enuf

Rex, why do you feel compelled to comment on everything and make an ass of yourself at the same time?

Sickofthis

Dear Enuf, <BR> <BR>I'm envious of Rex, aren't you. After all, it must be wonderful to know everything about everything and never, ever be wrong.

Rex

I respond when posts - - especially multiple ones, are directed to (at) me - - by name. <BR> <BR>Wouldn't you? <BR>

Ryn

Rex, are you telling us you are a lightweight? <BR> <BR>I don't know what atmosphere you breathe, but on my planet, carseats don't weigh more than 25 lbs. I have one of the heaviest ones made, the 18-lb. steel-reinforced Evenflo Ultara V, and yes, I have schlepped it to Europe and back, more than once. The carseat I will take to London next month is a bit lighter, an 9-lb. 5-pt. highback booster made by Cosco. <BR> <BR>Believe it or not, there are special satchels made for flying with carseats, I have one. It's ballistic nylon, and it has shoulder straps which allow one to wear it as a backpack whilst maneuvering through the airport to the gate. They cost about $20 each, and make it much easier to transport the safety seat. <BR> <BR>BTW, Courtney, I've never been charged on a full-fare basis for my son's seat; they have always calculated it based on the adult fare I paid for the same flight. Then again, I've never paid infant fare for him, it has always been the child fare because he has had his own seat. (I don't use miles for long-haul flights; I prefer to earn on long hauls, then use them for my son's fare on domestic flights, since those are not discounted at all for children's seats.)

Rex

18 to 25 pounds is surely more than the weight of the intended passenger - - a six week old infant. <BR> <BR>If I had to fly with a caretaker, I would not expect that caretaker to lug around something bigger than me to protect me from the risk of turbulence injury. <BR>

enuf

Rex, you just don't get it! The more you babble on, the more ludicrous your comments become! <BR>May I remind you that you wouldn't be attacked, criticized or whatever, if you didn't initiate things with idiotic statements. <BR>I suppose I really shouldn't even do this, as it only feeds your ego to get all this attention. And, you're neurotic enough to love even the negative attention!

nancy

God, has this post not only grown! but has degenerated into a brawl. <BR>I think it should be mandatory that all infants are restrained in approved seats. <BR>It is the law in many states that children be properly harnessed in autos. <BR>As a (ex)- nurse I unfortunately saw too many results of unbuckled / improperly buckled children in auto accidents, <BR>Once I did an ambulance run (2 hrs away to the only trauma hospital) along with an MD and a Resp. therapist because the 2 yr old smashed face first into the front seat. I can not describe that child's face without making you all sick. <BR> <BR>Safety for our children should be paramont, and not based on cost. <BR>Yes, accidents can happen no matter where or doing what, but it is up to us to do all we can to provent them. <BR> <BR>By the way, I have children, and I really can't blame children for their behavior on planes and this is an arguement I do not wish to join in. <BR>But it would be a good idea for airlines to have "adult only" sections for those who need them. <BR> <BR> <BR>

xxx

No reason to respond, to perpetuate this. There are some people who like to comment on the subject at hand, and there are a few people who prefer to comment about me. <BR> <BR>Other posters sometimes provoke disagreement, and the disagreement often starts out "I don't agree with the IDEA that..." <BR> <BR>For some reason, I provoke a small number of people to single me out for disagreement. <BR> <BR>Over and out, I hope... <BR> <BR>YKWIA <BR>

Mumma

My goodness, I go away for a day or two and - thanks largely to the ubiquitous and unfailingly antagonistic Rex -- the place goes nuts. <BR> <BR>My point about the crystal or bowl of acid, as someone else pointed out, is: if you'd take precautions to protect the stability and integrity of some material object, why on earth would you take risks with the most important living thing in your life? If the plane starts lurching around, you'd be scrambling to figure out how to protect yourself from that acid or keep the crystal from breaking. You don't have to plunge into the statistical stratosphere of travel incidents to understand that. <BR> <BR>And making the decision based on how much the protection costs or weighs? Sure sign of priorities grossly out of whack -- but if you are really that nuts, consider what would happen if an unsecured 11-pound solid object (like a baby) were flying loose and could strike and injure other passengers? <BR> <BR>All I can think about Rex-thought is that faith-based travel safety policies had better not extend to the airlines and the FAA. <BR> <BR>If precautions are available, take them.

anon

&lt;&lt;the cost to put her baby could conceivably jump from 10% (of $2300 = 230) to 75% ($1725!)&gt;&gt; <BR> <BR>taken from one of the posts above. <BR> <BR>Does anybody think this is true? I guess that it means "put her baby [in its own seat]". This would be a terrible choice to have to make. Is this what Rex is talking about? <BR> <BR>I wonder if Courtney can comment. Was a price quoted to you for your baby to have a separate seat? <BR>

persons against

I understand that a 1 1/2 month old baby should not be separated from its mother...But ss this a necessary trip? Are you moving there? A Vacation it will not be...Just stay home...Are you crazy???

persons against

Everybody is overlooking the issue that a child this young should not be travelling this kind of distance at all!!! Unless absolutely necessary!!! You deserve whatever you have to pay!!! You're on dope lady... <BR>PS: This is not Rex.

saddened

This is the sad part... the hatred directed towards a six week old baby. <BR> <BR>Courtney said nothing about this being a vacation, and I would be anything it is NOT a vacation. Odds are, that it is family-related. The assumptions and venom are unbelievable. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Il Babuino

Babies should be buckled in. Severe turbulence badly batters unbuckled passengers many times each year. <BR> <BR>And Rex should learn to buckle his mouth.

ack

Courtney- <BR> <BR> If I can try and get the thread back on track.... <BR> <BR>I think your and possibly other's confusion stems from the assumption that 'economy class' and 'economy fare' are one and the same thing. They aren't. Airlines sell many different fare categories in respect of the section of the airplane known as 'economy class.' Welcome to the bewildering concept known as 'yield management' in which customers don't buy tickets at a single fixed price, but more or less 'bid' for them at prices which fluctuate according to market conditions. <BR> <BR>The 'economy fare' as you have discovered is rarely the most economical! It varies from airline to airline but is generally less restricted than most other fares. It is usually the maximum, or near maximum, fare category charged for economy class. <BR> <BR>A few seats in economy class are always reserved for this fare level. Why? Because a few people have more compelling reasons to fly on a given flight than the rest of us, and so they would be willing to pay to ensure that they get a seat at the last minute. Business people, people wanting to go somewhere for a funeral, etc. etc. who might otherwise discover that every seat has sold out by the time their urgent reason to fly has arisen. Of course most of us won't pay such a high fare, but that's exactly why seats at this fare category will remain empty until the last minute. <BR> <BR>I'm not sure why features such as child-on-lap rates are sold as a percentage of economy fare. Maybe someone else can help with that one. <BR> <BR>Alas, what is fair is what the market will bear. Only you can decide if it is better value to pay the $230 and carry baby on your lap, or try and find a discount fare for him that will get him an entire seat. Good luck.

StCirq

Thank you, ack. That's precisely the information I needed to explain my confusion.

zzz

The post from "ack" was clear enough. but I am really surprised that it provided StCirq some new news. I thought everybody pretty much already understood all of this. <BR> <BR>I am still very curious what, if any quote Courtney received for her baby to get a seat. <BR>