New airline fees put families last

[LL_Travelfan]

I just came across this article by Mitch Lipka
NEW YORK | Mon Jun 4, 2012 8:35am EDT

Just when you thought airlines were done with ridiculous fees and onerous policies, Spirit Airlines' announces it's raising a charge for carry-on bags to $100 and United Airlines says it will no longer allow families with small children to board early. And that's not to mention that it's becoming common practice to put a premium on aisle and window seats, forcing families that want to sit together to both pay for an upgrade and pay a fee to be assigned seats.

For the full article see the link New airline fees put families last | Reuters

[kyshel]

Drivel.
"ala carte" puleeeez-- Most of know how to spell it. Makes you wonder who writes this stuff? Do journalists even use anything they learned in schools?
I just love the mommy who says she was "forced" to sit in the back because she didn't pay the upgrade for better seats--she wants them free? No one forced her to take her family to Grand Cayman. (poor beybeh!) She can't go with one carry-on for a 4 hour (not five) flight. How many kids was she taking? If she can afford to fly min $500 RT and eat in GC ($$$), but not $39 to get better seats, she needs to stay home and write her blog (oh that's right--it's about travel--which is not free, last time I heard). She can actually have one carry-on (even on Spirit) per person IF it fits under the seat in front. Wonder if she got the trip thru cheapoair.com?
The author never even addresses the new UA policy that they no longer make an announcement about separate preboarding for families with small children.
“If families do need additional assistance, our gate agent will work to accommodate them,” Hobart said. “That message has been communicated.” (UA spokesperson)

[Mountie]

I think preboarding for travelers with kids is a bunch of crap. If someone brings a kid or two or three on an airplane; let them fight for good seats just like the rest of us.

[[email protected]]

I could not agree more - I always wonder why there is is the notion that just because you have kids, it means you need special treatment whether on a flight, on a bus, or any other venue. You choose to have children and it is your responsibility to make sure your children are well behaved, etc. in public places. I can understand that a cranky child will cry, etc. and there are things that you can do to calm the child down - so do it!

[LL_Travelfan]

Arn't you all a little harsh? Obviously, we are all at an age past of traveling with small kids. Nonetheless, I am not against the airlines giving young families a helping hand.

[kyshel]

Nope--they fly with small children, grandma and grandpa and the teens and before you know it, it's a caravan of 7. When other pax board, they see the family passing out snacks--crumbs are already allover the floor. Tweens are yelling they want to change seats and the teens are mindlessly texting, ignoring the pax who are asking them to get up so they can get into THEIR seats and the baby is crying, So grandma takes over but still doesn't have a bottle, so mom has to get it from the overhead and dad has his bose on, reducing the noise, oblivious that his family is still not settled in...harsh? Hardly. I never traveled with small kids--I would have eaten them!--just my older stepkids and they didn't dare misbehave around dad/me.
An entire industry is leaning this way--UA is just one of the first to get rid of the preboard/kids...
PS--what to do when it's a flight to MCO? Mayhem!

[jsattapr2]

I was on a fully booked flight recently when an extended family were allowed to do the pre-board. Of course when the rest of boarded, the family had managed to select six across seating. The hitch was two of the seats were assigned to other passengers. One guy gave in immediately and was willing to be moved, while another woman said no way. She said loudly and with some force. I paid for this seat, I selected it because it is an aisle seat I don't intend to be stuck in a middle seat anywhere else on this flight for the next four hours! I felt badly for the flight attendants who were than challenged with walking up a down the aisle and soliciting other aisle passengers to please exchange.

At last some yo-yo gave in and sat in a middle seat just so the woman and the family could be mollified.

Stupidity.

[jmbklj]

At what age are the "children" too old to justify pre-boarding? I was dumbfounded the other day when I saw a family respond to the pre-boarding announcement with 2 kids that must have been young teenagers!

I also understand that the larger the family, the more difficult it is for them to get seats together. So here's a possible solution. Why not block the back rows off for family seating especially during the busy summer vacation months when the kids are out of school? It might be interesting for one of the airlines to do on a trial basis.

That way all the screaming kids are in just one section of the plane instead of all spread out throughout the plane - another benefit!

[kyshel]

At what age are the "children" too old to justify pre-boarding? I was dumbfounded the other day when I saw a family respond to the pre-boarding announcement with 2 kids that must have been young teenagers!

I also understand that the larger the family, the more difficult it is for them to get seats together. So here's a possible solution. Why not block the back rows off for family seating especially during the busy summer vacation months when the kids are out of school? It might be interesting for one of the airlines to do on a trial basis.

That way all the screaming kids are in just one section of the plane instead of all spread out throughout the plane - another benefit!

Not practical. Think about it more.

[jmbklj]

Not practical. Think about it more.

I can dream, can't I? I still say it may be an interesting experiment for one of the airlines to do on a trial basis.

Most families book their summer vacations well in advance. Back row seating could be blocked off until the last 30 days and then open up the seats. In most cases, the families have booked their flights by then.

Kyshel, you probably know the answer to my other question. What is considered to be the maximum kid age by the airlines that warrants additional time to pre-board?

I think if you look too old to trick-or-treat on Halloween, that child is too old to warrant pre-boarding.