What the grrrr!

[HotHolly]

What the heck is going on? Im booking plane tickets for my family and Air Tran is making me PAY for a seat assignment! Its an extra $5 - $15 per seat. What the heck?!?! Im traveling with 2 little kids. I dont really want them sitting alone - do I have to pay for this?

[Jfiumara]

I guess the low price airlines aren't as low price as we thought...

[ShutteredEye]

Originally Posted by HotHolly

What the heck is going on? Im booking plane tickets for my family and Air Tran is making me PAY for a seat assignment! Its an extra $5 - $15 per seat. What the heck?!?! Im traveling with 2 little kids. I dont really want them sitting alone - do I have to pay for this?

In my experience, if you're traveling with multiple small children by yourself, you can ask to preboard when you check in. They will keep you together.

[Digital Prophet]

Hell I would pay extra to not sit by my kids. If I had kids. Which I don't. I just have pikas. And you can be damn sure that I ain't sitting next to those low life's on a plane!

Actually Pika and I refuse to fly. Screw the airlines. The next time you see me and him on a plane it will be so we can become ex-patriots and fly to some country where we won't A) be extradited and 2) be able to do legal dope and legal ho's.

Aw, the golden years of life.

Prophet out.

[Erin Kathleen]

Ugh, Holly. My mom just ran into the same problem. They also charge more for a window than an aisle or something like this. It's ridiculous! I can't imagine they would separate you guys. Call airtran directly and ask them about your problems!! When you get to the airport you can pick your seats for free (I think) and you can always throw a fit if you're not with your kids, but I think calling them will address the problems...I would hope.

BTW - In my experience, Airtran does let people with infants and small children preboard (or they did last year), but most other airlines don't. American is the worst. They actually told me that if I thought I'd need help, they would let me preboard in the snobbiest tone ever. I travel alone with my daughter a lot and I've learned that it's well worth me being able to preboard.

[HotHolly]

I had been flying Air Tran frequently. Lately I switched to American, mainly b/c AT isnt in my tiny regional airport. I think this is totally ridiculous. I already paid for my seat. Why am I paying for it again? Grrr...

[hhscr]

I saw an article in Readers Digest about this very thing. Airlines as well as other industries are starting to charge fees for just about everything to increase the bottom line. About the only options we have is to gripe and complain about it as consumers, and if enough do the might change their ways.

One example of how it worked was that verizon or one of the other phone giants was charging some supposed federal fee that wound up not being required and enough customers complained that the dropped it.

Good luck with your flight.