PDA

View Full Version : Travel with kids


Greenbanks
20th Aug 2008, 15:20
I flew out to Mombasa with the family two weeks ago; carrier was a well-known charter company. we were unable to check-in online. At the desk, which we arrived at just over 2 hours before departure, i was told that my family couldn't be seated together - the best that could be done was x3 kids together (aged 9, 11 & 13) and me about 12 rows away towards the rear and my wife about 8 rows away.

The rationale was that 'had you wanted to guarantee you were all seated together you should have paid for this'.

Are there any regulations which require all under-age passengers to be 'in the care of a named adult'? (We were recently on a BA flight to Florida and the flight attendant was unwilling to let all three children sit together, even though they were directly in front of us).

Thanks

Bealzebub
20th Aug 2008, 15:56
If the carrier offered a facility whereby you could all sit together and you declined this, then that becomes your choice and clearly any such "guarantee" would not apply. So to that extent they were right.

I am not aware of any regulation that requires any minor to be in the care of a named adult. Obviously the primary care and duty of care is enshrined in you the parent, and perhaps with that in mind the first sentence of this reply would be of some relevance ? Airlines do carry minors (accompanied and unaccompanied) in accordance with their own conditions of carriage, however that does not normally stipulate that the minor must necessarily be seated with any named adult, other than in the case of an infant or a severely disabled child or where special arrangments are a condition of carriage, or have been arranged in advance.

From a regulatory or contractual point of view I think you have little or no recourse. Having said that, I strongly agree with the basis of your argument. I believe it is completely inappropriate for parents to be seated seperately from their young children. In the event of an emergency it is not incumbent on any other adult to have to take responsibility for somebody elses child and particularly when the parent is travelling on the same flight. In the same vein, an evacuation might well be compromised by a parent or parents having the natural imperative to search out their own child and impeding the flow and hence the likelyhood of a successful outcome. Similarly in a decompression. Finally of course no child should be seated next to a stranger simply to satisfy an airlines logistics. The consequences of any damage or injury caused to the child by any found contributory negligence on the airlines part, may lay them open to liability. Unfortunetaly it is a level of risk the carriers seem willing to take.

I think many airlines fail to pay sufficient heed to the requirements that wherever possible families should always be seated together or in very close proximity. Having said that I am sure that when deciding seat allocation in advance, the family situation is a consideration. On flights I operate, I do consider this of importance when it is brought to my attention, and cabin crew will always do their best to achieve a resolution or at least the best possible compromise. Of course they and I would prefer that this was resolved at check-in, but this isn't always possible.

Greenbanks
20th Aug 2008, 16:36
Thanks for the response. What I do find quite incomprehensible is that the whole affair could surely have been avoided given that the pax are known well in advance and are presumably allocated by some kind of computerised 'best fit' system (well, that's my supposition, based on no substantive knowledge on how these things actually work in practice!).

I also think that it's a bit of a PR own-goal for the airline - it certainly didn't get my own hard-fought 2 week break off to a good/relaxed start.

donkeyair
20th Aug 2008, 20:32
Most tour operators offer a chance to pre-book your seats albeit with a charge on almost all charter flights both short and long haul. This normally doesn't allocate seat's no's, just usually guarantee's the whole party will be sat together. Your booking agent should of offered this in addition to the compulsory charges you had to pay. I know many agents don't bother offering this as they see it as people don't want to pay the extra cost. However if this service was not offered to you I would check with the operator as to why this wasn't. As a customer you should be aware of all the 'optional' extras available to you as this experience didn't get you in the holiday mood by the sounds of it. I take it you managed to sit together on the return. I have been on flights where families have been seperated and cannot understand why some people will refuse to move seats in order to help families travelling with children. Was there no volunteers that offered to change seats so that your family could be sat together? Hope you enjoyed the holiday after all that:O

Greenbanks
21st Aug 2008, 09:32
The 'problem' was sorted by a couple of passengers being bumped up to First. To be fair to the airline and the ground staff, they eventually got round to this solution without there being too much 'debate'. And I'm sure that the amenable, good-natured (mainly) Brit holiday-makers would have assisted in the matter had it not been sorted outside the aircraft!
The flight (both ways) was excellent, and helped immensely by a very attentive set of flight attendants and a very informative crew on the flight-deck. And the hol. was good too, thanks.

Saintsman
21st Aug 2008, 11:31
I had the same problem last year on that route despite an early arrival. The problem is a result of the flight originating at Manchester and stopping off at Gatwick. If you depart from Gatwick most of the seats have already been booked.

The tour companies want you to pay extra to sit together so they are not going to change things for the benefit of families in the near future.