Kate2015

An ExpressJet FA told me today that children/lap infants aren't allowed to sit in a bulkhead row. When I apologized and told her no one had said anything about that in 30+ flights in the bulkhead row, she told me she was positive it wasn't allowed, but we could remain there since we'd already settled in. This was an ERJ-145, no airbags, and no carseat.

Has anyone heard this before? New AA or Eagle or EV policy? For what it's worth, we've successfully sat in the bulkhead seats on AA, plus Eagle (Envoy, Mesa, and ExpressJet).

Dave Noble

On that aeroplane type, is that a row where an additional oxygen mask is available for an infant?

Kate2015

He wasn't a lap infant this trip, but yes, there is an additional mask on the side we were on.

mre5765

ExpressJet sets a standard for customer unfriendliness.

It would not surprise me if this is a rule. It would not surprise me if the FA is insane.

It is the worst barbie jet carrier of them all. I cannot fathom why SkyWest hasn't reigned in the 9000 power trippers who work there.

Doc Savage

The simplest explanation is the likeliest: The FA was mistaken.

Happy New Year, everyone!

mre5765

Nope. If the FA thought it was a rule, she would have held her ground. Violations of safety rules can get her in trouble.

The simplest explanation is she was insane, a liar, or a power tripper. And those are not mutually exclusive either.

Dave Noble

Based on the bizarre claims in post 4

given a choice between FA thought something was the case and was mistaken vs being insane/liar/power tripper , I'll go with the being mistaken

Much more likely that the FA thought it was not allowed, but wasn't definite enough on it to force the person to move

JDiver

Indeed. An FAA inspector could have her patootie in a wringer if it was prohibited.

"Doesn't know, makes up crAAp" type. Bulkheads on many aircraft, after all, is where bassinets go.

If there's an emergency exit or it lacks an 02 mask for an infant, understandable. If otherwise, show me the reg or STC that says this aircraft is not certified for infants in the bulkhead.

Kate2015

IMO, that honor goes to Mesa.

I tend to agree with this.

What does a FA have to gain by lying or being on a power trip about this? Sorry if that's a completely naive question.

CPRich

Passengers have been perplexed by FAs, GAs, etc., making up rules foe many, many years.

As noted above - An FA can lose their job for knowingly violating FAA regulations, and yet this FA allowed OP to violate what she believed was a rule. And those who have flown with kids know there is no problem flying in a bulkhead row.

There is no situation I can see where this FA didn't either make stuff up or violate policy. Why? Again, we wish we knew.

thecurtisw

A ticket counter agent at UVF tried to tell me the same thing a few days ago on our return to the states. This, after him & another spent 45 minutes trying figure out why my lap infant wasn't ticketed...then tried to charge me a $35 fee for "ticketing a lap infant at the airport." Point being, these guys simply had little clue what they were doing. I informed him that infants are allowed in bulkhead, just not exit rows and bulkhead is not an exit row on the plane operating the route. Yet another instance that makes me wonder how a non-learned flyer survives.

echino

Does AA have a policy similar to AC regarding children?

My story:

Several months ago I bought economy class tickets YVR-PHX-HNL for March 2017 (flying next week) for my family of five: two adults and three kids. I selected seats together at time of booking and they were confirmed (I saved the ticket with seats assigned together).

Now when I check my reservation on aa.com, it shows a different seat map on the PHX-HNL segment (probably equipment change), and seat assignments have changed. One adult and two kids are still together, while another adult is separate in an aisle seat, and one child (9 years old) is also separate in a middle seat away from the family.

The plane is now full, there are only a handful of single seats showing as available on seat map, most with the prices on them, so it's not possible to move the child next to a parent. I called AA and they said they could not do anything, and advised me to try at the airport.

Questions:

Is AA obligated to seat a child with the parent (AC is, for example)?

If not, does the fact that I originally had seat assignments together, and it changed due to equipment swap, change anything?

And, what should I do now, ask to swap seats at boarding?

3Cforme

1. No.

2. No, not really. They would have to bump other parties out of assigned seats to place your party.

3. AA typically has a row or two of seats that are not assigned until the gate, specifically to be able to seat handicapped and families. Don't wait until you've boarded and attempt to swap seats - ask what the gate agent can do before boarding starts.

Often1

There is no such requirement in the US and AA has no such policy. If AA has any unassigned seats on the flight, they will be the last rows on the aircraft which are miserable seats with no recline.

A better approach would be to call AA to see what can be done. There may be blocked seats which AA might open. Start checking at T-24 when some of the lowest eligible upgrades are processed, freeing up seats in Y. Then try again at the counter and the gate.

flyerCO

Actually start checking a T-100 hours when first upgrades start processing. While most elites will try and get MCE, those aren't always available at close in booking. Nor, if they are, are they always desirable. Thus you can see elites upgraded from the main coach section, emptying seats.

Are all the children young? Is one of the 2 with adult old enough to sit alone on the flight?

Finally ask at checkin counter, even for connections. It's easier to figure out then, then at gate last minute.