Screaming 3 year old gets parents free airline tickets!

[cassiesmom]

Federal Aviation Administration rules that children age 2 and above must have their own seat and be wearing a seatbelt upon takeoff.

I wonder why all children (including those two and younger) are not required to have their own seat?

[catlover4ever]

I was a flight attendant for 5 years with a small regional airline, and I can see it from both sides.

I can understand the frustration of the family, who have a crying, inconsolable child on their hands, but I also see it from a F/A safety standpoint. If the child is that problematic on the ground, how is the child going to be once they get in the air at 30,000 feet.

I always tried to settle my families in, tell them what was expected (no walking up and down the center isle, child must be belted in when the seatbelt sign was on, etc).

AirTran gave the family 15 minutes to get settled in.....more than enough timeto settle the child in.....and I don't think they should have received free tickets.

[Prairie Purrs]

If the flight was delayed 15 minutes, they may have had more than 15 minutes to get the kid in the seat, given that airlines allow parents with small children to board first. So it doesn't sound like the parents were making that much of an effort.

If parents want to conduct a Middle East-level negotiation whenever they need to coax their child into a car seat in the family vehicle, fine. But they certainly have no right to hold up a commercial flight when their parenting skills prove ineffective.

[lizbud]

If the flight was delayed 15 minutes, they may have had more than 15 minutes to get the kid in the seat, given that airlines allow parents with small children to board first. So it doesn't sound like the parents were making that much of an effort.

If parents want to conduct a Middle East-level negotiation whenever they need to coax their child into a car seat in the family vehicle, fine. But they certainly have no right to hold up a commercial flight when their parenting skills prove ineffective.

I do also. I have flown with a toddler before & I know what it's like. Did
you see the interview with the mother?

[Catlady711]

Did you see the interview with the mother?

No I didn't. But from what I read on other columns about her comments, sounded like she was being about as whiney as the toddler.

[RICHARD]

The mother was an AH that did all the talking while daddy stood off to the side and smiled in the interview.

They should have tossed the kid in the overhead bin and made the mom go with the luggage.

NExct time they should go to AVIS-two days driving with that little twerp will teach them.

[Cataholic]

The irony of letting parents with small children board first is lost on people that don't have children. The very LAST thing someone with a toddler wants is 'extra' time for their child to be seated. Toddlers don't sit well. They don't stand well, they don't stand still, etc. They are toddlers, not mini-adults. Most of us with children can roll eyes at what these parents were up against, but, most of us have also been there, too. I actually researched flights for what would best fit my chid's nap schedule, trying to consider the other passengers on the plane. As mentioned above, I scored on the flight out. Not on the flight back. He he he...living with children, just part of the joy of parenting.


When I flew in July, with Jonah at 22 months, I boarded the plane early. I needed plenty of time to figure out how to attach the car seat to the plane seat. However, my sister and Jonah boarded nearly last. You see, post 9-11, I wasn't allowed to board, fix up the car seat, and de-plane to wait with my child.

[rosethecopycat]

Instead of free tickets they should have been given the phone number to Nanny 911

[cassiesmom]

I think "family flights" (with complimentary Supernanny assessments!) are a terrific idea. Maybe if high-speed rail travel ever gets up and running in the U.S., that will be a viable alternative to air travel for families with little children.

There was an article in the Chicago Tribune about this yesterday. It advised that children should be allowed to burn up all their energy in the terminal, coaxed to nap on the plane, be placed in their seat and buckled up as soon as they board the plane (with the rationale that most children understand this concept from riding in the car), and be allowed to pick out and pack their own books or quiet activities they can do on the plane. If necessary parents may surprise the child with a new book or activity. The flight attendant may be able to get the child to cooperate since children are also taught to pay attention to authority figures and the uniformed flight attendant conveys authority.

[CathyBogart]

Ah, but then inconsiderate families would scream "discrimination!" if they were told they couldn't book on the normal flights.

[wombat2u2004]

Couldn't they maybe screw a row of toddler seats onto a wing or something ??? That oughta solve the problem.