Woman refused to bring 2 child seats on board airliner even though she paid for both child seats, and airline rules allowed it. American airlines.

Another finest example, United.

the FAA is investigating another incident on a United Airlines flight regarding a child over two being forced to fly on his mother’s lap after the airline gave the child’s ticket away to a standby passenger.

On my last trip to Idaho a few weeks ago, I flew on United. The experience was less than enjoyable.

United again

"United Airlines has apologized to a passenger who was forced to give up her 2-year-old son’s seat and hold the child on a flight — until her leg and arm went numb.

Shirley Yamauchi, a middle school teacher from Hawaii, was bound for a teacher’s conference in Boston last week, she told Hawaii News Now. Her traveling companion was 27-month-old Taizo, whose ticket she said cost as much as hers — nearly $1,000.

The first leg of Thursday’s trip — Hawaii to Houston — went fine.

So did the layover.

But as Yamauchi and her son sat waiting for takeoff to Boston, a man walked up with the same seat number as Taizo, the mother told ABC affiliate KITV.

“I told him, I bought both of these seats,” she told the station. “The flight attendant came by, shrugs and says, ‘flight’s full.’”

A United spokesman told The Washington Post that Taizo’s boarding pass had been improperly scanned and that because the toddler wasn’t logged in to the system, his seat was released to a standby passenger.

The airline said it is trying to compensate the family for its mistake. But at the time, Yamauchi said, she had only bad options.

“I was told if we refund you anything right now, we’re going to have to cancel the rest of your flight arrangements to Hawaii,” she told KITV.

She told Hawaii News Now that she considered protesting, but was scared to make a scene. “I started remembering all those incidents with United on the news. The violence. Teeth being knocked out,” she said.

In April, a passenger named David Dao refused to give up his seat on a United flight. He was dragged, battered and bloody, down the plane aisle by police — an incident that scandalized the airline for weeks, until it settled the passenger’s lawsuit.Dao’s experience was among the worst in a long string of passenger horror stories on multiple airlines.In the last few months alone, a pilot’s rant before takeoff caused her passengers to flee the plane; a man in a wheelchair was forced to crawl up a staircase using his hands; and a beloved giant rabbit apparently died in midair.“I didn’t want those things to happen to me,” Yamauchi told Hawaii News Now, referring to Dao’s dragging.

So the man with a standby ticket sat down in Taizo’s seat, and the child crammed in with his mom.That was against the safety advice of the Federal Aviation Administration, which strongly urges a separate seat for children; but Yamauchi said she had no better options.“He’s 25 pounds; he’s half my height,” she told Hawaii News Now. She sent the station pictures of her son wedged in various positions on her lap, a container of milk balanced on the arm rest above him, somehow managing to sleep.

Meanwhile, Yamauchi said, her arm was smashed between the plane wall and her son for most of the three-and-a-half hour flight to Boston.
“At the every end, he was standing up between my knees,” she told KITV.A United spokesman told The Post that the airline would compensate Yamauchi “as a goodwill gesture” and will work with employees to avoid a repeat of the mistake.“We deeply apologize to Ms. Yamauchi and her son for this experience,” the spokesman wrote in a statement, although he did not answer questions about why the child was allowed to fly without a seat, and whether it was safe."

https://www.washingtonpost.com...m_term=.65c066d78181

American

"A woman is accusing American Airlines of forcing her to fly with her child seated in her lap, even though she purchased separate seats for both of her children.

Kelly Duvall was flying with her 18-month-old daughter and 3-year-old son from Phoenix to Chicago back in August, Forbes reports.

Duvall said she had purchased two aviation-approved car seats for each of children, as well as separate tickets.

Duvall, who searched American Airlines’ website on the protocol of bringing car seats aboard a flight, said she lugged the two recommended car seats, along with all of their luggage and her two children to the airport by herself.

However, once she got to the gate, Duvall said she was confronted with a “rude” agent who told her that she would have to check one of the car seats, as it was American Airlines’ policy.

“He simply said, ‘You can’t bring two car seats.’” Duvall’s complaint says.

Though Duvall pointed out that nowhere on the website did it say two car seats were prohibited – and the FAA’s own website specifically states the safest place for a child is in an approved child restraint system and not sitting on a parents’ lap – the gate agent still forced her to check one of the seats.

Now, the airline and FAA are reportedly investigating the incident after Duvall filed written complaints with both the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Duvall’s claims range from being forced to check the car seats to being denied early family boarding for unknown reasons.


“I asked if I could board early for family boarding and he crossly told me, ‘We don’t offer family boarding.’ When I mentioned I had read on the website that families can board early, he said ‘Only families that need extra time.’ I explained again that I was traveling alone with two small children and had two car seats that I needed to get onto the plane, in addition to all our luggage,” she writes.

After her request, she was denied early entry and erroneously told that two car seats are not allowed on the plane. FAA rules state no airline may “prohibit a child, if requested by the child’s parent…., from occupying a child restraint system furnished by the child’s parent… provided the child holds a ticket for an approved seat,” Forbes reports.

“I expressed how disappointed and frustrated I was that my children were not going to be safe on the flight, but he continued to be quite short and rude with me, as I was standing with both of my children, now feeling overwhelmed, saddened, scared, and frustrated. I also explained that nowhere on the American Airlines website had I seen anything about having to put a car seat in the window seat, or not being able to put more than one seat in a row, and he responded with a blank stare and said, ‘Well that’s the rule,’” her complaint concluded.

Since her complaint, Duvall says American Airlines’ customer service issued an apology, but have refused to confirm the airline’s policy on car seats.

Currently, the FAA is investigating another incident on a United Airlines flight regarding a child over two being forced to fly on his mother’s lap after the airline gave the child’s ticket away to a standby passenger."
https://nypost.com/2017/11/17/...d-to-sit-on-her-lap/

I don't understand why these jackass airline employees haven't gotten a clue, yet. They must be stupid.

I just can't understand how this wasn't worked out in an instant. Kid has a valid ticket, man is on standby, our bad. Sorry sir, you will have to take your original flight. Done. Why is that hard to figure out?

Under FAA regulation, a child over two must have his or her own seatbelt. To require a parent to hold a child on their lap is a violation of federal regulation.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
Under FAA regulation, a child over two must have his or her own seatbelt. To require a parent to hold a child on their lap is a violation of federal regulation.

Yes it is. I don't get this story at all. It almost sounds like the woman simply acquiesced without any fight at all.

quote:

"United Airlines has apologized to a passenger who was forced to give up her 2-year-old son’s seat and hold the child on a flight — until her leg and arm went numb.
....
A United spokesman told The Washington Post that Taizo’s boarding pass had been improperly scanned and that because the toddler wasn’t logged in to the system, his seat was released to a standby passenger.

SO..how did Mrs.Yamauchi and her son get onboard if only one ticket was scanned?
Did Mrs.Yamauchi not provide her son's boarding pass?
Usually when infants/toddlers are with parents, gate agents and flight attendants are aware and will keep an eye on their situation, whether mother is struggling or, baby crying and need to re-seat. Clearly this crew didn't care.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
I don't get this story at all. It almost sounds like the woman simply acquiesced without any fight at all.

There's gotta be more to it than a blanket shrug and oh-well. She may very well have been blown-off by the flight attendant and sat there for the rest of the flight stewing, instead of putting her foot-down right. However she paid a full fare for her child so, just that alone would give you every right to pitch-a-fit.

Missing info - I think? Something off here.

United Airlines has supplanted Greyhound as the most uncaring, least comfortable, and worst on-time records. I have no data to suoort these allegations, but I betcha they are true.