Should I pay to sit with my 4 year old

zagfles

iammumtoone wrote: »

I would disagree regarding the safety issue, if there was an emergency and the plane needed to be evacuated are you saying you would not look for your 14 year old and just get yourself off the plane leaving him to fend for himself. I am sure your first thought would be to find him and make sure he was safe before you thought about yourself.

No, there's no safety issue at all. My 14 year old would as capable of evacuating as an adult. There's more of a safety issue with older people who may not be as agile.

I flew on my own at 14. Most airlines let 12 year olds fly unaccompanied. Kids of that age are likely to be first off the plane in an emergency! I'd have more concern if my Mum was travelling with me.

sandsy

The last time there was a post on this topic, it was suggested by one poster that if you end up away from your kids, be sure to point out to the adults sitting beside your child that he is prone to airsickness.

duchy

Trouble is most people who fall foul of the seating issues are the infrequent travellers as they simply don't know about it and compound the problem by assuming "check in two hours before" means "arrive at the airport two hours before ....eventually find your check in desk and join the end of a long queue" so are often last to check in and most seats are already allocated.

Increasingly though people who travel frequently have grown tired of this issue and whilst prepared to help out in a case of genuine need-when a passenger with obvious entitlement issues want to purloin their seat will refuse.

nodiscount

Some horrible views on this thread.
Thanks to all those 'if you want to sit next to your child make sure you pay' brigade the airlines are laughing all the way to the bank.

In a civilised world you shouldn't have to pay to sit next to a vulnerable person.

I suspect there's a lot of child haters on this thread.

George_Michael

With only one exception that i could find, every personal insult on this thread seems to have come from the "responsible" parents.
I would have thought that being responsible parents, they would have been more easy going when listening to other's views.

Those who are saying the passenger should pay extra to ensure that their four year old is sat with them are talking nonsense

I really cannot believe what I'm reading here, especially posts from people who say "you should have paid extra"! These people should be ashamed of themselves.

You have an appropriate name for the drivel you are spouting

If you have kids (god forbid)

Some horrible views on this thread.

I suspect there's a lot of child haters on this thread

duchy

Yes isn't it dreadful ....those evil people like Shaun and Murph who travel regularly with their children and take responsibility for making sure their families are sitting together by paying for it- expecting other parents to be equally responsible. They must be real child haters :rotfl:

It's simple if as a parent you choose to book your own child onto a flight then as a parent it is your responsibility to ensure you do not place them in a vulnerable position-in this case by ensuring they are seated with you - and if you as the parent have chosen to transport them on an airline that needs paying to do so - then that is your responsibility.

By your logic a parent isn't responsible for ensuring a car they choose to transport their child in has a proper child seat-but most responsible parents would disagree. The parent chooses how to transport their child but with it comes responsibilities to that child that they shouldn't be trying to palm off on others.

I have NEVER had to travel seated away from my child - because I've made sure it won't happen by booking appropriately and not leaving it to chance or the goodwill of strangers- If that makes me a child hater in your eyes - so be it !!

nodiscount wrote: »

Some horrible views on this thread.
Thanks to all those 'if you want to sit next to your child make sure you pay' brigade the airlines are laughing all the way to the bank.

In a civilised world you shouldn't have to pay to sit next to a vulnerable person.

I suspect there's a lot of child haters on this thread.

zagfles

sandsy wrote: »

The last time there was a post on this topic, it was suggested by one poster that if you end up away from your kids, be sure to point out to the adults sitting beside your child that he is prone to airsickness.

:rotfl:yes that's a good backup! "Now then Johnny, here's a sick bag, and try to get it all in the bag this time and not in all the seats around you. And remember, if the plane shakes a bit it's only turbulence, try not to scream for ages like last time". You'll get a volunteer pretty quick

Andypandyboy

I have never had to travel away from mine either because I have always paid. BUT, it should not need to be paid for.

It is a bit like the Emporer's New Clothes, we pay now because we have been conditioned to do so. When did we just roll over an accept that it is not possible for an airline to simply allocate seats for all those on one booking ? I also turn up early at check in, but I still pay to take away that niggling doubt.....

It is a symptom of what we have allowed to happen. It has now become the norm and we frown on others who point out the nub of the matter.

I applaud those who stand up and say, "as an airline you should not be charging me for stting with my small child" I couldn't take the risk myself, but we shouldn't denigrate those who can.

zagfles

duchy wrote: »

Trouble is most people who fall foul of the seating issues are the infrequent travellers as they simply don't know about it and compound the problem by assuming "check in two hours before" means "arrive at the airport two hours before ....eventually find your check in desk and join the end of a long queue" so are often last to check in and most seats are already allocated.

Increasingly though people who travel frequently have grown tired of this issue and whilst prepared to help out in a case of genuine need-when a passenger with obvious entitlement issues want to purloin their seat will refuse.

No frequent traveller I know ever arrives at the airport more than 2 hours before the flight. I don't, never missed a flight in my life. Hanging around an airport might be OK or even fun if you only travel once a year, it gets very boring if you travel once a month.

Most airlines offer on-line check-in days or even weeks before the flight.

zagfles

George_Michael wrote: »

With only one exception that i could find, every personal insult on this thread seems to have come from the "responsible" parents.
I would have thought that being responsible parents, they would have been more easy going when listening to other's views.

I think they're just narked that they've been taken for mugs and paid while the rest of us have got basic safety free