Frosty Flight Attendant

April 26, 2010

in Baby & Kid Stories

I was flying a few years ago with my family and for some reason Dad wasn’t able to reserve seats for us near each other. I was sitting behind my little brother, who was eight at the time, and the FA seats a little girl next to him who was about the same age. After a little immature teasing about his “new Girlfriend” we take off.

Sometime later, the little girl pukes. Poor thing couldn’t find a puke pail in time and it spilled onto her tray table. My Parents were far up ahead, but apparently heard the little girl retching and asked the FA to clean it up, or alert the girl’s parents (who like us, were mysteriously on seats nowhere near the kid). Instead, the sullen FA throws some napkins at my brother, expecting him to clean it up, and walks away. The rest of the flight, my parents were complaining about how rude and uncaring the FA was.

{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }

Laura April 26, 2010 at 4:40 pm

What is this trend of separating children from parents? That's a really idiotic thing for the airline to be doing, and to what end?

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MM April 26, 2010 at 11:25 pm

What is this trend of thinking it's okay that the seat I specifically reserved for myself could be taken and given to some kid or some kid's parent in the event a parent hasn't arranged for seats together?

I've been asked to move so a mother could sit by her ten year old. I was offered a middle seat on a six hour flight in exchange for my aisle seat. Hah! I stayed put.

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Amber May 18, 2016 at 9:34 am

Sometimes pre-booking seats together simply isn't possible, sometimes the flights are booked at the last minute due to an emergency and any attempt to get seats together goes awry.

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G. Roach April 30, 2010 at 10:50 am

I am in partial agreement here. I think minors need to be looked after, by a responsible adult, and parents should not expect total strangers to babysit or look after their kids unless prior consent on the part of both parties is given.

But what I find ridiculous, is the older, "mature" people, like groups of high school or college groups, or large families with teens, who INSIST they all sit together. Many times they'll book a flight, knowing beforehand that the seats are all over the plane, and not all next to each other. They'll board the plane, and then hold everything up by trying to rearrange seating so that they can all be together. I've seen this on short, 2-hour flights! Good grief, folks, is the plane simply NOT going to be able to fly if you all don't sit right next to each other? Is your group THAT clique-ish, that you can't bear to be separated for 2 hours? When you're allowed to leave your seats, do you really HAVE to get up, block the aisle, so you can go talk to your friends, right when the attendants are trying to get through the beverage service?

I have this same issue with restaurants. If you're in a large group, and you simply MUST all be seated around a large table, why not book a place that has a separate room, just for large groups, instead of demanding that they move umpteen tables together. Will the food simply not taste right if the tables aren't all moved together? Why does the entire group have to sit at one table? Chances are you can't talk to someone at the other end of the table anyway, because of all the noise.

Get over it, and realize that there are going to be moments when you cannot be together.

As for kids flying unattended, this is ridiculous. It's not the flight attendant's job to clean up after the kids, but I really do think she could have taken the high road, helped the child as best she could, and also insist that the kid's guardian(s) step up to the plate.

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Amber May 18, 2016 at 9:37 am

What I don't get is why didn't the parents split up and each one sit as close to one of the kids as possible. It actually sounds like the parents got seats together, so the youngest child should have gotten one of the seats together with one of their parents and the older child and other parent could have sat in the seats in front of each other. It's stupid when parents opt to let their little child sit alone and instead they sit together, barring anything that prevents getting seats together, parents should always make sure at least one parent is seated with their child.

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John McIntosh April 27, 2010 at 10:11 am

MM is correct. We plan our vacations very carefully and well in advance. It never ceases to amaze me when people think they can do everything at the last minute and get by.

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rerere April 27, 2010 at 3:36 pm

What airline?

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Jim April 29, 2010 at 6:24 am

I agree with MM. Unless you have an emergency, you should book in advance, reserve your seats in advance, etc…. ESPECIALLY, if you have children.

I plan ahead. I schedule my vacation and work travel well in advance. Being 6' tall, I reserve aisle seats, etc… I do not expect to have to make accomodations for others that do not plan ahead. Sorry.

And, I am not a fan of grumpy, frumpy uncaring flight attendants….but, they should not be expected to clean-up after somebody elses bodily fluids. That should be the responsibility of the parent. I would think that an attentive parent….even if not sitting with the child…would always have an eye on the child, to make sure they are safe, not disturbing others, etc….

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Amber May 18, 2016 at 9:32 am

Unfortunately it's not always possible, sometimes they bump passengers and those passengers then lose their pre-booked seats on the new flight. Sometimes airlines make changes or errors to accommodate someone else instead. Shit happens.

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mick May 1, 2010 at 11:51 pm

This yet **another** reason why airlines should either ban kids, or else put the little blighters in the cargo hold (with their parents). I cant count the number of flights that have been messed up for me because of screaming, sick, or obnoxious kids around me. Parents – don't take your kids with you – leave them with a nanny back home. Please.

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Gerard T May 2, 2010 at 12:38 am

Mick, I agree with you. My wife and I (from S. Africa) fly first class when travelling (or Business Class if no First available) and leave the kids with our Nanny, Veronica, a sweet and caring coloured girl who we hired awhile back to take care of the kids. Result – no screaming or noise for us, and the kids are well taken care of. The look on Veronica's face that first flight she made with our family – "Mistah Gerard, I neber fly before!!" – was priceless! She's a gem (and well-paid, so why shouldn't she be??) and the kids love her. As far as the wife and I are concerned, it's the only way to fly.

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iloveflying September 7, 2015 at 12:51 am

this is the 21st century who HAS a nanny these days? well not many in the us at least that i know of. but come on how about a family who is on the west coast and has to come to the east coast and doesn't want to drive? yes i know what you are going to say take a train! but some people like planes because its faster and it takes less time why would put a kid in a cargo hold? thats just dumb. THEY ARE HUMANS.

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