Around 1980, I was travelling with my 2yr 9mo old son from Dallas to SF on American. We had assigned seats. Got to the airport and checked in and somehow someone else had our seats. There were no other two seats together. They told me to board and the flight attendants would work things out. They didn't. The FAs made a half-hearted attempt to ask people to voluntarily move and no one would. So I sat in an aisle seat, and my two year old sat in an aisle seat on the opposite side about 3 rows back.
About 10 years later, I had a similar situation on TWA. The check-in rep moved us up into business class so we could sit together.
I've moved voluntarily. In a long line to check in, we got talking to a young black couple who had been on their honeymoon and were returning home. When we boarded the plane, the man was sitting next to us and his new wife was about 8 rows up. I asked my husband if he'd mind if I traded seats so the newlyweds could sit together to finish the last leg of their honeymoon. I traded seats and, in the no good deed shall go unpunished category, I ended up sitting next to a couple who were both extremely overweight and who were constantly getting up to use the restroom.
I’ve also been burned by thinking I would have more room in a bulkhead seat, and then a morbidly obese person sits in the middle seat, which is curious because more leg room does NOT equal more seat width!
It’s best the times I can pay full price for business or 1st, and at least control some aspects of my time in the air. It’s curious that Ann didn’t do that, but maybe it wasn’t available.
So I sat in an aisle seat, and my two year old sat in an aisle seat on the opposite side about 3 rows back.
What??? You let your two year old sit ALONE (without you/parent), three rows back from you, for what had to be an at least three hour flight????
I know you said it was around 1980, and things/times were much different then...but still, I cannot fathom even considering letting my 2 yr old sit three rows back from me, seated next to a total stranger.
Sorry for the rant, but this just boggles the mind.