Family outraged after major airline seats toddler apart from parents, sparking viral debate

A household seating mix-up connected a caller formation has sparked online statement implicit whether airlines should warrant that parents and young children beryllium unneurotic oregon not.

The quality began aft a rider shared connected X that his woman and 2 young children were automatically assigned seats successful abstracted rows connected a Southwest Airlines flight.

The household did not wage for spot selection, the station noted. Rather, the airline’s strategy assigned seats individually. 

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The rider said his 2-year-old kid was placed successful a antithetic enactment from some his parent and sibling, contempt indicating during booking that the mates was traveling with children.

The station drew attention, with galore commenters criticizing the begetter for declining to acquisition spot selection.

A Southwest formation assigned a household to abstracted rows, with their 2-year-old kid (not pictured) seated elsewhere. (iStock)

"If you're truthful inexpensive that you garbage to not wage for spot selection, past wherefore didn't you enactment the 2-year-old arsenic a thigh child?" 1 idiosyncratic wrote.

"Next time, bargain the seats together. It's that easy," different added.

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Some users besides pointed retired that separating families connected planes tin spot unit connected different passengers to power seats to accommodate others. 

"I emotion kids, but I'd hatred to beryllium that rider who has to determination for your household to beryllium together," a commenter said.

The station sparked disapproval of the begetter (not pictured) for not paying to prime seats — with immoderate saying the perplexing concern could person been avoided. (iStock)

Others, however, argued that airlines should automatically spot young children adjacent to a genitor oregon guardian, peculiarly erstwhile a child’s property is provided during booking.

"All minors should beryllium assigned adjacent to an adult," 1 idiosyncratic wrote.

Fox News Digital reached retired to Southwest Airlines for remark astir the incident.

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The concern comes amid changes astatine Southwest Airlines, which began transitioning to an assigned seating exemplary successful January. 

Federal regulations bash not presently necessitate airlines to warrant adjacent seating.

The bearer had agelong been known for its unfastened seating policy, which allowed passengers to take immoderate disposable spot upon boarding.

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The U.S. Department of Transportation encourages airlines to spot young children adjacent to a genitor oregon accompanying big astatine nary further charge, according to the agency’s website. 

However, national regulations bash not presently necessitate airlines to warrant adjacent seating.

The DOT advises airlines to spot young children beside a genitor oregon guardian astatine nary other cost, though determination is nary national regularisation requiring carriers to guarantee seats are together. (iStock)

The section maintains an online dashboard that outlines which carriers perpetrate to seating children property 13 and nether adjacent to an accompanying big without an added fee.

The dashboard shows that Southwest Airlines does not perpetrate to providing fee-free guaranteed adjacent seating.

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Other large carriers that bash not perpetrate to providing fee-free guaranteed adjacent seating see Delta, Spirit, Allegiant and United, according to the DOT dashboard.

Several airlines, however, authorities that they volition spot children property 13 and nether adjacent to an accompanying big astatine nary further outgo nether definite conditions. 

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Those carriers see Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Frontier, Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue.