Was I in the wrong here? (get the popcorn)
 

Saw a post about someone on Singapore Airlines throwing a fit about bringing her son up from coach to business and thought i'd share my recent Delta experience.

Flew with my son who was a week shy of his second birthday from LGA to Nashville. When I booked our tickets we both cleared into economy comfort and at the gate we cleared into F. The gate agent put us in seats 1D and 2D and gave away our EC seats on this completely full flight.

Neither 1C nor 2C was willing to switch seats with us and 2C went as far as to snap at me and tell me that I should go trade with 2 people in the back who were sitting together and would gladly switch for first class seats. He also mentioned that loud children have no business in first class. (maybe on an Emirates a380 but not on a delta connection flight on a Saturday morning, get over yourself).

So instead, as my son is under 2 I joined him in seat 2D and he traveled as infant in arms. He was generally well behaved but it was still me (at 6'6" 250) and my very tall toddler in the window seat. He was well behaved for a toddler but still was squirmy and still needed to get up on 3 separate occassions.

Yes, I get that I could have switched with economy comfort and could have used the app to not take an upgrade into first. I understand people select their seats and nobody should be forced to move. That said, is it so wrong to have a little decency? Wouldnt you rather be in a window seat than sit next to a toddler??

I fully expect to get yelled at here, but thought i'd share anyways.

Maybe I'm dense, but I don't see what you might get yelled at for in the above post.

For having a toddler in F on a Delta Connection flight?

I don't think you're wrong to ask for a little decency. I also don't think folks who snagged aisle seats are wrong in wanting to keep them. Did you offer them anything for the inconvenience? Not saying it's incumbent on you to do so, but you are asking them to give something up, even a token gesture in return might have done the trick. And if you're not willing to do something to make the switch happen, maybe indeed you uncheck the upgrade mark when traveling with a toddler.

Your request was not unreasonable. I would have traded! I could maybe understand someone not wanting to give up an aisle seat on a long international flight, but sitting by the window for a 2.5 hour flight does not seem such a hardship.

I'm not sure what the OP could have offered as an inducement to switch. Money?

If you wanted to sit with your son (sounds like you did since you asked people if they wanted to move), you should have declined the upgrade since you had 2 seats next to each other in C+. So yes I see you in the wrong but you did remedy the situation by having your son as infant in arms. I don't think it was wrong or indecent to ask someone if they wanted to switch seats.

It's unbelievable sometimes how rude people can be. You can politely say, "no thanks, I'd like to keep my seat" when trying to trade seats. I also saw 2 people blow up over the weekend just for people asking to switch. Get off your high horse people. Just be decent.

Maybe have a low denomination peets or starbucks card, and I'm speaking practically here -- I think you are far more likely to engender a positive response with even just the offer of some nominal recompense versus the alternative, which may strike the other passenger as you asking them to solve a problem you didn't manage on your own.

You were totally justified in your request and the other pax had no reason to get mad at you. I'd say Delta was at fault here for moving you into a seat combo that was clearly not suitable for traveling with a toddler.

The request was reasonable but so was the refusal (even if the nature of the response was not).

2C was way out of line. "Sorry, but I prefer to keep my seat" is all he needed to say.

I assume all this was a direct consequence of the new domestic upgrade policy concerning two passengers on the same reservation.

OP nor Delta was in the wrong, whatsoever. At the basic level I have never seen people unwilling to do some minor switching to allow a parent and child to sit next to each other - this is a minor switch. Even if people are so obtuse they won't switch out of the kindness of their heart, given the choice of sitting next to a toddler or sitting in a window seat, what person would choose sitting next to a toddler? Nobody could have foreseen the situation turning out like this. OP you were justified to request and receive those seats, and you shouldn't be afraid of doing the same thing again. I doubt you will ever have a repeat of this situation.

I used to be childless and pretty full of myself. I would roll my eyes when seeing a toddler walking up the aisle in my direction; I wouldn't be able to understand why parent's "couldn't" keep their kids quiet; I would treat my seat (and my upgrade) as sacred.

Now I have a 3-year-old, and I have seen the light. It isn't easy to travel with a toddler, but most parents with status (such as myself) have been flying since long before we had kids, and work hard to be the best behaved people on the plane.

I find it inconceivable that someone would refuse to switch seats to accommodate a family traveling together. It's one thing if this is an overnight flight to CDG. But on a regional jet? Get over yourself and swap seats. Be nice, and your gesture will be paid forward in the future.

Correct, this was actually his first flight not traveling infant in arms.

I get that people have the right to not want to switch seats and my needs to not get priority over your needs. At the same time, who would want to sit next to a toddler anyhow? Is there a rule that says he has to sit next to a parent? I could have just put him in his car seat, gone to my seat and let my son bother 2C the entire time; which would have been a lot worse for everyone involved.

Also - when assigning upgrades, does Delta ever think about splitting families apart? Presumably there have been times where a medallion and their companion are upgraded, arent sititng together but would rather be together in coach than apart in first? Also, would they have a way of knowing they just upgraded a 2 year old?

Next time i'll just uncheck the upgrade request box. But honestly i didnt think it would be an issue for this flight, as, again, who would rather sit next to a toddler over an adult?

OP, put your toddler son in row 2 Take your assigned seat in row 1.
One of two things will happen:

1. You son can see you in the row ahead, be reassured, and behave well.
2. Son pitches a fit, and Mr. Rude will change his mind and swap seats.

If Mr Rude gives you any 'tude, you can tell him to STFU.
I forgot to add a title: "Call his bluff".
(I don't have any kids myself, so don't take this as parent-approved advise.)