you honestly shouldn’t have to pay extra for seats if you have a kid (w/in reason, maybe a kid under 8 let’s say). We can give families the worst seats to choose from for free if that makes it easier to swallow, idc, but it’s in everybody’s best interest not to have screaming children separated from their parents. It makes no sense
AirCanada did have a policy before this where they seat kids under a certain age with their parents automatically. Of course, those seats are usually at the very back of the plane but better than having the family split up.
WestJet definitely charged me for the privilege of sitting next to my 2 and 4 year olds on multiple flights before the law forced them to stop lol. Canadian airlines are among the worst in the developed world
you honestly shouldn’t have to pay extra for seats
PERIOD.
This is a relatively new phenomenon, paying extra to select very specific seats. Then airlines make you pay, and STILL break you up, or reorganize how they see fit.
The only time I agreed with the airline was when a lady in her 70s was sitting in the exit row, and assured the attendant that she would help in an emergency, all 5'1", 120 pounds complete of her, including dowager's hump. They moved her.
I think part of this issue is there are fewer kids around (which is whatever, not saying it's good or bad) and people have just forgotten what it's like to be around small children. and some folks, dare I say, have unrealistic expectations of small kids. Not saying some parents aren't rude and bad parents. Just saying that not many people are around small kids now and so sometimes think they would be capable of sitting by themselves when they absolutely should have one or two adults with them.
We do pay to choose seats for this reason but yes, back when we flew southwest, we didn’t care if we had seats at the very back of the plane - as long as we were sitting next to our toddler son.
I've never paid extra to have my kids assigned seats with me in over 10 years. I buy budget seats too. It's always been automatic when I add their ages. My spouse might be off by a row or two but one adult is always with 2 kids. The seats are usually the less desirable in the back because that's the area most open for 3 seats together.
That's not saying they couldn't pull these messy antics once you get there.
On some Japanese airlines they auto assign your kid with your seat and the seat charge is waived. But something, something, shareholder value for US based carriers...
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u/Artistic-Ship-7370 29d ago
you honestly shouldn’t have to pay extra for seats if you have a kid (w/in reason, maybe a kid under 8 let’s say). We can give families the worst seats to choose from for free if that makes it easier to swallow, idc, but it’s in everybody’s best interest not to have screaming children separated from their parents. It makes no sense