Aug 8, 2007 12:43 am US/Pacific
Call Kurtis: Airline Seating Problems
by Kurtis Ming
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ―
No parent wants their toddler sitting alone on a plane. So you would think airlines would seat families together. But that's not always the case.
When Katie and Jeff Hamlin arrived at the airport with their two small kids, United said their flight was overbooked and their seats had been rearranged.
"They assigned us seats throughout the plane scattered about, knowing that we had a four year old and a one year old," says Katie.
Their children were assigned seats far from each other, next to strangers, and rows away from their parents. Jeff and Katie asked the United gate agents to help. Their response? Drink vouchers.
"They couldn't assign the flights, right, and gave us drink vouchers to negotiate with other passengers to put our seats together," says Jeff.
Travel expert Alexander Anolik says the government doesn't require airlines to seat families together. But United's web site does detail its family friendly policies.
"They encourage infants, children to travel with the passengers," says Anolik.
Families should bring copies of an airline's family-oriented policies with them to the airport, which you can present to the gate agent if there's a problem.
The Hamlin's were able to swap three seats with sympathetic passengers, and after Kurtis got involved, United gave them a refund for their unused fourth ticket.
United said it regrets the incident, and advises families to get the airport early to avoid potential seating problems.
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