United airlines doesn,t let parents with infants preboard

[stella1w]

Travelled a lot across the pond alone with two young children and never had this before. It,s hard enough struggling up the aisle with a squirmy baby, hand luggage etc and i,d given up expecting air stewards to help with the overhead lockers. But to expect someone with a baby to get stuck in the general boarding crush is insane. It,s easier for everyone and safer for the baby to get them settled in first and away from people flinging their stuff in the overhead lockers etc.

This thread is quite something!
OP, I agree with whoever said if you don't like it don't fly United. They are cheaper for a reason. I personally prefer to go on early so I can arrange my demon seeds and all my crap without a plane full of people watching me tutting. Just me opinion, like everyone else's.
And Knickers, if you or anyone else choose to be offended by the term "trolley dollies", then that is your right. I personally find the name Mumsnet quite offensive, but there you are, another different opinion.

London - you are entitled to your opinions but they are offensive.

Would you call a Flight Attendant a Trolley Dolly to their face?? .. I think NOT! They are people who work hard, have to put up with unsociable working conditions and deal with a lot of crap - especially from people with attitudes like yours!

When the kids were small we usually flew together and DH would go on as soon as possible... pre-board if allowed, but if not whenever he could get on. He would take the car seat and as many bags as humanly possible and get us set up. We usually crammed the space in front of the car seat with bags so we could reach them WHEN the baby threw up during take off. I would keep both kids, baby in the sling and pre-schooler charging around. Buggy was for transporting any left over bag DH couldn't carry. We were usually the very last people on the plane. I would usually tell the gate staff I wanted to be on last so DS#1 could use up as much energy as possible and they would tell me the last second we could board.

On the occasions I didn't fly with DH (thankfully rare) I usually asked someone for help, people were more than happy to do so. One wonderful young lady entertained my toddler for an entire 3 hour flight after choosing to sit next to us (unassigned seating).

I was reading doily not dolly and couldn't figure what on earth a decorative trolley cover was.

DOH.

I thought I was bad for constantly forgetting that stewardess is a non-pc term now and accidentally using it and having to correct myself. Dolly is really bad.

United sucks in general. Don't fly them.

Problem solved.

Until you've flown Egypt Air from Cairo to usa and back, trust me, you don't know the meaning of crappy airline.

11 hours of crass stupidity/arrogance. United are a dream in comparison.

It is nice to get on first but if it doesn't happen just reverse it and go last. With small children I had a bag that fitted by my feet - it was much easier. If the overhead space nearest to you is full just ask the flight attendant to rearrange because you need yours near you.

Yes, parents with children should go to the front of the queue in every situation . Really OP?

Is it definitely a United policy though? Last week I flew KLM and was boarded first, yesterday I flew KLM and wasn't called, so waited until last. Tbh my toddler was a lot easier to deal with going on last and saying "hi" to everyone as we found our seats - than trying to keep him occupied whilst others boarded. I don't know what KLM's official policy is but I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill. We also waited until everyone else got off the plane and sat on the bus furiously waiting as I struggled down the stairs with bags, a buggy, a toddler & a baby... well, they could've helped if they'd wanted to go faster.

If you want an "airport argument" why not pick something worthy of an argument, like security staff getting irate when your 2 year old loses his shit when being asked to stand still for 10 seconds with his hands up in the air inside a body scanner, or you being made to look after 2 tiny-tots and remove their shoes (and your own), them taking your passports & phone out of your bag and sticking them in a bucket next to strangers 20' away, or them asking you to decant milk into another container (screw-top lid, peel-back safety tab) when you're holding a baby and your toddler is getting stressed. Now that sort of shit is worthy of complaining about.

Dolomites I agree. Watch what happens when a two year old's Kermit toy HAS to go through the scanner, two year olde freaks out and then the security make Mama go back ALONE through the scanner because something beeped. Then they take her fruit pouches - not because they were too big, oh no, because they were not in a sealed bag and I didn't have one to hand. Arseholes. Dublin airport FOR SHAME.

or when airlines cock up the seat allocation and put the four of you in different parts of the plane - the two strangers who found my 8 year old seated between them were UNIMPRESSED.
Luckily we managed to swap seats so we could at least see each other.

I like getting on late when there are allocated seats - less time with burger all leg room.

Manchester airport FOR SHAME.

Amsterdam couldn't have been nicer and more helpful wrt me with my hands full!

Talkin Their own fault, they probably thought they were being clever picking seats A & C, figuring nobody would opt to be B...

Dolomites
but I suspect there are rules about seating children anywhere near their parents - he was ten rows away from me, I was 4 rows from DH and DD was on the other side of the plane somewhere in the middle ....
we ended up with 2 plus 1 in 1 row and me on my own ...

When we flew with BA to LA in September from Heathrow, parents with children were given priority boarding. Coming back we did Phoenix - Chicago, Chicago - Heathrow with American Airlines. I must admit I was a bit "umm" when I realised that American Airlines weren't giving parents with children priority boarding. The worst flight was Phoenix - Chicago as American Airlines is one of those which charge for hold baggage; we were twenty five minutes late leaving as the cabin crew couldn't fit all the "hand" baggage into the overhead bins! However, there was plenty of room in the bins on the transatlantic flight.

I am disabled and have nothing but praise for most of the airlines I have used in Europe and the States - my worst experience was at Heathrow coming back in September. So far I haven't even had the courtesy of a response from them.

I do think, though, that the idea of parents with children boarding last seems a good one (I'm not in this position as I am now onto grandchildren). It seems eminently sensible to let the children have a run around before they are put on a long flight in particular.

I recently travelled alone with two young children and most of the people in the queue told me to go in front of them as they could see I was struggling after they took the pushchair away to put on plane. But there is no way I would expect to get on before anyone else. Also there is room on the floor under the seat in front of you (or three seats in my case, mine and two dc's) which was plenty for my hand luggage.
So YABU I think

I traveled with a baby, then toddler, sometimes on long-haul flights or rather lots of long-ish flights one after another with prolonged sitting in airports in between. I always board last and as late as possible. The "no space in the overhead bins" is never a problem for me as I don't see the point of putting luggage in the overhead bin when I need to pull out toys/books/snacks out of it a million times during the flight. I pack a bag that can fit under the front seat (or under my seat, if necessary) and can be easily opened. It is also not pleasant to deal with a small squirmy child when people and climbing over you to their seats, swinging their bags over your head, etc. I'd rather board last when everyone is settled. And the less time on board, the better.

Where is the thread about queue jumping because you have kids, there was a points system devised on that thread so it was clear who will be given priority.

Although I think in OPs situation someone who has hayfever, is 2 stone overweight and had a pet of some description dressed in frilly knickers may have been given priority.

YABU I'm afraid. People without children aren't second class citizens, they need space too.

Fashionistas vs Faaaaamileees

HTH.

Last time I flew with DD 2.5 was a few weeks ago when I was 27 weeks pregnant and BA were super lovely and helpful. I cant say the same for my fellow passengers on the bus from the plane who let an obviously pregnant woman carry a sleeping toddler while trying to hold onto the overhead straps to keep her balance while they sat on the handful of bus seats and ignored my polite request "could someone possibly let me have a seat please".

Ephiny Thank you for posting that, its the funniest thread I've seen in ages.