The Ultimate Flying Experience
 

Okay...lots of you guys and gals write reports on your global conquests in first class, describing the various wine selections, seat positions, noise cancelling headphones, blah, blah, blah.

This is a trip report from the bottom of the barrel. A trip report from the lowest level of possible luxury. Yes, lower than Aeroflot! The United Shuttle in a middle seat.

My brother and his family live near Phoenix. He has two kids ages 4 and 6. I have a son who will be 3 in a few months. Anyway, my emotional heartstrings got the best of me and felt it was time for the cousins to get together for a weekend of play and getting to know each other. My wife has travelled with our little boy many times and we both have gone many places with him as a family. However, she had too many projects to work on over the weekend and decided this would be the "Boys weekend trip". I decided to try a trip with just the two of us since he has logged about 40,000 in his short life and does well on planes.

1/19/01 SEA-SFO United Shuttle 737-500

Yeah, yeah, I know. I avoid the Shuttle like the plague. But I had a bunch of travel vouchers from being bumped in ORD over Xmas and a free trip on Shuttle is still going to win over a purchased ticket on another carrier.

This flight is going to disappoint all of you Shuttle-haters. What can I say? It left on time and we got the obligatory bag of pretzels and arrived on time. The guy in the row behind us literally screamed at the FA because he wanted a bottle of water. She responded somewhat rudely that they don't give out bottles of water but could have saved herself the grief if she had stated that they don't *have* little bottles of water. Only memorable thought about this flight is my lack of comfort. Partly my own fault as my son was seated by the window in a car seat. The car seat is a plastic equivalent of a big guy hogging the armrest as the seat spills over into the middle seat area. On the other side of me..."Big Momma". Heavy-set older woman was so large that she spent the entire flight with her arms folded across her body as to only take up a third of my sitting area! I spent the flight leaning towards my son. It was okay since we spent the flight time putting stickers into a Blues Clues puzzle book. Greeted by Wanderlust at the SFO arrival gate. He kindly took us to the RCC where we talked over a couple of beers for about 90 minutes while my son built a tower out of complimentary yellow and white Tillamook cheese squares and Pepperidge Farm crackers.

1/19/01 SFO-PHX United Shuttle 737-500

It was getting dark so I wouldn't have the view out of the window to entertain the boy. Of course, middle seat for me again, another bag of pretzels (hey, at least it wasn't that awful snack mix with the little off-colored cheese nuggets). Easy flight as he nodded of for about an hour while I read. Another completely full flight but this time I was wedged next to a thin woman who adored children and even engaged my son in conversation before he dozed. On time departure, on time arrival. Wow!

1/21/01 PHX-LAX United Shuttle 737-300

After a great weekend of fun and family, it was time to head home. Oh joy, another Shuttle flight and another bag of pretzels. Deja vu on this flight as the guy a few rows ahead asked for a complete can of soda and was refused rudely. He backed off but mummbled loudly that UA Shuttle sucked. My seatmate (a younger woman) was also listening and made me chuckle when she said the airline motto should be "United Shuttle: where the answer is always NO!" I got the sense that many travellers would like to see some changes with Shuttle service. I'm speechless as we had a third on time departure and arrival. An unusual deplaning at LAX...flight attendant announced that those in the back half of the plane (that's us of course) could exit via the stairs in the back. So...down the stairs and a walk under the wing...at LAX nonetheless. I've never had this happen with a jet aircraft at LAX and my son got a real kick out of walking so close to the plane. A 737 actually looks really big from ground level. We were connecting to our only non-Shuttle flight and had the longest possible walk between two UA aircraft. From the end of Terminal 8 to the very end of Terminal 6. Up on my shoulders went the boy and I got a terrific aerobic workout. Even though we were getting dinner on the next flight, he was stating a desire for food. Stopped at Ruby's Dinette in Terminal 6 and shared an order of shoestring fries and a chocolate milkshake. My son loved the idea of two straws in one drink...a new concept for him in "sharing management".

1/21/01 LAX-SEA United 757

Our only non-Shuttle flight and the worst of the bunch! Departed about 20 minutes late. Another middle seat for me with a noticeably smaller width! A normal sized guy next to me that I ended up smashing my arm against for the duration of the flight due to the narrow seating. Of course, the teenaged girl in front of me drops her recliner back in one quick swoop, banging me on the head as I was leaning down to the floor to retrieve a toy for my son. Ouch! As I reposition my knees to accomodate her, she actually turns around and complains about being bumped! I tell her that it was rude of her not to recline slowly and I'm getting repositioned and to deal with it! She resoponded with another sarcastic comment. Okay, now it was war! I break out the ammo...my son's Buzz Lightyear toy that makes lots of noise! I turn it on, he squeals with joy and she looks very annoyed! Success! On to meal service...my dinner was gross. Baked cheese ravioli that wasn't as tasty as the stuff in a can from Franco-American. A limp one ounce salad, a breadstick that my son comandeered and a cookie. Yawn...ho hum...blecch! He got the kid's McDonalds meal with a cool airport food truck toy, a cheeseburger, a little bag of baby carrots, about 4 ounces of cut orange slices and canteloupe and a regular sized bag of McDonald's cookies. He got a better meal that I did! Flight landed a few minutes late, mom picked us up and so it goes...I survived a middle seat on four segments with a toddler!



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[This message has been edited by MileageAddict (edited 01-25-2001).]

Great report! I can empathize...two years ago I took my (then) three year old to visit his abuelitos, tios, & primos in Mexico City (SMF-LAX-MEX on UA). I also had the middle seat as El Cochinitito was in a toddler seat next to the window. Coincidentally, a teenage girl in front of me (likely from the same gene pool as the one you met) decided that reclining her seat, quickly and without checking first, during the meal service was her god given right. My mac-n-cheese lunch went flying. She turns around, gives me an "Oh Well" look, and doesn't say a thing. My son, bless his heart, says in his loud three year old voice, "Daddy, that lady is not very nice!" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by El Cochinito (edited 01-25-2001).]

"I survived a middle seat on four segments with a toddler!"

Way to go MA! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Fond memories too! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Thanks! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Thanks for the report! Question: why did you use a car seat for a child almost three years old?

In my case it was because:
1. of safety.
2. He likes to look outside the window, and the toddler seat raises him up high enough.
3. He generally sleeps better in the toddler seat.

Good point, I had not thought about 2) and 3). But I don't believe it's safer. Actually, it could be a smidgen less safe, because it may be more difficult to get the child out in an emergency from a car seat than a regular seat belt.

FWIW, when I fly with my 18 month old, I strap him in with the regular seat belt (separate seat).

[This message has been edited by JS (edited 01-25-2001).]

Great report!

I use the car seat on the plane for a multitude of reasons. Foremost is clear air turbulance. Just as with a car, a lap belt is not sufficient protection for a small body. The car seat has a 4 point harness and will keep him in his seat if something unexpected happens. As far as getting him out in an emergency. Hey, after putting him in and taking him out of that thing about a million times, I know those straps and buckles like the back of my hand and can have him out of it in 3 seconds flat if need be.

As far as convenience, it is his comfort zone. As with a car ride, he mentally knows that if he is placed in that seat, he's in for a journey that could last 3 minutes or 3 hours. We've tried just putting him in an airplane seat with just the lap belt and within an hour or so, he is squirming to get down on the floor or stand up. Lastly, just like the car, he is comforatble in a seat that fits him and is more likely to nap on a long journey.

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Addicted to airline miles? Check out: The Airline Mileage Workshop

This is not true. A car is not like an airplane. Most car crashes involve stopping suddenly, from moving horizontally to not moving at all.

In turbulence, an airplane can move up and down or left and right quickly, but not horizontally. A shoulder belt does not help much in this situation.

In a survivable crash, the plane doesn't stop suddenly. It slides or rolls along the ground until friction slows your speed down to zero.

What I'm getting at is that many people (including Congress) equate driving in a car with flying on a plane in terms of safety and crash worthiness. If the same program of crash prevention (as opposed to crash-worthiness) that is used for planes were applied to cars, driving would be much safer.

Another good reason to use a carseat when flying with a 3-year-old is that once you arrive at your destination you have one to use in the car - - - without worrying whether it will arrive as baggage or be damaged by the ramp gorillas.

I rent a car seat at my destination if I'm renting a car ($5 a day).

Hi JS - Good point, rental carseats are an option, but they cannot be guaranteed to be there, they might not be clean, etc. One time I rented a carseat on Maui, it had a vinyl seating surface and could only be described as yukky (one of my daughter's favorite expressions). We had to take handtowels from our room every day to cover the seat and prevent seatburn in the hot climate. Also, the original post stated he was visiting family and I would assume he didn't rent a car. Veteran moms would probably recommend taking your carseat from home. I'm sure some would agree and some would not!

<< Veteran moms would probably recommend taking your carseat from home. >>

No car seat at home, hence the rental! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Hi JS

Ahhhh --- touché!

*sniff* They grow up so fast! I was doing a search for something else and came across this trip report from 4 years ago...first time I flew solo with my toddler son. Now he's been to three continents and is ready to fly to Grandma's house all by himself.

Grin, and I bet you no longer get hot meals on such flights! :(