Posted on 05/24/2012 6:54:41 AM PDT by US Navy Vet
As if it wasn't hard enough traveling by air with children, United Airlines won't be offering early boarding to families in coach with small children.
United quietly made the policy shift in late April and joins other airlines including American Airlines and US Airways that have dropped family pre-boarding.
The airline says the move was "to simplify the boarding process and to reduce the overall number of boarding groups," United spokesman Charles Hobart told USA Today.
Previously, families with small children flying coach were allowed on aircraft before general boarding -- a convenience for parents to get their children and their things stowed before the crush of passengers. But now, as more airlines charge for priority boarding, passengers are more willing to pay to guarantee space in the overhead bins for their luggage --space that could be taken by early boarders.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Connecting once thru Raliegh going back to Orlando, FL we were in the gate area ready to board when they announced the pre-boarding of “Families with children and elderly people’.
I looked at the guy next to me and said, “We’re going to Florida. Families with children and elderly is all that is on the flight!”
I took enough long drives with my ex wife and her kids to know I preferred that they get in after the car was all packed. It was easier on everyone.
I even packed the kids in a particular order.
I’ve found that one of the dumbest ideas is to board premium, first class, and business class first. Then, the rest of us come through and invariably hit those people who are sitting in those first seats - usually the fat ones, the ones leaning in the aisle and not paying attention, the ones still fiddling with bags, the ones still on their phones. And of course, they get pissy about it if you even brush their arms.
I wish airlines would issue deoderant.
As much as people hate to admit the truth, obese people ARE a problem. Perhaps if they had a fat people board first it would at least have them admit they are fat. Perhaps a fat section? (/s)
Frequent Flyer Cranks: Shut. Up.
You’re not entitled to More and Better because you fly more... UNLESS YOU PAY MORE.
Parents with kids are broke and don’t fly that much... of course they’re going to buy coach tickets and monopolize all the overhead bins. You just don’t belong in this section if you fly all the time.
If you drive hundreds of miles a week for business, I guarantee it’s not in a two cylinder beater with holes in the floor that breaks down every hundred miles. You couldn’t get business done that way. You’d be a fool if you didn’t buy a big car with lots of leg room and creature comforts.
PAY MORE WHEN YOU DRIVE MORE to have a better quality of life.
The same is true with airline travel. Coach is all about the cheapest fare possible. People who rarely fly can take it for three hours. But you need to suck it up, Mr. I-Fly-All-the-Time, and upgrade to Business Class, if you want no kids and plenty of overhead space and leg room and no “amateur” travelers who don’t move fast enough in the aisle to suit you.
Are you also incensed when you open your McDonald’s bag and discover there’s no foie gras or white wine?
PAY MORE WHEN YOU FLY MORE to have a better quality of life.
I guess most of my recent experience is flying SWA!
I fully agree with you.
WOW!!!
Well, I would be paying extra to sit with my kids.
Youre not entitled to More and Better because you fly more... UNLESS YOU PAY MORE.
LMAO!!
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