General Discussion

Ms. Toad

(38,825 posts)

56. First, I was responding to the post which suggested that there might not be two adjacent seats.

Wed May 13, 2015, 10:42 AM

May 2015

But as to your comment, some airlines have started pricing that no two adjacent seats can be obtained without a charge for one of them because window and aisle seats are upcharged. This is an offensive business practice, but typically it stops when you reach check-in. Apparently it didn't this time (the article notes the plane was filed with empty seats - so it is not like the only empty seats were in first class, and he was paying to change classes).

In addition, when you are traveling with a minor child you should not have to pay an upcharge to get adjacent seats at booking. Both dealing with passengers who are cranky about being asked (and expected) to move (perhaps away from seats they paid to select) to accommodate a last minute change - or the consequences of having a 4 year old seated 11 rows away from her father - make it a better business practice to accommodate this in advance (when seats are available).

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

58 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

dad doesn't book adjacent seats and whines cuz he has to pay $88 to sit next to daughter [View all] Liberal_in_LA May 2015 OP

I feel bad for him. dawg May 2015 #1

I agree with him. Why is his request such a big issue when Ultra Orthodox Jews can throw a stevenleser May 2015 #2

It wasn't a big issue. He could have waited until he got on the plane to see if anybody would LisaL May 2015 #5

By the time people get on the plane and settled in, they may be less willing to move. Tommy_Carcetti May 2015 #12

That's what he did, so it was his decision to pay up. LisaL May 2015 #14

Being offered only fee-based seat reassignment, when they knew damn well the flight had empty seats Gormy Cuss May 2015 #35

But he needed two seats next to each other. LisaL May 2015 #36

No, but there were probably middles back to back if the plane had plenty of empty seats. Gormy Cuss May 2015 #37

It's very likely that the only adjacent seats open were for sale at an extra fee discntnt_irny_srcsm May 2015 #38

There obviously WERE seats next to each other - Ms. Toad May 2015 #43

bingo TeamPooka May 2015 #44

There were, but they were more expensive. LisaL May 2015 #52

First, I was responding to the post which suggested that there might not be two adjacent seats. Ms. Toad May 2015 #56

thank you, exactly and so have I (moved). He didn't want to risk not having seats together, but was uppityperson May 2015 #57

I was on a flight where that happened DFW May 2015 #26

Jewish, sounds better than Jews there. I always figure out a way to do that because randys1 May 2015 #29

He used it correctly REP May 2015 #39

NOt according to several of my friends who are Jewish. I will defer to them, if it wasnt randys1 May 2015 #40

Jews can throw fits. So can Muslims and Christians. REP May 2015 #41

I'm Jewish. I said it correctly. Nt stevenleser May 2015 #48

Disagree totally doxyluv13 May 2015 #55

As others have pointed out, there's nothing wrong with referring to Jews as Jews. Gormy Cuss May 2015 #58

I don't know. It does sort of suck. Tommy_Carcetti May 2015 #3

yep. me too. d_r May 2015 #46

If there were "numerous empty seats", it seems easy enough to put them together. Even so, kids and uppityperson May 2015 #4

If there were numerous empty seats, why couldn't he find to adjacent seats at booking? LisaL May 2015 #6

He wanted a free upgrade REP May 2015 #8

Airlines have gone to specialized seat pricing. Ms. Toad May 2015 #45

maybe there were not 2 seats together. I often see that. uppityperson May 2015 #17

There's a third option--asking another passenger to switch. geek tragedy May 2015 #7

If one of his or his kid's seats was an aisle or window one, he'd have takers, no problem. MADem May 2015 #28

That's right. I've flown many masny miles, and i've never napi21 May 2015 #53

anybody who flys commercial flights has my sympathy olddots May 2015 #9

I wonder if he booked through the airline, or through something like Orbitz petronius May 2015 #10

I'd happily switch seats so a dad could sit with his TheCowsCameHome May 2015 #11

You should read the OP. LisaL May 2015 #13

He probably presumed TheCowsCameHome May 2015 #31

I have changed seats for a family to sit together Angry Dragon May 2015 #18

I would have too. LisaL May 2015 #23

Airlines suck today Angry Dragon May 2015 #15

What doesn't? LisaL May 2015 #16

DRAGONS Angry Dragon May 2015 #19

Nice post, Daenerys. nt Tommy_Carcetti May 2015 #24

Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot approve this message... (nt) petronius May 2015 #47

my job doesn't. uppityperson May 2015 #20

Lucky you. LisaL May 2015 #22

yup, indeed uppityperson May 2015 #25

Pulitzer prize material. phil89 May 2015 #21

I think most people who fly regularly would know that its not hard to find a sympathetic soul onenote May 2015 #27

Needs more information jberryhill May 2015 #30

Always select seats when you buy the ticket discntnt_irny_srcsm May 2015 #32

If he wanted to avoid the fee Ms. Yertle May 2015 #33

i agree witht he dude. if they could do it for 88, they could do it for customer service. nt seabeyond May 2015 #34

^== This. nt IdaBriggs May 2015 #50

He didn't trust that someone would trade with him at the gate, I suppose. DawgHouse May 2015 #42

I sense a bit of poutrage philosslayer May 2015 #49

I support him totally. Shame on Delta. 840high May 2015 #51

Non-story... I have had this happen on occasion with my children on flights where seats are not JCMach1 May 2015 #54