Mom’s Seat Arrangements Delay Flight

January 4, 2010

in Baby & Kid Stories

I travel a lot for business. While waiting for a recent flight from Chicago to Charlotte I noticed a younger couple with three small children – one boy about 3 years old and then twin babies in infant carriers. I commented to my co-worker that I hope they are not on our flight. The gate agent called for all passengers needing assistance or those with children under 5 could now board. I was delighted when they did not board the flight.

They started calling passengers by zone and I was in the last zone and was ecstatic to find that the middle seat in my row was empty. But wait a minute – here comes the family. They had only purchased 3 tickets and had planned to hold the infants on their laps, but mom had been checking online and saw that our flight had empty seats – so she started asking people to move around so she could have a row to herself for the two infant carriers.

The flight attendants were getting exasperated with her and were about to make them get seated when some kind souls volunteered to move. Of course one of them went into the vacant middle seat by me. This whole shenanigans made us about 20 minutes late pulling away from the gate and caused me to have to run through Charlotte to make my connecting flight.

{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

ps January 5, 2010 at 5:04 am

Is this a flight from hell? Congratulations, you travel a lot on business. Someone had the nerve to move and take YOUR middle seat? Boo hoo.

In terms of delay, 20 mon late out of Chgo is the equivalent of ahead of schedule. Your a pretentious fop. Many of us travel business as well and guess what, stuff happens.

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Aaron January 5, 2010 at 6:52 am

Not a flight from hell.

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Jim January 5, 2010 at 10:10 am

So many people that fly with children have such entitlement attitudes…They chose to be cheap and not buy the appropriate number of seats, they chose to fly with the children…and, then they inconvenience everyone else on the flight in order to accomodate their needs…unbelievable.

Exactly why is the rest of the world responsible for accomodating their children? Everyone else bought and chose their seats accordingly. And, did not go begging others to change with them…so, why should those cheap asses with their kids?

Not a flight from hell…but, frustrating nonetheless.

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John January 5, 2010 at 10:54 pm

How do people become so selfish as to conceive it to be some sort of hardship to be incovenienced for the benefit of a mother and her children? I suspect even the author of the post under discussion was once a child and that his mother inconvenienced others for the sake of her child. And I suspect that the people thus inconvenienced were a damn sight more gracious about it than the petulant whiners who visit this site to complain about the petty indignities that they must suffer because a mother dares to put the welfare of her child above the whiner's convenience.

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Jim January 6, 2010 at 5:51 am

John,

It's the parents who are selfish, ill-prepared, etc…Time and time again, many parents are whining that the world should accomodate their children. They chose to have the children. They chose to fly with them. They choose not to discipline them. They choose to let them run awry. They were shortsighted in their planning.

I would be more than willing to help a mother in distress…if she were a good mother….and, if her problem was no fault of her own. But, when she is cheap, lazy, or poorly planned….we should not have to help those who are not trying to help themselves….in this case in point….the mother was too cheap to buy the appropriate number of seats….and, then expected everyone else to accomodate her….like many parents….she feels entitled to certain things…because she has children…..b.s.

I provide for me and mine…and, do not expect the world to accomodate me. I plan ahead. I teach my children right from wrong. Discipline them when necessary…and make the necessary monetary concessions for their needs. If this lady did not do so….her problem….not mine.

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ps January 6, 2010 at 6:19 am

It sounded like all she did was rejockey some seats. Nothing about screaming kids, horrible smells or a negligent mom. If the poster was a true frequent business traveller out of Chgo he or she would realize that a 20 minute delay is nirvana Midway or OHare – wise. Yeah, it sound like some inconveniences but not a flite from hell by a longshot.

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Africans February 2, 2010 at 11:12 pm

That is sad

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