Uniter

This was definitely a first for me. I was on an early evening flight last week, IAD-LAS. A woman walks on the plane with two kids in front of her and (as I see when she turns around), a baby strapped to her back. She was dressed in some sort of African garb. As her kids continue to the back of the plane, she sees an empty window seat in front of me in E+ and grabs it with her baby.

At this point, I'm assuming the kids' father is in the back of the plane. As I'm making funny faces at her baby, the true owner of that seat shows up. This young lady says: "Oh, are you in the aisle? I'm in the window, but I'll take the aisle if you want to sit there with your baby."

Very nice of her, I think. The mother merely looks around. It seems to me like she speaks no English. The other passenger shrugs and takes the aisle.

Well, 5 minutes later, the true owner of the aisle seat shows up. The FA is notified and comes over to figure things out. She asks for the mother's BP. Again, she just looks around.

Now another FA comes over from the back of the plane with one of the kids in tow. She says: "Ma'am, is this your child? We found him wandering in the back of the plane. He was terrified. You can't just abandon your children!"

The two FAs tell her to stand up and they take her to the back of the plane with her kids. The mother is so non-chalant about the whole thing!

Anyway, it was one of the craziest things I've seen in a while.

FriendlySkies

Interesting. I wonder if she just did not understand what to do, or if she was just trying to get the E+ seat..

mahasamatman

I've always wanted a parent to leave their child sitting next to me so I could do my part to increase their vocabulary during the flight...

davef139

Maybe the lady thought it was Southwest?

hur88

WOW! How incredibly irresponsible of her! Why would you just abandon your child to wander to the back of the plane just to get a better seat?!

Task Force DL

This is one of the best FT posts that I have seen in at least two years. Way to go: mahasamatman !

PDXPremier

Never underestimate the power of 5 extra inches of legroom ^

flying for gold elite

The craziest event I witnessed lately was on CO when a couple abandoned their kid in SEA security. The parents were traveling in F with a lap infant. Their three kids were in the back of Y. Two of the kids got on a little after their parents. As the GA was making sure everything was in place before the door shut the mom apparently got a text message from the third daughters explaining that she was still at security.

The plane was late departing and so after about 10 mins the GA was encouraging the parents to make a decision because clearly the kid was not insight. During this time the mom was having a nervous breakdown. In the end both parents deplaned and the two kids stayed on the plane. I could not understand how the parents were unable to keep track of three walking children!

avsfan33

With 3 kids I do not think that it was 5 inches of legroom that was to blame here.

84fiero

^

RandomTaiwanese

this thread is comedy gold. people get soo hyped for a few inches of legroom for just a few hours that they would abandon their kids for it.

also...

^^^^^

just... wow


at least the door was still open so she was still ok to use her cell phone =p

RandomTaiwanese

did they let other elites upgrade into F? =p

flying for gold elite

Actually the person next to me suggested to the kids that they take their parents' seats. They asked the GA and she approved. So I guess the family got a good deal assuming the revenue F parents got rebooked in the same cabin on the next flight.

JoeBagodonuts

as well as sign language skill lessons

ande777emt

^ Good minds must think alike.

I just hope you'd get upgraded so you didn't have to sit next to unattended children in the first place.