Bumping the Baby?
Jan 4, 2006, 9:52 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: MSP
Programs: DL-Platinum
Posts: 91
Bumping the Baby?
I'm flying with 2 infants in car seats on Northwest using the 50% infant fare. Our outbound filght appears that it may be overbooked. The seat map only had 6 available middle 'P' seats left before we purchased 5 tickets. We were not allowed to select any of the seats due to lack of status. Does anyone know of any rule/regulation that could/would 'bump' the infant(s) into our laps if the seats could be used by other (non-infant) passenger(s)?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Jan 4, 2006, 11:54 am
#2
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: LAX; AA EXP, MM; HH Gold
Posts: 31,789
No, I don't know of anything that would allow NW to involuntarily bump your infants out of their seats before involuntarily bumping someone else, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.
Your protection against involuntary bumping (in all cases, not just with 50% infant fares) is to check in early (is online checkin a possibility - like 24 hours in advance?) and then get to the airport and to the gate well in advance of the departure time. Involuntary bumping almost always affects those who check in late or get to the gate late.
Here's a short discussion of AA's policies on involuntary bumping:
I assume that NW follows similar policies. Ge there early and try to get seat assignments. Check in early and get to the gate early. This is no time to dawdle and lazily get to the airport shortly prior to boarding. 
The good news is that no major airline bumps a large percentage of pax; most oversales are resolved thru voluntary "bumps" in exchange for vouchers or free tix. Very few people are actually involuntarily bumped.
Your protection against involuntary bumping (in all cases, not just with 50% infant fares) is to check in early (is online checkin a possibility - like 24 hours in advance?) and then get to the airport and to the gate well in advance of the departure time. Involuntary bumping almost always affects those who check in late or get to the gate late.
Here's a short discussion of AA's policies on involuntary bumping:
If at departure time more customers with confirmed reservations are present than there are seats available, gate agents will first ask for volunteers who are willing to give up their seats in exchange for compensation and a confirmed seat on a later flight. On extremely rare occasions, a customer may be denied boarding on an involuntary basis, if a sufficient number of volunteers is not obtained. In such events, we will usually deny boarding based upon check-in time, but we may also consider factors such as severe hardships, fare paid, and status within the AAdvantage program. With few exceptions, persons denied boarding involuntarily are entitled to compensation under federal law.
The good news is that no major airline bumps a large percentage of pax; most oversales are resolved thru voluntary "bumps" in exchange for vouchers or free tix. Very few people are actually involuntarily bumped.
Jan 4, 2006, 9:55 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,760
Originally Posted by FormerFF
I'm flying with 2 infants in car seats on Northwest using the 50% infant fare. Our outbound filght appears that it may be overbooked. The seat map only had 6 available middle 'P' seats left before we purchased 5 tickets. We were not allowed to select any of the seats due to lack of status. Does anyone know of any rule/regulation that could/would 'bump' the infant(s) into our laps if the seats could be used by other (non-infant) passenger(s)?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
If I were you, I'd call ahead and try to get seats designated for the infants in advance, as car seats have to go at the window on single aisle planes (or so NW has told me many times). I suspect if you can't get window seats, they could get sticky about allowing you to strap in the car seats, which defeats the purpose of buying the infants tickets.
Jan 24, 2006, 2:41 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: MSP
Programs: DL-Platinum
Posts: 91
Thanks for the good info. We were able to get 4 of our 5 seats together.
Here's what we're looking at right now.
P9 F9 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 V0 L0 T0 K0 (our flight)
P9 F3 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 V0 L0 T0 K0 (4 hours later)
P9 F9 Y9 B9 M3 H0 Q0 V0 L0 T0 K0 (8 hours later)
I'm guessing there will be bumps one way or another.
Here's what we're looking at right now.
P9 F9 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 V0 L0 T0 K0 (our flight)
P9 F3 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 V0 L0 T0 K0 (4 hours later)
P9 F9 Y9 B9 M3 H0 Q0 V0 L0 T0 K0 (8 hours later)
I'm guessing there will be bumps one way or another.
Jan 24, 2006, 6:47 pm
#5
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
Programs: Destination Unknown, TSA Disparager Diamond (LTDD)
Posts: 57,960
Originally Posted by FormerFF
Thanks for the good info. We were able to get 4 of our 5 seats together.
Here's what we're looking at right now.
P9 F9 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 V0 L0 T0 K0 (our flight)
P9 F3 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 V0 L0 T0 K0 (4 hours later)
P9 F9 Y9 B9 M3 H0 Q0 V0 L0 T0 K0 (8 hours later)
I'm guessing there will be bumps one way or another.
Here's what we're looking at right now.
P9 F9 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 V0 L0 T0 K0 (our flight)
P9 F3 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 V0 L0 T0 K0 (4 hours later)
P9 F9 Y9 B9 M3 H0 Q0 V0 L0 T0 K0 (8 hours later)
I'm guessing there will be bumps one way or another.