Airline now charging parents extra to sit with their children

Next time you book a flight with your family, you might want to speak to the airline for precautionary measures. John Parish was set to fly to Disneyworld with his family after having booked the trip in March through American Airlines--only to be told that the flight schedule and plane had changed, which meant that seating arrangements had been switched. The problem with the updated plan was that his 5-year-old daughter was no longer sitting with them and the airline requested an additional $60 if they wanted to have her seated with them. 

Huh!?

My feeling is that it's only logical for a parent to sit with their 5-year-old daughter especially when they're in for a long trip. Besides who wants someone else's fussy kid sitting next to them on a flight? But according to American Airlines, you better be ready to pay up--even if it isn't your fault for the sudden schedule change. 

Read more ¿Qué más?: What would you do if an airline lost your 10-year-old child?

Despite speaking to a supervisor and a customer service rep, Parish was expected to pay the additional fee even though it was the airline's fault. This is just insane! I wouldn't let my 5-year-old sit next to a stranger even if it was for a short flight.

It just sounds like the airline is trying to swindle its customers by making them pay extra for no apparent reason. And this wouldn't be the first time airlines have faced this issue before: this July, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics complained to federal regulators and asked them to forbid airlines from separating families on planes. 

Although the Parishes had their problem resolved, no parent should have to battle an airline to be able to sit with their child. In this day and age, you don't know if you can rely on flight staff to watch your kids as some of them are bound to lose them. I hope the law does something to prevent airlines from getting away with abusing customer's wallets and putting their kids at risk.

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