An uncomfortable seating situation involving a mother and her lap child turned even stranger when it was discovered that the father was also seated onboard…far away.
Mother With Lap Child Poaches Extra Legroom Seat On United As Father Looks On
As told on reddit, a rare open middle seat on a long United flight suddenly was occupied by a mother and her lap infant…with the husband looking on in delight from several rows back
Thought I had really lucked out. Middle seat open on a 4+ hour flight. Door closes and then a woman with a toddler over 1 comes and sits in the middle seat. Confused I asked saying the seat shows as empty. She said the back middle did not have enough space for the kid on her lap. She had to move up to economy plus to “more comfortable” sit with her and her kid. Here is the kicker. The husband had a seat on the aisle in the back. I offered to switch seats with him so they can sit together. It was a plus for me because the middle seat was now open in that row. He flat out refused no matter what I said or asked.
Turns out the reason why is this kid is a nightmare…. Throwing tantrums the whole flight. Kicking, screaming, throwing things at me.
These people literally decided to ruin 2 other people’s flight because they have a horrible child that not even they want to sit next to.
Lap Babies should be banned if not just for a safety reason as we had turbulence and the kid was bouncing and flailing around like it was possessed.
I typically just dismiss stories like this because they seem to write themselves. How did he even know the father was in the back if he was seated in the front? Come on, do you mean to tell me that a father would really act so poorly?
Apparently, yes, because the traveler posted an update…and photo:
The aftermath. Kid ripped apart the airplane safety card.
Whether this particular story happened or not, the disgusted traveler could have informed a flight attendant if anyone–even a mother with child–decided to self-upgrade into EconomyPlus, United’s extra-legroom section of economy class.
If it were me, I would have been tempted to sit next to the husband whether he wanted to move or not…if you can’t beat them, join them.
Actually, the wife should have dropped the baby in the lap of her husband while moving to EconomyPlus.
And for the record, I blame the father…not the baby…for the baby’s poor behavior. When you ignore your child, it might take matters into his own hands.
Any bets as to whether it was the husband who ordered his wife and kid to move or the mother who just could not stand to sit next to her husband?
If true, as Reddit, while entertaining, is not what I would call reliable, the crew should have intervened and had police meet the flight to have the father arrested for child endangerment
Well, the mother was there. The father was just a jerk.
Both parents are unfit and the child should be taken into care.
I am a retired UA flight attendant. 26 years.
I flew mostly International. This is not an acceptable situation. I would not have accepted a self upgrade: unfair to the passengers that paid more for their ticket. It makes them angry. Not to speak about the terror child! You rarely see psychotic behavior with European passengers. Because they instill strict discipline at home. The child can be given something by a pediatrician to calm the child during these difficult moments.
It is NOT OK to allow wild child behavior during a flight.
” The child can be given something by a pediatrician to calm the child … ”
I respectfully disagree . This is Very Dangerous and may have Side Effects which can permanently Damage the child’s brain functions .
Do you really think the child’s pediatrician would prescribe medication that could cause permanent brain damage? She was suggesting medicating without consulting the doctor.
@Dave … Respectfully , one never knows the side effects until the medicine is administered . With anyone , especially an infant , I would never take chances with any form of sedative or mood-altering potion . Also , anything going into the stomach can damage the stomach . Pharmacies are very well-stocked with every imaginable medicine , none of which are suitable for infants .
Clickbait. Title made it sound like just a child, not a child and parent.
Yep . Title ought to have included the “Mother And Child self-upgraded , which irritated entitled passenger” . Sorted.
I wouldn’t call the passenger entitled…having a lap infant does not entitle anyone to a free upgrade to the extra legroom section.
He may think he is more deserving than the self-upgrade woman with infant , because he Paid , and he Thinks she did Not Pay . Perhaps so .
H0wever , when he decided to go by Public transportation , on a carrier that he does not own or audit , he might expect that someone else , with infant , may sit next to him .
If he settled in a first class compartment on a European train , he might think he is more deserving than another passenger , who he Thinks did Not Pay for first class .
Bottom line , on an airplane or a train , he does not know for sure , and he might show a little tolerance towards the good mother and the infant .
You cannot self upgrade, and she should have been sent back to her original seat. The customer who checked the seat map, should have said something -EOS
Relax already . If an entitled passenger is irritated , so what ?
@M. Casey: Agreed
@Alert: passenger wasn’t entitled. No free upgrades.
Well , The Golden Rule is a large concept which encompasses other passengers and infants .
” if your ignore the child it might take matters into its own hands ”
Yes. Unlike the parents baby seemed to know a choking hazard sized cracker is best tossed. I don’t believe any of this story, but pretending it’s real, the infant exhibits most intelligence.
“Whether this particular story happened or not, the disgusted traveler could have informed a flight attendant if anyone–even a mother with child–decided to self-upgrade into EconomyPlus, United’s extra-legroom section of economy class.”
Um… if it happened then the whole story doesn’t exist and there was no disgusted traveler, no FA, and no mother, father, or child…
I prefer dogs!!
Reminds me of that time where I gave up my 1B with extra foot box on faux first 757-300 to a mom and her child who were upgraded while husband and other child were not.
Shortly after we got in the air she took the child back to economy to join dad and the other sibling. She brought up some other stranger to take my 1B.
So much for my extra legroom I specifically selected and gave up to let child and mother be together.
People are becoming egoistic and antisocial.
So what is the future of air travel..no children until the age of 5 years old.
As this kind of society nowadays do not tolerate children and most of these so called grown ups do not have children, they do not know how to handle them and whines for any possible noise.
@JC … Exactly .
Perhaps people ought to remember when they were an infant , and they were a handful for their mother ?
Perhaps people ought to remember the teachings of tolerance and forgiveness .
Perhaps people ought to remember the lessons of “No room at the Inn” and “The Good Samaritan” .