I don't have an answer, but why should a family lose their assigned seats over a single person? Or at least, lose the seat that would put one of them next to their 3 year old. SOMEONE has to get booted for that not to happen.

That family lost their seat because their flight was cancelled, and they had to be rebooked on a already full flight. That was a bad situation, no question. But the only thing that could be done was done - which was for the family to ask for volunteers on the plane to switch.

Yes, that would require some "begging", but they did get the desired result. My issue was that poster complained that the airline was not "family friendly". So , let's move somebody else out of their assigned seat? I call that "single-traveler unfriendly".

Maybe this sounds harsh, but if the situation was THAT bad, they could have requested to only be rebooked on a flight with open seats together - maybe days later, I know. Or not go on that trip and get a refund.

rkkwan-I totally agree with you. My hubby and I love to travel, which includes international flying 2-3 times a year. We've raised our child, so don't expect and accept someone elses child's travel needs to impact us or inconvenience us. I choose way in advance our seat assignments, for our comfort and conveniece. We taught school for years, so actually do like children. But when it comes to travels, we like ourselves more.

@1965 - you're talking about two different scenarios - I agree, if a family books a flight where there are no seats available except to be booked at the airport or at checkin, they need to live with what they get. But if they, like you, booked in advance and chose seats, which are then changed by an equipment swap, then it should be the AIRLINE's responsibility to find them a seat next to their 3 year old. Even it it means inconveniencing someone else. No child that young should have to sit next to strangers.

"<i>then it should be the AIRLINE's responsibility to find them a seat next to their 3 year old. Even it it means inconveniencing someone else. No child that young should have to sit next to strangers.</i>"

OK -- I guess I just don't get it. A couple is flying w/ their 3 yo. 3yo's seat is reassigned. No available 3 seats together. One parent trades seats w/ the 3yo. The 3yo sits next to the other parent. I just don't get all this angst.

@janisj - Maybe I misunderstood but I think the family in question had 3 seats of which no TWO were near each other.

"We had to beg people to switch so my three-year old wouldn't be forced to sit alone ..."

mztery-I agree that having a 3 yr. old sit next to strangers is a very bad situation,especially knowing this family had booked and chosen seats well in advance, but how would the airline go about choosing who will be inconvenienced if no one volunteers to switch? Maybe if the airline offered compensation for volunteering to switch seats-I can see that being a good, fair, friendly thing for the airline to do.

I'm with mztery on this one. The family had taken all necessary precautions to avoid such a situation.

But, as IMO having a 3yo sitting somewhere on a plane on his own should be out of the question for anyone with half a brain (or half a heart), I am amazed that people see it as mandatory to get some compensation before they trade seats with one parent. Agreed, it would the better, more civilized way to handle it by the airline, as they caused the problem in the first place.
But if the airline rejected that, or better said, if the FA did't have the possibilty or authority to throw around free upgrades or vouchers, would you really let a 3yo sit somewhere on his own?
And even if the parents had been responsible for the mess by not reserving seats in advance, would you let a 3yo pay the price?

I do travel occasionally next to an UM. They had always been older than 3year, but some as young as 7 or 8. The FAs look after the child once in a while, but they can obviously not be around all the time.
Looking back I must say that I had worse grown-up travel companions which spilled into my seat, invaded my space with oversized newspapers, made my brain melt with endless chatter of their last 3 marriages, behaved like a-holes with the FAs, and so on.