New law, parents/kids sitting together

[Gracie09]

They can be required by ADA law to state they need accommodation. Gosh does anybody know the actual laws or do they just make things up? Should I link the site?

no actually they are required by the ADA to state they need an accommodation and not what their disability is. AND the ADA does not apply to aircraft or as an FAA family did you not know that? By FAA family do you mean a member of your family works for the FAA? Because my husband is an engineer building heavy infrastructure but that doesn't mean I know how to build a bridge.

 

[babyruth]

no actually they are required by the ADA to state they need an accommodation and not what their disability is. AND the ADA does not apply to aircraft or as an FAA family did you not know that? By FAA family do you mean a member of your family works for the FAA? Because my husband is an engineer building heavy infrastructure but that doesn't mean I know how to build a bridge.

nope that's not what I meant.

 

[gwynne]

no actually they are required by the ADA to state they need an accommodation and not what their disability is. AND the ADA does not apply to aircraft or as an FAA family did you not know that? By FAA family do you mean a member of your family works for the FAA? Because my husband is an engineer building heavy infrastructure but that doesn't mean I know how to build a bridge.

Exactly.

nope that's not what I meant.

Are you employed by the FAA? Not sure what constitutes an FAA family.

 

[Gracie09]

I've read the entire thing and followed the law through the Senate did you? What Senator sponsored the bill? What state did it start in? Do you know? no googling.

Bennett of colorado. And the bill requires if seats are availble families can choose them without paying extra but if the only available seats together are in a different fare class they do not have to allow those to be given for free. They also don't have to move people once aboard the plane.

 

[babyruth]

 

[Gracie09]

Links are always helpful-it's good to read what sites/specifics someone is referencing.

http://airconsumer.dot.gov/rules/382short.pdf
Start by reading this.

 

[gwynne]

http://airconsumer.dot.gov/rules/382short.pdf
Start by reading this.

I was just curious what sites @babyruth was reading. Maybe there is some confusing info out there, don't know.

 

[Gracie09]

I was just curious what sites @babyruth was reading. Maybe there is some confusing info out there, don't know.

that should have been to her sorry...

 

[DisneyOma]

I've never directly gone to a person and asked them to move. The flight attendants have the complete information to make those informed decisions on whom to ask to move and should a person be afflicted with serious anxiety, the flight attendants would not ask that person to move. I have, however, had my almost adult children move to accommodate other passenger direct requests with permission from the flight staff. When a mother is standing there in the aisle with her nervous kids it is jerky to not volunteer to move if you can. Yes Be A Decent Person can be accepting NO for an answer, but it's not being a decent person to make up excuses for an entire plane full of people. If even 50% suffer from anxiety and had to secure special seating, the other 50% are just being jerks. If you're offended by that, you're the problem!

Why would a mother be standing in the aisle with her nervous kids if she had booked seats together in the first place? There are so many options, airlines, flights out there - no one is forced to take a certain flight. The responsibility is on the parent. Period. (Excepting a flight cancellation, etc. Or when the dumb Norwegians dumped us out of the system and let others take our seats. Nope, not happening.)

I don't think anyone actually read this bill or the supporting evidence that got it passed before spouting off. I think you should read the backstory on airlines upcharging parents or inaccurately displaying available seats online to ensure high price seats would be bought by families, knowing that families would be more likely to bite the premium price. Pure discrimination. Interesting to find so many defending the airlines. Let's change the backstory to say airlines would gray out seats on purpose when the passenger searching for a seat identified as a female rather than a male, and showed her only certain seats at certain prices when others were available but they were saving those seats for single men. Same concept. Defend it.

LINK!!!!!!!!!!

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm not responding to questions that would be answered upon reading the entire thread.

Do you mean if it is your family you are trying to take care of it is not selfish but when others do the same they are being selfish? That is how it is coming across.

 

[Jhondy210]

I've never directly gone to a person and asked them to move. The flight attendants have the complete information to make those informed decisions on whom to ask to move and should a person be afflicted with serious anxiety, the flight attendants would not ask that person to move. I have, however, had my almost adult children move to accommodate other passenger direct requests with permission from the flight staff. When a mother is standing there in the aisle with her nervous kids it is jerky to not volunteer to move if you can. Yes Be A Decent Person can be accepting NO for an answer, but it's not being a decent person to make up excuses for an entire plane full of people. If even 50% suffer from anxiety and had to secure special seating, the other 50% are just being jerks. If you're offended by that, you're the problem!

My mother is afraid of flying and gets extremely nervous. Once a flight is booked, I get constant updates on weather (even if it is months away), how afraid she is, and she starts discussing how she doesn't even want to go on vacation. Once we get to our destination, she starts worrying about the flight home. I pay extra to make sure my mom sits next to me on flights because I can help keep her calm during the flight. If a mother and a child is on my plane and they did not pay extra and now can not sit together, I will not move for them. I planned ahead to make sure my mom was taken care of, I expect parents to do the same. Also, I will not document my mom's anxiety with the flight attendants. She does not need special treatment, just someone she knows sitting next to her.

As a side, when I was a child we booked a last minute flight because my grandmother had died. We could not get seats together. My mom and some of my siblings sat in the front of the plane. I was in the back of the plane on my own and my dad was somewhere in the middle. Guess what, I survived the plane ride and we did not need to ask anyone to move for us. In fact, I remember the lady who sat next to me was extremely nice. So, just cause a family has a child doesn't mean there is a need to sit next to each other.

Your arguments seem to imply parents don't need to have any responsibility for making sure they do what is best for their kids. The only time I think it is the airlines responsibility is when a parent books seats with their children sitting by them (even if they have to pay an additional fee) and the airline moves the family and separates them.

And before you can reply, I get it, you are going to call me selfish. I guess what you call selfish, I call being responsible and planning ahead.

 

[Nancyg56]

My mother is afraid of flying and gets extremely nervous. Once a flight is booked, I get constant updates on weather (even if it is months away), how afraid she is, and she starts discussing how she doesn't even want to go on vacation. Once we get to our destination, she starts worrying about the flight home. I pay extra to make sure my mom sits next to me on flights because I can help keep her calm during the flight. If a mother and a child is on my plane and they did not pay extra and now can not sit together, I will not move for them. I planned ahead to make sure my mom was taken care of, I expect parents to do the same. Also, I will not document my mom's anxiety with the flight attendants. She does not need special treatment, just someone she knows sitting next to her.

As a side, when I was a child we booked a last minute flight because my grandmother had died. We could not get seats together. My mom and some of my siblings sat in the front of the plane. I was in the back of the plane on my own and my dad was somewhere in the middle. Guess what, I survived the plane ride and we did not need to ask anyone to move for us. In fact, I remember the lady who sat next to me was extremely nice. So, just cause a family has a child doesn't mean there is a need to sit next to each other.

Your arguments seem to imply parents don't need to have any responsibility for making sure they do what is best for their kids. The only time I think it is the airlines responsibility is when a parent books seats with their children sitting by them (even if they have to pay an additional fee) and the airline moves the family and separates them.

And before you can reply, I get it, you are going to call me selfish. I guess what you call selfish, I call being responsible and planning ahead.

I agree. WHen people are traveling as a family or as a couple I'm sure that they like to sit together. I know I do, and I plan for it. In the event something occurs that tosses a monkey wrench into those plans, I will consider moving. I do not believe it is my responsibility though. I do understand the issue the posters are discussing, but I do not believe that airlines are responsible for providing more for families than they do for others. I also do nto belive that those folks who have planned ahead, paid more and made arrangements for their own concerns must then document those concerns with FA's in order to satisfy a person such as the one who has decreed all those who refuse to move for her kids are selfish.

 

[Aliceacc]

It's so very simple.

If you want or need seats together, book seats together.

If you don't, then take what you get. Because you have more options, you may very well get a better price.

 

[Allison]

Are you not also being selfish though? Since you want what is best for yourself, then you are simply doing the exact same thing.

Yes-it goes both ways.

 

[Allison]

It's so very simple.

If you want or need seats together, book seats together.

If you don't, then take what you get. Because you have more options, you may very well get a better price.

I agree.

 

[Baklava]

I've never directly gone to a person and asked them to move. The flight attendants have the complete information to make those informed decisions on whom to ask to move and should a person be afflicted with serious anxiety, the flight attendants would not ask that person to move. I have, however, had my almost adult children move to accommodate other passenger direct requests with permission from the flight staff. When a mother is standing there in the aisle with her nervous kids it is jerky to not volunteer to move if you can. Yes Be A Decent Person can be accepting NO for an answer, but it's not being a decent person to make up excuses for an entire plane full of people. If even 50% suffer from anxiety and had to secure special seating, the other 50% are just being jerks. If you're offended by that, you're the problem!

That you've not had the courage to go do it in person makes it no less demanding. The FAs DO NOT have complete information because invisible disabilities are INVISIBLE and that person you've labeled a "jerk" for not giving you what you feel entitled to just might not have felt the need to tell their personal medical business to the crew.

You're not entitled to take from others. You're not more important than they are. You're not superior because you call them names for not giving you what you want. I am not the least bit sorry that thinking disabled people who plan ahead have more rights than parents who don't makes me a problem in your view.

'Document it with the flight attendants'.. FFS, do you even HEAR how discriminatory that is? What you're demanding is indulgence of a personal difficulty at the expense of a legally mandated accommodation and you want people's right to privacy violated to prove that they don't have to give you their seat. You genuinely want me to have to tell the flight crew my personal medical business to protect me from having to give some selfish person my seat.

Thank God whatever "FAA family" means, it doesn't mean "people in charge of important decisions."

 

[allysetraskos]

A few years ago my friend and I flew on spirit, we checked in late so had seats all over... My friend was separated from her son (5 yr old) on the plane the poor kid ended up getting air sick and throwing up the whole flight. The people that were seated next to him originally didn't want to give up their seat but ended up switching when her son missed the bag and threw up on himself.

 

[katyjeka]

A few years ago my friend and I flew on spirit, we checked in late so had seats all over... My friend was separated from her son (5 yr old) on the plane the poor kid ended up getting air sick and throwing up the whole flight. The people that were seated next to him originally didn't want to give up their seat but ended up switching when her son missed the bag and threw up on himself.

I guess I can assume that the irresponsible parent did not pay for seats on Spirit. Instead she expected the airline and passengers to give her special treatment because she had a child. She should have had to reimburse the guests who had to move if they paid for their seats. We are amazed with the amount of people who will pay thousands to go on vacation, spend ridiculous amount of money on souvenirs that end up in their next yard sale just to keep their kid's happy, but won't pay 15.00 (spirits price)to parent responsibly. IT SIMPLE, buy assigned seats, work the price into your travel budget. With the price of disney souveniers you'd probably only have to give up a couple things.

 

[Nancyg56]

I guess I can assume that the irresponsible parent did not pay for seats on Spirit. Instead she expected the airline and passengers to give her special treatment because she had a child. She should have had to reimburse the guests who had to move if they paid for their seats. We are amazed with the amount of people who will pay thousands to go on vacation, spend ridiculous amount of money on souvenirs that end up in their next yard sale just to keep their kid's happy, but won't pay 15.00 (spirits price)to parent responsibly. IT SIMPLE, buy assigned seats, work the price into your travel budget. With the price of disney souveniers you'd probably only have to give up a couple things.

I think that it is a leap to assume that the family who you are discussing not only spent thousands on a Disney vacation, but that Mom squandered that money on Souvenirs. I am not sure how you can conclude this family was on a vacation, heading to Disney, or spent the majority of their discretionary cash on trinkets. ONce you start traversing into the realm of hypothetical the conversation loses some credibility, IMO.

IF I wanted to comment on how this could have been avoided, I would not have made a story up to drive my point home. It was my opinion that the entire mess could have been avoided if the group had done what many people who care about seating arrangements do....Check in early, not late. I feel badly for the seat mates of the child.

FWIW, I have seen many instances of people who do offer to move in order to accomodate others, and have done so myself. Where I lose compassion is when I am told I must do so in order to prove I am not selfish, or that businesses must absorb costs rather than they can choose to do so. At that point I am over it.

 

[katyjeka]

The comment about thousands on a vacation was a general comment. The only comment that was directed to her was the first couple sentences. Sorry but if your traveling with children it is your responsibility to pay for seats.