To think airline software should not allow a 3 year old to be seated away from their parent?

[Inkstainedmags]

I suppose I'm looking for reassurance as I lie here unable to sleep before a flight. DP, DS (3) and I are due to take a transatlantic flight in the morning. We were unable to select seats when we booked the flight - we suspect because the grounding of Boeing 737 Max aircrafts meant the airline didn't know what craft they would be putting us on. Then, when check-in opened, the airline's website wouldn't allow us to proceed because it couldn't cope with dual citizenship and insisted we needed proof of visas for travel to the country we live in.

When we finally managed to try to check in at an airport kiosk, we found that all three of us are seated separately and there was nowhere for two of us to be sat together. No one from the airline was available to speak to.

Surely the airline has to sort this out, right? As much as I'd love the opportunity to spend a 7-hour flight watching movies and reading books like I used to pre-DS, they can't expect a barely 3-year-old to be sat next to a stranger can they?

AIBU to think that with all the amazing things software can do these days, an airline should be able to force a parent and toddler to be sat together and cope with travellers with dual citizenship?

This situation happened on my flight last year and as a single traveller I swapped seats to allow a family with a toddler and baby to stay seated together. I was happy so long as I had an aisle seat! (I hate feeling trapped by strangers as hate making people move if I need the toilet/ to fidget).

Inkstainedmags yes I’d rather that than shit myself, surprisingly. And I also wouldn’t tolerate being “leant all over” or having drinks spilled on me?!

The OP clearly states that all three are seated separately.

I agree once a seat is booked for a child it should become a double booking (or triple if one adult and two children) . Which is moved around the within the allocation of seats so that this situation does not arise. Nobody wants to be moved from a seat that they have paid for. This is surely not beyond the scope of computer programmers.

If there is a higher class on the plane they may upgrade a single traveller.

I agree once a seat is booked for a child it should become a double booking (or triple if one adult and two children) . Which is moved around the within the allocation of seats so that this situation does not arise

This is what I was getting at. This must be a problem software could solve.

Are you wanting someone else to move so the three of you are together?
Of course not that would be a ridiculous thing to make a fuss over. As I said originally, none of us are sat together. DH is in one row, I am in another and DS is in a different row on the other side of the airplane from both of us.

I really hope the next flight @apacketofcrisps gets on there is a lone toddler seated next to them. I would like to see the footage of how they stop said toddler from being toddler like

Apacketofcrisps
You should sell the force field you have invented that prevents a toddler given an open cup on a bumpy airplane from spilling juice all over the adjacent passengers. You would make a fortune.

On our return flight from India recently our flight was changed from a 45 minute layover to 5 hours. After much complaining we were put onto an earlier flight (2 hour layover) but it obviously meant we were then on a different plane. They gave us two seats together and one separate. A lovely man swapped with us so we could all be together (myself, husband and 3 year old). He really didn’t have to and was so kind. We had paid for selected seats on our original plane, it wasn’t our fault. A bit of kindness to others isn’t THAT hard to do

@Yellowpolkadot If said passenger a) refused to move (which is absolutely their right) and b) insisted I not lean over them to sort out my child I would have no choice but to buckle toddler in his seat restraint, return to my seat and put on headphones and wait for the video you describe to turn up on social media.

Again, more and more people will refuse to move - too many proud and smug CF boasting about not paying for their seat because "others will move".

It's not the case here at all, but on flights where people have paid to chose a seat, why should they move when the "families" have said themselves the cash and just expect to be seated together?

If you're flying back to Canada, you'll be with a load of Canadians. We're the friendliest people, I genuinely can't imagine someone wouldn't swap with you. I've flown WestJet a million times and they're usually really good about last minute accommodations for guests. I really think you'll be fine.

I do understand the principle @DHhasahobbyanditsnotcycling but at a certain point - when the child in question isn't developmentally capable of self-care - one is just cutting off one's nose to spite one's face. Also, my original point was and still is that where children under a certain age are concerned airlines should sort out their software so this doesn't happen.

Is it worth using their Facebook/Twitter to put out a question about this? They usually respond quickly to that for customers. It's business hours here, Have you been able to reach a live person by calling?

In the circumstances you are describing OP I think you will be ok.

The biggest "tell" is the 2-2-2 layout.

There will be passengers (I would be one) who would swap seats in a heartbeat rather than sit next to a 3 year old. I've done long haul flights and short haul with my own and I'm damn sure I'm not going to be responsible for anyone else's child at that age .

As for the software, it "can" be done in theory. However, the algorithms on seat allocation I strong suspect are based firmly on maximising profit.

Sounds awful? Well, yes and no and yes again.

It's bad when encountering situations such as this, but in reverse it also reduces prices to make air travel more affordable.....which fuels (sorry for the pun) demand that destroys for the environment - bad for us all.

A number of posters don’t really seem to have read the OP’s posts properly. They are in premium economy on a Canadian airline and at this time of year I would have thought that the bulk of their fellow passengers would be lone or business travellers - not families who don’t want to be split up themselves. So if it came to the crunch then I can’t see that someone wouldn’t swap from one decent seat to another decent seat which was not next to a lively toddler (provided it didn’t mean they then had to sit next to packetofcrisps)

In reality, they’ll sort it out at bag drop. I’ve often found that on transatlantic flights there are no options to change seats at check in, and then got on to find lots of empty seats so you can just physically move - presumably because at check in they are keeping seats free so that people can be changed round depending on their needs.

If you booked and the premium economy was configured 2-2-2 then your issue has nothing to do with the MAX as the 2-2-2 config is for the 767. However it's usually 737 into the UK - Gatwick or Glasgow? They would have a 2-2 in premium and 3-3 further back.

They will sort it I am sure. You may be in the seat behind or across the aisle but they won't give your child a seat that is not within touching distance.

If I were asked to swap, I wouldn't do it but rest assured there will probably be people who will.
I suggest you get to the airport extra early.

Those saying I would have to swap to avoid a toddler.
I'm flying shortly, one adult with 2 kids (In a 3-4-3 config usually). If we were in the middle block of 4 I couldn't swap without leaving MY kids unattended. So, no. I wouldn't be moving in that situation. And whilst I would assist with essentials for an extra child, again, my priority would be my kids, not yours. Given a choice, I do pick the block of 3 seats tho!
It's not always as simple as "just move someone". People often have reasons for seating as they have requested - their own family, access to facilities. Whilst I'm sure people will help if possible, it's not always possible.

Ink I hope the seating situation is resolved, and you have an easy flight.

Our flight home was cancelled, we've been put on the next available flight by the airline and due to that we are unable to select our seats (which we had paid to do on the original flight) and so we are all sat one in front of the other, including our 3yo. I'm praying if we get on the flight (whole other thread) that some one would prefer to move than sit with my 3yo. I'm also concerned about the risk of abuse.

Hmmmbop what kind of abuse risk do you fear? You mean rudeness from other passengers because of potential small child behaviour issues?

londonsfirst any kind of abuse. He's not a badly behaved kid but at the end of the day he's 3 and on a plane. He'll likely annoy whoever is next to him as he can't entertain himself for 3 hours.

And there's also the risk of opportunistic sexual or physical abuse- small but there. There have been recent high profile cases of people masturbating on planes next to other (female and teenage) passengers.

It’ll be sorted by desk staff don’t worry! The answer is that you won’t be seated apart from a 3 year old for any reason.

Nothing to add . Hope you get it sorted.

If you're flying WestJet it will be absolutely fine! They have the best customer service and I have always found them brilliant when I fly with DCs.

The plane probably wont be so full out of season, so should be ok. It's a shame so may people now refuse to pay and expect others to move as it makes people less inclined to moved and those who genuinely couldn't get anxious and stressed thinking people won't.

I'd raise a complaint about their booking system with them once sorted as this could easily happen again if it's an issue with the webpage not accepting dual passports.

I've been on a plane where people refused to move, Mum and Dad kicked off and were told they'd have to get off. However they were really bratty. People did offer to swap from the back of the plane but they wanted away from the bathrooms, plus kids were teens/preteens. They ended up sitting parents together and kids together. Kids looked relieved if I'm honest. Other times, it's been small kids and someone has moved or been upgraded.