From: sdavis@khan.ColoSpgs.NCR.COM (Susan Davis)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Booster seats in aircraft
Date: 14 Sep 92 17:18:57 GMT
Reply-To: sdavis@khan.ColoSpgs.NCR.COM (Susan Davis)
Distribution: world
Organization: NCR Microelectronic Products Division

In article <1992Sep11.133901.2035@cbfsb.cb.att.com> van@cbnewsg.cb.att.com (valerie.thompson) writes:
>
>On my last Continental flight, I was told that I could
>not put my under 2 daughter into a car seat - she was a "lap child", and I 
>*had* to hold her.  (This was the first week of September.)
>

Judy Leedom Tyrer Writes:

In other words, you wanted to use a seat you didn't pay for to put your
daughter in her car seat for the flight.  Are you really surprised that 
they wouldn't let you?  If you wish to put your child in a carseat on the
plane, you have to pay for the seat.  If you wish to have an under 2 fly
free, you have to hold her on your lap.

Seems reasonable to me.

---------------------

Have you never flown when the row of seats around you was empty and you or
someone else stretched out and used an *empty* seat!  Or, have you never
set your purse or bag on an empty seat?  If a "lap" (free child) is 
one of my carry-on items, shouldn't I be allowed the use of *empty* seats
just as others around me use empty seats!!

Besides, I have always understood the policy is that you must hold the
child on your lap unless there happens to be an empty seat.  And, my son
just so happens to get into Disney World free, but does that mean that
he shouldn't be allowed to enjoy any of the attractions?  Free doesn't
necessarily imply that they should be treated poorly etc.  When we
booked our tickets to Florida for this coming October, we did not
buy a ticket for Ryan who will be 18 months.  We did however book our
seats with one of us in the eisle and the other in the window leaving
a middle seat open.  We are hoping that the middle seats are the last
to be taken and therefore, we will end up with a row all together.  I
plan to call the night before and see if the seat is still open and if
so, I will take the carseat.  If I can't use it, I will check it.  I
will make a reasonable attempt to check this all through with the airlines
(United).   If the seat between us does get booked, I feel sorry for the
poor person.  I have a feeling that Ryan is not going to tolerate my
lap for very long (he rarely likes to sit on my lap).  And before you
question why I didn't book him a seat, I simply did not feel that the
cost was worth it when I had the option of him flying free.  And, at 
the time of year we are going, there is a chance of having an open seat!

By the way, my husbands ticket was free also (frequent flyer) so I hope they
don't make me hold both of them on my lap :-)

It seems to me that the airlines would be doing a good services if they
would do the following:

  1) Provide carseats (onboard or at the gates) to be used by a ticketed child
     and in any empty seats used by *free* children.
  2) Let a hold be placed on any empty seat so that it is only booked once all
     other seats have been taken.  They should hold a seat for a *free* child
     but give it to a paying passenger if it is needed.  I have always 
     wondered why some rows are booked solid when other rows are entirely
     empty.  And, the paying customer might like to avoid the row with the
     child (even on mom or dad's lap) and would appreciated be seated else-
     where!

-- Susan Davis (Mommy to Ryan 17 months and ??-33.5wks)
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