General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSenator Schumer, why should friends have to pay sit together? Families are just more equal, huh?
Talk about giving special rights. Having a family is a lifestyle choice, they should pay for their lifestyle choice. The novel concept of being treated equal.
By JULIA JACOBO
pix11.com | @JuliaTheWriter
8:35 p.m. EDT, May 27, 2012
Sen. Charles Schumer is urging airlines to eliminate fees plaguing families with young children wanting to sit together on flights.
Schumer's request is in reaction to the Associate Press' story last week stating how this summer families will find it dificult to sit together without paying fees that may add up to hundreds more than the original ticket price.
Schumer said in a statement:
"Children need access to their parents and parents need access to their children. Unnecessary airline fees shouldn't serve as a literal barrier between mother and child."
In the past year, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Frontier Airlines and United Airlines have increased the percent of seats they set aside for frequent fliers or customers who pay extra. Fees for seats on the aisle, next to windows or more legroom typically cost about $25 each way.
http://www.wpix.com/wpix-chuck-schumer-requests-kids-airline-fees,0,225881.story
hedgehog
(36,286 posts)sitting between two unrelated four year olds!
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)If I know anything about kids..
HockeyMom
(14,337 posts)Flying was one. I had to sit next to her to distract her for a 2 hour flight. I would have to pay for this privilege? I am sure some stranger would love sitting next to her watching her squirm and cry the entire flight. BTW, my daughter was 29 at the time.
pipoman
(16,038 posts)not to be able to sit by their parent without paying more? Do you need to calm your adult friend? Wipe their nose? Some claims of unfairness really are zany..
appleannie1
(5,053 posts)do anything about it. Sure makes for an enjoyable flight. Kids need to be with their parents. What if there is an air problem requiring masks to be worn? Should strangers be the ones responsible for getting the mask on an unattended child?
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)throughout my part of the airplane. I was in the aisle seat, an infant in the middle, and a teenaged girl somehow involved with the group was in the window seat. Nobody bothered to affix the car seat to the airplane seat with the belt and the girl ignored the infant (shrieking) while texting on her phone. Right before takeoff the flight attendant came down the aisle for last minute checks and I had to point out to her that the seat was not attached in any way and posed a danger. It took attendants 10 minutes to secure the damned thing, and the girl was clueless the whole time. No parent ever got involved.
And the baby shrieked for most of the 4 hour flight. I found myself trying to comfort it for most of that time.
When young children fly I though they were REQUIRED to have an adult attached to them and responsible for them. I guess the adults were too busy with the several other kids scattered around to bother noticing the baby. I'm surprised it didn't get left behind at deplaning.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)I fly several times a month, and usually the passengers just sort this stuff out.
BTW, earplugs are really handy.
demtenjeep
(31,997 posts)this is not one
MadHound
(34,179 posts)Even if you don't have a spouse or kids, you still have family. After all, you certainly have a mother and father, good chance you have siblings as well. Everybody has family, every single person on this planet, including you, comes from a family. That isn't lifestyle choice, that's reality.
RB TexLa
(17,003 posts)no, everyone is equal. Contray to what the republicans say, this country was not founded on family values.
Mairead
(9,557 posts)The objectionable bit is that anyone can pay to get a favored seating arrangement. That is the problem you should be arguing against: the primacy of money.
bluestateguy
(44,173 posts)New laws are not needed and are cumbersome. You can simply ask someone nicely to change seats to be nearer to your family.
ProudToBeBlueInRhody
(16,399 posts)I'm sorry......but were you born in petri dish?
bluestateguy
(44,173 posts)nt
MorningGlow
(15,758 posts)A few years ago, when my son was 4, the seats I chose for him, my 83 YO mother, and me in advance were not honored, and he was placed in a row far away from me. My mother was also placed in a different row. I appealed to the flight attendant, but she said the flight was full and all I could do was ask people to switch with us. When we asked people (individual travelers) to change seats, they flat-out refused.
surrealAmerican
(11,355 posts)What about his or her rights?
RB TexLa
(17,003 posts)Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)to switch with you. That'll go over well.
jp11
(2,104 posts)GoneOffShore
(17,327 posts)But health care first - OK?
Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)Not having any children is also a 'lifestyle choice'.
Having friends is a 'lifestyle choice'.
Searching for random things to be upset about on the Intrawebs is a 'lifestyle choice'.
Bet you'd re-think your position after that airsick five-year-old whose Mom is three aisles back barfs in your lap.
RB TexLa
(17,003 posts)they chose it. They would be the ones who pay for it.
Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)If your argument is that you also want the same discount, then start a family.
No one is stopping you from doing so.
RB TexLa
(17,003 posts)Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)Do you get a better fare because you are a frequent flyer?
RB TexLa
(17,003 posts)Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)After all, they might have bought ten tickets to your one.
RB TexLa
(17,003 posts)but sounds like you would think that to be a fair reward for their lifestyle choice.
CreekDog
(46,192 posts)the world has children.
in your life, there will be children --you can choose not to have them --in fact, that's a damned good idea for some people...
but whether or not you have them, they will be around, and though they will be their parents responsibility, they will also be ours and yours.
because you're human --much as you are trying to hide that fact.
and someday one of these "lifestyle choices" as you seem to call them, is going to staff an ambulance that takes care of you, or pave a road that you drive down, perhaps paint a building that you live or work in --forecast a tornado in your neighborhood, or fight a war that you can't fight.
you know what? speaking of children --you need to grow up.
RB TexLa
(17,003 posts)or does equality not work with your adherence to family values.
CreekDog
(46,192 posts)and it's very craven of you to use the "equality" argument not to support equal rights, but for your own selfish and self-centered purposes.
and by the way, it's not your country alone, it's mine too, and i want children protected.
my vote to treat children better cancels out your vote to treat them like crap.
so there's no reason someone should listen to you in a democratic society --because your vote is now offset by mine.
RB TexLa
(17,003 posts)CreekDog
(46,192 posts)he would be proud of you, because you advocate against such programs, generally speaking.
Marengo
(3,477 posts)is a "lifestyle choice". Don't know how effectively, but one could try.
Won't be me though
JVS
(61,935 posts)The fact that sitting next to one another necessitates use of a better seat does not make charging for it anti-family any more than the fact that a bigger car to fit a family of 6 is more expensive than smaller cars.
abelenkpe
(9,933 posts)For any group of travelers ever. Couples should sit together. Friends travlling together should sit together. Families with small children should sit together. We should not be fighting over who gets charged. We should be united in rejecting this idiotic charge for anyone.
And get rid of TSA.
treestar
(82,383 posts)when people travel together they sell more tickets. Shouldn't they figure that in? Maybe they are just being stupid or think the public is stupid.
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)who on average pay more per ticket to sit in those seats.
Apparently the carriers have increased the number of window and aisle seats reserved for so-called premium travelers in the past year and it may be that they've reserved so many that it's disrupting the ability of persons traveling together to find seats together. Summer is high season for family groups flying and I hope that this nasty expansion of the set-asides fails miserably.
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)Is effective too.
By the way, these fees apply to all...
ThomThom
(1,486 posts)I personally will not ever fly again for many reasons, this just reinforces my decision.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)Mexico City (I recommend Volaris) and Hawaii come to mind.
If I had all the time in the world, the latter, take a ship, alas I don't.
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)mythology
(9,527 posts)this fee is utterly ridiculous and should be blocked. I'm not a babysitter for some random person's kid. As much as possible, groups should be able to sit together and this is a crappy decision on the part of airline companies.
CreekDog
(46,192 posts)but then you'll probably post about how unfair your life is because that happened to you.
you complain about poor people, complain about Democratic policies on the economy (the liberal ones that is) and you complain about helping children or looking out for them.
has it ever occurred to you why you agree with so few of us on so many issues?
Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)Liberals, lefties, socialist, progressives are generally focused on improving society and acknowledge how incredibly important children are to our societies.
CreekDog
(46,192 posts)malaise
(268,296 posts)Last edited Tue May 29, 2012, 06:23 AM - Edit history (1)
Parents have a right to sit with their children - as annoying as it is I could sit apart from hubby but no parent wants to be separated from his/her kids, particularly the young ones
RB TexLa
(17,003 posts)TheKentuckian
(25,002 posts)Rather than being upset at the "special privilege" of a parent accompanying their child.
Logically, you either want families to pay an extra fee on default because they need to be together or you insist on random paying travelers to have to deal with a kid separated from their parent.
It seems like a nearly insane and deeply ideologically driven point fueled by some form of resentment rather than practical application.
The airlines instead ought to be forced to give a discount or a future upgrade if they "need" to break up your seating in small groups.
We should equally not be stuck with this bullshit fee for two and three people wanting to sit together. Kid, friend, spouse, traveling companion...who cares?
MorningGlow
(15,758 posts)On my last flight, I watched two friends, sitting NEXT TO one another, text EACH OTHER the entire trip. If they don't want to pay for the privilege to text while side by side, they can text one another from a few rows away.
In the meantime, hope you enjoy cleaning up my kid's vomit in your lap.
CreekDog
(46,192 posts)some people need to do this regularly because they feel wronged by the presence of children.
we were due for the monthly episode of the usual selfish/self-centered missive.
MorningGlow
(15,758 posts)I say we get rid of children altogether, those germ-riddled drains on society. Oh wait...
In case this is necessary for anyone: I love my kid.
Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)Children are important to our future and our communities. Progressives, liberals, lefties, socialists, etc are usually all on the same page in regards to this.
CreekDog
(46,192 posts)RB TexLa
(17,003 posts)for the same service is not on that page?
Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)Buns_of_Fire
(17,133 posts)dionysus
(26,467 posts)JHB
(37,141 posts)How big a hit are you taking per year due to the additional fees related to you sitting next to your friends?
ceile
(8,692 posts)I fly mostly SW which is first come first served.
DisgustipatedinCA
(12,530 posts)RB TexLa
(17,003 posts)How do you get that.
DisgustipatedinCA
(12,530 posts)RB TexLa
(17,003 posts)Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)The trend I see is 'we sit up front and put the kids next to strangers'. I do not care for that. Now if I am seated next to parent or guardian and a child, I'm the best seat mate ever as I flew a lot as a kid, so I empathize. Adults traveling with kids should not have the option of separate seating. No choice, no fees, the family sits together.
NYC Liberal
(20,134 posts)separating two grown adults?
Answer: it's not.
Evoman
(8,040 posts)bucks for a window seat. Some kid is sitting beside me and wants his dad, then his dad gets my seat no questions asked. Fuck the money....its just the right thing to do. Why don't we ever just do the right thing anymore?