Harlem

My wife and I took our three small kids from JFK to LAS earlier this week. Our youngest is an infant.
We paid for seats 4A, 4C, 4D and 4F and paid the $260 extra for the EML seats. The flight was not full and we were excited to know that both 4B and 4E were empty (as were several other EML seats). We had a car seat for our infant but the gate agent told us we couldn't take it on the plane. We inquired why. His response was that because we were EML they wouldn't let us take up an EML seat for a lap child, but if we were in a regular seat we would have been allowed the car seat. So for the 6 hours we were on the plane my wife had to hold our infant (our baby is not old enough to sit up but she is old enough to roll off the seat - so my wife (and I) had to hold her the entire flight)
When I asked them why a customer who paid more was being offered worse service the gate agent replied. "Giving a lap child a seat is a courtesy that we don't have to extend. If you wanted a seat for your child you should have bought one." Needless to say I wasn't happy to hear that.
When I ask the FA what Jetblue's policy was on the issue she said that the gate agent "made them" gate check the car seat and it was already gone so there was no need in discussing this any further. Her response made it clear that if it were up to her she would have let us bring on the car seat.

So my question to B6 employees. What is your company's policy on allowing a lap child to be placed in a car seat in a vacant (unsold) seat next to her mother (we had the window seat so that wasn't the issue)? If your policy is that non-EML customers are afforded the privilege but EML customers are not then why? The seat was empty. It went unused the entire flight. I paid for 4 EML seats that flight, give me break and let me put my kid in the car seat.
Was the gate agent correct in his interpretation of B6 policy?

weirdlyndon

The EML/reg-customer argument from the GA is incorrect. You should have been allowed. However, they were right in that if you truly wanted to guarantee the ability to put your child in a car seat in an actual seat, you would've had to purchase a ticket. In a way, you had to have been prepared to have your child on your lap the whole flight anyway; what if the flight was full?

payam81

It's called a "lap child" for a reason. That said, with lower loads it would have be a good PR move to let the car seat aboard.

Harlem

We were prepared to have our child on our lap the entire flight - I understand the process - but the flight wasn't full - that's my rub - not only was the flight not full two seats next to the seats we bought weren't sold. It's not like I wanted 3 other passengers to move around so we could use the vacant seat. The vacant seats were right there - I bought the A and C seats and the B seat was empty - I also bought D and F seats and the E seat was empty. It's idiocy to not let me use the car seat.

Wondering if B6 employees feel the difference in the way they are treated as employees since Dave was forced out? As a passenger, I certainly feel a difference (and it's not a good difference.)

weirdlyndon

I understand where you're coming from. But there could be a lot of variables at play. Perhaps someone was booked in your middle seat but asked to move at the last minute. I have no idea...but one agent's error don't represent the other 12,000 crewmembers'. Although I'm sorry it was a bad first point of contact for your trip.

JAX2BOS

It truly depends on the station and the crewmembers that work out of there. Some are better than others. BOS and TPA are prime examples of good stations with great crewmembers and understanding of "the big picture" of why we are here.

JBLU421NYC

Very true it does depend on the station, I have flown through TPA and the crewmembers were excellent, as well as PBI.

getdev

Sorry to hear about that. I just flew from IAD to LGB. My 15 month old preemy son was up about 90 percent of the flight. I had a hard time with it but I was prepared.

I know there is policy everywhere; however, I think discretion was abused in your case. If the flight is going anyway and no one has paid for the seat, I would think it would be ok. But that's just me.

-Dev

WR Cage

Many airlines have a policy of requiring that a car seat is not allowed onboard if the infant is listed as a lap child. The whole purpose of the lap child policy is that the parent holds the child throughout the flight.

Back in the 90s there was a large FAA/NTSB study completed on whether infants should be required to be in airplane approved restraint seat. The conclusion was that if the regulators forced removal of the lap child option, many parents would rather drive than pay for a seat. Since infant mortality is higher in the car, it is considered safer to have the lap child policy.

The only inthing unfair about the OPs story is the GA claiming it would be okay in E but not E+. Safer position would have been that if the parents want to lapchild their kid, the car seat is not needed and should be gate checked as oversized for carryon.

sbm12

Can you name ANY, perferably with some documentation to back up each cite? I do not believe this is at all true.

bmg42000

Infant Seat or Child Restraint Devices
If you do not purchase a seat for your infant (under two years of age):

An approved child safety seat can be carried on board
The device cannot be used in a seat unless there is an unoccupied seat available next to the adult traveling
Due to many events that occur during the last several minutes before departure time, we cannot be certain that an unoccupied seat that meets the above criteria will be available until the final boarding process
If an unoccupied, adjoining seat is not available, the gate agent will check the infant seat/child restraint device to your final destination. Please check with the gate agent for further details


I suspect the B6 gate agent may have been told to not give out the EML seats unless someone pays for it or is the last available seat on the plane. Perhaps they misunderstood the company policy on EML seats .

Harlem

Is this quoting B6's policy? In my case the GA knew that many of the EML seats were empty and we told him that when we checked our bags we were told that we were sitting next to two empty seats. We asked him to let us take the seat to the end of the jetway and leave it there and if the seats were indeed empty have the FA get it for us so we could use it. After some begging by me, he said no way. We put the gate-check tag on then left the seat at the end of the jetway - when it was clear that the seats weren't sold that's when we asked the FA if we could use it and after some discussion she told us the GA made them send it away.
Then the GA came onto the plane and I asked again why when it was clear that the seats were empty that he would not let the car seat on and that's when he told me that if I wanted to guaranty a seat for my infant I should have bought a ticket.

sbm12

Nope, AA's.

I'm pretty sure this was a GA gone wrong, not an actual implementation of B6 policy.

flying4aliving

Hi!
First, as a B6 FA, thanks for flying with us.
In training, pre EML, we discussed this. There is no official policy, that I know of. I'M sorry you had a bad experience. I can't speak for the rest of my coworkers, but my preference is to always try to bring the car seat on board, as the infant is always safer in their seat, rather than the parents arms.

If I could suggest, next time, bring the car seat to the plane, and ask the FA, if you could place it in the seat, if the seat remains empty. I think most of us would appreciate your asking and be more than happy to have Junior in the seat.

bmg42000

I would suggest that B6 have a policy in this manner so that issues like this should not happen. AA has their policy on the website so I suggest B6 do the same . I suspect the GA may have been told not to put people in the
EML seat who have not paid .