United Splitting up Families (Basic Economy ticket)
Sep 4, 2018, 2:17 pm
#316
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Raddison Platinum, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 5,271
Not that I'm equating kids to dogs, but I remember one time I was in the bulkhead row. The FA asked if anyone was willing to swap to sit further back in an aisle seat because their large dog would not fit. The girl in the middle next to me volunteered and I ended up next to a dog blocking the floor for the entire flight while the FA complained about my bag sticking out too far.
Either way its the wrong attitude to take but 9 times out of 10, they'll find someone to move.
Sep 4, 2018, 5:07 pm
#317
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA AA
Posts: 57
Parent entitled one....
No it has nothing to do with entitlement.
Its the same courtesy that we extent to the elderly by offering them a seat on a bus or perhaps to pregnant women who we let to go ahead of us in some line etc etc..
calling the need for a small child to sit with a parent "entitlement" is just messed up...
It should not be hard for ua to keep young children together with parents as they normally do on countless flights on any fare to avoid reseating issues (which are indeed unfair to others)...
Its the same courtesy that we extent to the elderly by offering them a seat on a bus or perhaps to pregnant women who we let to go ahead of us in some line etc etc..
calling the need for a small child to sit with a parent "entitlement" is just messed up...
It should not be hard for ua to keep young children together with parents as they normally do on countless flights on any fare to avoid reseating issues (which are indeed unfair to others)...
UA should put a policy in place that any ticket for "children" and the associated parent cannot be basic economy. Additionally, if the parent tries to get around by booking separately, make it so they have to pay the unaccompanied minor fee.
This coming from a parent of 4 who traveled with them enough. It was my choice to have children, it is my responsibility to take care of them - in this case, having a seat next to them.
Sep 4, 2018, 5:21 pm
#318
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 177
The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A whole thread of whiny DYKWIA types, with all your small-minded, nasty "those parents better not take what's mine" "those scum are cheating/playing the system", "my seat is mine" "I'm entitled and I'm not moving" "Your kids are not my problem" "Pay a few extra bucks or suffer, baby" comments. You know what? You failed that test. Big time. I hope you're all thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A whole thread of whiny DYKWIA types, with all your small-minded, nasty "those parents better not take what's mine" "those scum are cheating/playing the system", "my seat is mine" "I'm entitled and I'm not moving" "Your kids are not my problem" "Pay a few extra bucks or suffer, baby" comments. You know what? You failed that test. Big time. I hope you're all thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.
Sep 4, 2018, 5:35 pm
#319
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,508
The busy mom angle to me is simply the recognition that this is a person who lacked perfect knowledge. In many parts of society, there are situations in which there is a large disparity in outcomes between people who have disparities in knowledge. Oddly enough, the finer details of air travel is one of those areas (in no small part due to a lot of fine print and complicated rules that airlines purposefully develop to squeeze extra profit margins levied on those with imperfect knowledge through fees). I do extensive work in the university setting to correct knowledge-disparities that have produced large disparities in who continues to graduate education (in STEM, where is matters), and frankly, I get sick and tired of people with more perfect knowledge blaming others with imperfect knowledge for their outcomes. It isn't helpful and smacks of privilege. FT should work more at correcting knowledge, not blaming people for a lack of knowlege. And what is that knowledge? That knowledge is that United indeed has this terrible policy on minor children that is in violation of the spirit of a 2016 law passed by Congress but not made into rules. A policy that is less customer friendly than their competitors.
Sep 4, 2018, 5:43 pm
#320
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,508
Typical, an adult doesn't take the time to do a tiny bit of research, picks a product that doesn't work well for their situation, and it's the airlines fault that things became tough. Then OP, tries to pull up a supposed law to throw in the agents face, is wrong about the law, and definitely doesn't help the situation.
I know this comes off as crude, but I am tired of hearing people spending hundreds of their own money not even taking 5 minutes to research what they are buying, and then blaming everyone else.
I know this comes off as crude, but I am tired of hearing people spending hundreds of their own money not even taking 5 minutes to research what they are buying, and then blaming everyone else.
Sep 4, 2018, 5:43 pm
#321
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 177
is very different to "WE WILL MAKE YOUR KIDS SIT WITH STRANGERS!!!"
I assume the former means "We will assign you seats. You don't get to choose where those seats are, but if you are travelling with children, we will assign you seats with your children." Surely that is a reasonable compromise?
I assume the former means "We will assign you seats. You don't get to choose where those seats are, but if you are travelling with children, we will assign you seats with your children." Surely that is a reasonable compromise?
Sep 4, 2018, 5:45 pm
#322
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: AA PLT PRO, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plt. Premier
Posts: 587
The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A whole thread of whiny DYKWIA types, with all your small-minded, nasty "those parents better not take what's mine" "those scum are cheating/playing the system", "my seat is mine" "I'm entitled and I'm not moving" "Your kids are not my problem" "Pay a few extra bucks or suffer, baby" comments. You know what? You failed that test. Big time. I hope you're all thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A whole thread of whiny DYKWIA types, with all your small-minded, nasty "those parents better not take what's mine" "those scum are cheating/playing the system", "my seat is mine" "I'm entitled and I'm not moving" "Your kids are not my problem" "Pay a few extra bucks or suffer, baby" comments. You know what? You failed that test. Big time. I hope you're all thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.
She does not actually have to say those words with her actions that is what she taught her children.
Sep 4, 2018, 5:50 pm
#323
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,508
is very different to "WE WILL MAKE YOUR KIDS SIT WITH STRANGERS!!!"
I assume the former means "We will assign you seats. You don't get to choose where those seats are, but if you are travelling with children, we will assign you seats with your children." Surely that is a reasonable compromise?
I assume the former means "We will assign you seats. You don't get to choose where those seats are, but if you are travelling with children, we will assign you seats with your children." Surely that is a reasonable compromise?
1. Pay the extra $20 and choose seats, thereby guaranteeing you sit with the kid
2. Save $20 and take a chance that you will not sit together - as is stated clearly when doing so.
What you want is
3. Save $20 and get the benefits everyone else gets by paying the extra $20.
Sep 4, 2018, 6:52 pm
#324
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K MM, Accor Plat, Htz PC, Natl ExEm, other random status
Posts: 2,876
And by that standard, the parents of many children fail as to their morality, because they're willing to gamble on whether or not their children will be seated next to them, just to save a few bucks.
Sep 4, 2018, 7:41 pm
#325
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 177
There's no compromise here. It's a binary choice of
1. Pay the extra $20 and choose seats, thereby guaranteeing you sit with the kid
2. Save $20 and take a chance that you will not sit together - as is stated clearly when doing so.
What you want is
3. Save $20 and get the benefits everyone else gets by paying the extra $20.
1. Pay the extra $20 and choose seats, thereby guaranteeing you sit with the kid
2. Save $20 and take a chance that you will not sit together - as is stated clearly when doing so.
What you want is
3. Save $20 and get the benefits everyone else gets by paying the extra $20.
Sep 4, 2018, 7:53 pm
#326
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
No, you have completely missed my point. 3. is not "save $20 get the benefits everyone else gets". 3. is "Save $20 and sit with your children WHERE WE PUT YOU, or pay $20 to sit with your children WHERE YOU CHOOSE TO SIT". These are different things. Why are you finding this so difficult to understand?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Sep 4, 2018 at 8:06 pm Reason: Discuss the issues, not the poster(s); non-contributing noise
Sep 4, 2018, 7:56 pm
#327
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA AA
Posts: 57
Windows / Aisles are extra
is very different to "WE WILL MAKE YOUR KIDS SIT WITH STRANGERS!!!"
I assume the former means "We will assign you seats. You don't get to choose where those seats are, but if you are travelling with children, we will assign you seats with your children." Surely that is a reasonable compromise?
I assume the former means "We will assign you seats. You don't get to choose where those seats are, but if you are travelling with children, we will assign you seats with your children." Surely that is a reasonable compromise?
Parents should be responsible for their own kids and purchase the product they require. In this case, an assigned seat.
Sep 4, 2018, 8:03 pm
#328
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA AA
Posts: 57
parent was the DYKWIA type
The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A whole thread of whiny DYKWIA types, with all your small-minded, nasty "those parents better not take what's mine" "those scum are cheating/playing the system", "my seat is mine" "I'm entitled and I'm not moving" "Your kids are not my problem" "Pay a few extra bucks or suffer, baby" comments. You know what? You failed that test. Big time. I hope you're all thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A whole thread of whiny DYKWIA types, with all your small-minded, nasty "those parents better not take what's mine" "those scum are cheating/playing the system", "my seat is mine" "I'm entitled and I'm not moving" "Your kids are not my problem" "Pay a few extra bucks or suffer, baby" comments. You know what? You failed that test. Big time. I hope you're all thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.
Sep 4, 2018, 8:06 pm
#329
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: United Plat 2MM, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,727
That's not the gamble. The gamble is that they can make a stranger move, so they can save a few bucks. And they're right.
Sep 4, 2018, 8:06 pm
#330
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: united
Posts: 1,636
There's no compromise here. It's a binary choice of
1. Pay the extra $20 and choose seats, thereby guaranteeing you sit with the kid
2. Save $20 and take a chance that you will not sit together - as is stated clearly when doing so.
What you want is
3. Save $20 and get the benefits everyone else gets by paying the extra $20.
1. Pay the extra $20 and choose seats, thereby guaranteeing you sit with the kid
2. Save $20 and take a chance that you will not sit together - as is stated clearly when doing so.
What you want is
3. Save $20 and get the benefits everyone else gets by paying the extra $20.
1. Pay the extra $40 and get priority boarding
or
2. Save the $40 and board with your normal group.
What parents want is
3. Save the $40 and get the benefits everyone else gets by paying the extra $40.
And yet, airlines let them "game the system" like that. And folks in this thread get their boarding priorities lowered by these people.
Because- wait for it- relaxing rules to benefit parents is fine.