kuroneko

Well, here's a scenario that could occur with your suggestion:

20 seats available. 10 are aisle seats, per the 5 row, 2-2 config you mentioned. Let's say AA implements a policy that only allows 6 non-adjacent bookings. 6 pax before me book their tickets in the aisle. I am the 7th pax to book their seat, but even though there are still 4 aisle seats available, they are reserved for phantom pax who haven't even purchased their tickets yet. I am thus not allowed to get the aisle seat I prefer.

What happens then: I book another flight, possibly on a different carrier. (Believe me, if it is a flight long enough for me to pay for a premium seat, I am going to switch flights so I can get my preferred seat) Bad for me, bad for AA, since they just lost a paying customer because of a policy to block out seats for pax who haven't even generated any revenue for them yet; pax who may not even ever materialize.

frank3355

Amen!

frank3355

That's outstanding!

SmilingBoy

Maybe, but airlines are pretty good at predicting loads. So, you don't book a flight because you don't get the seat you want - but afterwards, there is space for a couple that cares about sitting together, which would have otherwise booked somewhere else.

And probably, there are less solo travellers that would not fly if they cannot get their preferred window or aisle seat than couples that would not fly when they can't sit together.

SmilingBoy.

moeve

Ok to the Jerks who won't move grow and start acting your age and not your shoes size!!!! ´

I wonder if you guys are aware of the kind of responsiblity you are taking by being your selfish self? Yes YOU have to help the little guy when things start going wrong....

This child was so young it was definately AA respondsibilty to move this guy and make space for the mother. It is first and for most a safety and security issue.

kuroneko

These are suppositions. On the other hand, if an airline were to actually implement your proposal, it creates a very real negative scenario for both pax and airline.

If you really think about what you said, the logical conclusion would simply be to let market forces work this out - which is exactly what is happening now without additional policies and regulations burdening the system.

BTW, I view my seating preference largely due to the fact that I *am* a solo traveler on these flights. I need the aisle because when I need to get out, I am concerned about disturbing the person next to me. I am not tall enough to get step over their legs like some people can, so the person has to either move, or I bump them when attempting to step over. When I am traveling with someone, I don't care as much about window or aisle in adjacent seats, because it doesn't bother me to bug the person next to me, whom I know.

I also don't think it's such a critical matter for a couple to be able to sit together. I mean, realistically speaking, can't two adults sit apart for a couple of hours? And if they can't, OP aside, in all my frequent flying, I have never witnessed a situation where a reasonable seat swap was refused - more than likely, most people are glad to accomodate a couple or parent/child situation. I, as a single traveler, however, have no reason to request a seat swap from a window to an aisle - so my choices are far more limited - I either book the seat I want/need, or I will likely not get it. Yet you propose to limit me even further.

hippyhoppym

I absolutely think it is the airline's responsibility to make sure a four year old child is seated next to his/her mother. It's a safety issue. Otherwise, they are responsible if something happens to the child. The FA should have gone up the plane asking for someone to change their seat so a mother and her child can be seated together, and I am sure some kind person would have acquiesced. It sounds like they didn't even try to help. Next time fly with a non American airline, they are much more child/parent friendly. This would not have happened on British Airlines. I had one FA offer to hold my infant while I ate - can you imagine that on an American flight!! I would contact your local news media as I think this is appalling and the airline is responsible for safety of children aboard its planes. Can you imagine a four year old seated next to a pedophile on a darkened overnight plane - absolutely despicable.

HiJanIsHere

I'm stunned by the idea that people would rather be seated next to a four year-old (and be his defacto guardian during the flight) than switch seats.

These people are a bit short-sighted if they don't realize that, sometime during the flight, they are going to be begging to switch seats with a mom who has since decided she doesn't want to switch seats after all.

RichMSN

Oh, nonsense. As the parent of a 2-year-old, I recognize that my rights do not trump the rights of fellow passengers just because I chose to have a child.

I would never pay for F, but there have been times where I've been upgraded and my daughter the lap child and I decided to downgrade ourselves by asking a person next to an empty seat to switch.

I'm sure someone in Y would've been thrilled to fly F. Did your relatives ask anyone in Y to switch?

kuroneko

Personally, I think there is something else going on here. As I said earlier in this thread, I have never myself witnessed (or refused) a reasonable seat swap. Particularly when young children are involved, I really don't see anyone refusing such a request.

The mother knowingly booked seats that would imply that she would sit apart from her child, with the possible expectation that she could just tell (not ask) someone to move. Perhaps the refusal of the GAs, FAs and all the other pax to help might say something about how they were all approached by the mother with the issue. Of course, this is speculation, but you've got to wonder why so many people in a position to help refused to do so. Blaming group selfishness is one thing, but on this scale, you can only start to wonder about the other possibilities in this scenario.

sinanju

Exactly... and frank3355 has committed a logical fallacy there as well. His argument is that his sister's situation is the same as the "90-year old man with a cane". Their situations could not be more different. His sister created the situation herself when booking. The fact that the situation made it all the way to the airport is entirely her doing. We have no idea what trouble the hypothetical man with a cane might have, but I've never seen a situation where a less-able passenger was not cared for by crew and pax alike.

erik123

Penalizing a 4 year old for her mothers' bad planning is not being a good sport - no matter the mothers' behavior. Airplanes seem to be like cars nowadays - people just lower their standards of behavior when they're in one.

sinanju

Agreed. But, the hypothetical 90-year old man with the cane is far more deserving of sympathy than the mother who appears to be too good for coach despite the impact that creates for her children.

The situations are not equivalent and the two are not equally deserving -- my only point.

How one reacts to seeing the plight of either is up to one's self. But, frank3355 can hardly call a callous response "egotistical and self-absorbed" when those are exactly the attributes his sister displayed when booking herself into the situation, declining coach. Pot, meet kettle.

schwarm

Well, I was in a flight in coach in a 737 today, and the family in front of me (a couple, 3-year-old, and 8-month-old), who had purchased 4 seats, had their seating assignments all messed up by the airline. Well, 3 other passengers, each traveling alone, cheerfully switched seats (2 of them into middle seats, from aisle and window) so the family could sit 3 together and 1 across the aisle.

The moral: Coach fliers are better people than 1st class (and, even worse, their apologists on this thread).

J-M

Not to say that the OP's sister was "angry" but that's the quickest way for me to refuse to help you. If you cop an attitude with me and imply that I must switch seats to accomadate your progeny, then you can bet money that I will refuse to move and will instead keep my seat next to you just to spite you.