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Should a single plane passenger have to give up their assigned seat to accommodate a family that wants to sit together? The question is sparking a huge debate online, and Sunny Anderson is weighing in!
The host of Food Network’sThe Kitchencommented on apost from theToday Showposing the question.
“Sorry, mom. I’m sitting in the window seat for my anxiety. I shouldn’t be forced to explain that for your visible issues or picked on about it. If ever I can’t get a window seat, I legit look for another flight,” Anderson wrote.
“The mom is in the wrong 100 ∞ %,” wrote one. “I see things like this every time I fly for work and it’s crazy that people think they can play musical airplane chairs. Sorry not sorry mom about your poor planning.”
Another supporter chimed in, “Good idea. You bought and they want. I had kids and I wouldn’t dream of asking someone to move.”
“Yup! -signed a mom with two kids,” wrote a third.
When one commenter asked if Sunny was a mom herself, many came to her defense, saying that was irrelevant. Anderson replied directly to that individual, writing, “No, thank GOODNESS cuz I guess some moms think having kids means they get to ignore other people’s needs…on a plane, no less.”
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One commenter acquiesced that it’s okay to say no, but alleged the response of the solo flier is a reflection of their character.
“When you ask someone and they say yes, you know what kind of person they are!!!! Amazing and kind and caring about someone especially when it is involving children,” they wrote. “Not easy traveling with children alone!!!!!!! Also who are we to know that she didn’t try to get seats together & couldn’t. Also what is even better, is when someone looks at you & automatically says, hi, I’ll move over so you all can sit together!”
Another user, seemingly finding the middle ground, wrote: “Think it’s as okay to ask as it is okay to say no. We need to accept as a society that saying ‘no’ to something isn’t offensive, and that asking for something isn’t rude.”
“What would you do?” wrote user@mconquering. “I got on the plane and a woman was sitting in my seat and when I mentioned it to her, she said, “Oh, you want to sit here? I thought we could switch because these are my kids.” (She points to the two seats next to mine.) I said, as long as it’s a window seat, I’m happy to switch.” She points to the row behind us and says, “Mine is right there.” (It’s the middle seat.)
The tiktoker elaborated on what happened in her caption.
“Having had only 90 minutes of sleep the night before and knowing I had to give a presentation to 500 people, I desperately needed some sleep, so I did not agree to switch sheets,” she wrote.
She continued, “Before anyone comes after me… the kids looked like they were about 11 and 15 years old. And the mom was in arms-reach of both of them from the middle seat in the row behind us, The mom proceeded to complain for at least 15 minutes to the person next to her loud enough for me to hear. But the woman actually defended me — several times. It was so kind and I appreciated it so much because I was feeling really guilty.”
What Are the Rules?
The debate is an ongoing one, but airlines and their regulating bodies have taken action in recent years to try to alleviate the need to ask in the first place. Even among these agencies, however, there’s back and forth.
The Federal Aviation Administration had previously required carriers to ensure that children under the age of 13 are able to sit next to a family member at no additional cost, In 2017, there was a reversal of this rule due to a low number of complaints, according to the Department of Transportation. As a result, they determined no formal rule was necessary. That decision was upheld again after a review in 2019,AFARreports.
In the summer of 2022, however, a new rule was issued that should aid families, and eliminate one of the biggest barriers to seating them together in the first place: that some airlines charge an additional fee to choose your seats.
The DOT’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection sent out a notice that “encouraged,” but did not require, U.S. airlines “to have policies that enable children to be seated adjacent to an accompanying adult to the maximum extent practicable and at no additional cost.”
What Should Parents Do?
Major airlines' official policies still differ on the subject, but there are a few things parents can do to try and ensure they’re seated with their kids. The first and most obvious of course is to choose assigned seats at the time of booking. For some airlines, that incurs an extra fee. Basic economy fares, for example, often do not include seat selection.
Another hack, is to call up the airline’s customer service immediately after booking and ask if it’s possible for them to accommodate your family.
And most importantly, review your airline’s seating policy (available on their sites and the DOT’s) before you book, to make sure you know your rights as a passenger.
source: people.com
