC is also providing very clear motivation to parents who want their children to sit in business class - they must pay for business class.

PB53x11

Clearly a lot of commentators view this as within the scope of the debate. For some, it's a key reason why AC has such rules and why such rules should be enforced.

canopus27

That's a false equivalency.

I could choose to give my money (or property or services) to anyone. The fact that I might do so one time, does not give them permission to take it from me without my permission in the future.

IluvSQ

I assume the child was seated with another adult in the Y cabin. I don't understand why he did not remain there.
The father could have swapped with the other adult if he really wanted to be with his son.

CZAMFlyer

They may well do, but the original post contained the question about one child. If we want to discuss some of the confusing derivatives on offer from other members, perhaps that should occur in a separate thread. But it's a bit strange to disagree with my opinion about one 6 year old boy by advocating against spouses, grandma and emotional support hedgehogs.