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Northwest Airlines Complaint - Screaming Kids and Safety - Flight 261
Flight 261 - Complaint
PHOENIX, ARIZONA -- I had the unfortunate experience of being seated next to a young mother, who had not one but two infants in her seat/lap a six month old and an 18 month old. Or should I be more accurate by stating the 18 month old was in my seat, my lap, one top of my head and all over my feet?
The flight attendants completely ignored any of the standard safety regulations. The woman next to me was never asked to place any of her three (3) very large bags under the seat in front of her or in the overhead bin. Those too, were knocked repeatedly against my shins and under and on top of my feet.
The woman next to me was never asked to secure either child with a seat belt during take-off or landing.
In fact, I want you to have a clear picture of the landing which consisted on my husband seated in the window seat, myself in the middle seat and the young mother with BOTH children. As we prepared for landing, the mother, lifted the arm rest between our seats, shoved her 18 month old between her and myself. She held the six month old on her lap. All with her chair fully reclined, I might add, and with no seat belt around either child.
Yes, I am a mother. Of four. Yes, I have traveled many times with children. I understand ALL too well the many challenges associated with traveling with children.
What I don't understand is NWA allowing two children in one passenger's lap.
What I don't understand is the NWA flight attendant disregarding safety procedures during landing.
What I don't understand is why the decrease in customer service is directly proportionate to the increase in ticket prices.
I'm tired of being treated and herded like cattle. The only thing missing from my NWA experience was a crate full of chickens and a crowing rooster.
The passenger on SkyBlue who was asked to sit in the lav for most of his flight? On this flight, I would gladly have sat in the lav had that option been offered.
The flight attendants completely ignored any of the standard safety regulations. The woman next to me was never asked to place any of her three (3) very large bags under the seat in front of her or in the overhead bin. Those too, were knocked repeatedly against my shins and under and on top of my feet.
The woman next to me was never asked to secure either child with a seat belt during take-off or landing.
In fact, I want you to have a clear picture of the landing which consisted on my husband seated in the window seat, myself in the middle seat and the young mother with BOTH children. As we prepared for landing, the mother, lifted the arm rest between our seats, shoved her 18 month old between her and myself. She held the six month old on her lap. All with her chair fully reclined, I might add, and with no seat belt around either child.
Yes, I am a mother. Of four. Yes, I have traveled many times with children. I understand ALL too well the many challenges associated with traveling with children.
What I don't understand is NWA allowing two children in one passenger's lap.
What I don't understand is the NWA flight attendant disregarding safety procedures during landing.
What I don't understand is why the decrease in customer service is directly proportionate to the increase in ticket prices.
I'm tired of being treated and herded like cattle. The only thing missing from my NWA experience was a crate full of chickens and a crowing rooster.
The passenger on SkyBlue who was asked to sit in the lav for most of his flight? On this flight, I would gladly have sat in the lav had that option been offered.
Comments:
Posted by chris513 on 2008-05-14:
how did you know the age of the children?
Posted by yoke on 2008-05-15:
Are you saying this lady had 2 kids with her and they were both on her lap, so there were 5 people in your row? How many seats were in a row?
Posted by cherpep on 2008-05-15:
This is per nwa.com:
"An infant under two years of age may travel on a domestic itinerary without additional miles if traveling on the lap of an accompanying adult. Northwest allows a maximum of two infants per adult. A passenger traveling with two infants must reserve a seat for the second infant."
I hope you are also complaining to Northwest Airlines directly. That clearly should not have been allowed and was improperly handled by the attendants. You should be compensated in some way for having to deal with that during your trip. Good luck.
"An infant under two years of age may travel on a domestic itinerary without additional miles if traveling on the lap of an accompanying adult. Northwest allows a maximum of two infants per adult. A passenger traveling with two infants must reserve a seat for the second infant."
I hope you are also complaining to Northwest Airlines directly. That clearly should not have been allowed and was improperly handled by the attendants. You should be compensated in some way for having to deal with that during your trip. Good luck.
Posted by jenjenn on 2008-05-15:
I've traveled with an 10 month old infant who sat on my lap. Never again! It went pretty well, but it would have been a LOT easier if she had her own seat.
Posted by Ghost of Doc J on 2008-05-15:
Given the rate of descent of our domestic airlines, we will soon be rivaled by 1960 Aeroflot. Parents won't be traveling with small children...it will be chickens in a crate in the overhead compartment and goats on a tether in the aisle.
Posted by bargod on 2008-05-15:
I agree with Cherpep. You should have been compensated for your inconvienience, but of course you need to speak up for this to happen.
Posted by Ponie on 2008-05-15:
rileygang, I like your sense of humor! For less than what you paid for your tickets, the one next to you had three people traveling. You had more patience than I would have had. When she put that arm rest up, I'd have promptly put it back down. She had the fun of making the kids--now let her take care of them without inconvenience to others. 'The flight attendants completely ignored any of the standard safety regulations.' Did you mention this to any of the attendants? I certainly would have. I can't stand these so-called mothers who feel the world owes them because they have a couple of kids!
Posted by jktshff1 on 2008-05-15:
right on ponie!!
Posted by superbowl on 2008-05-15:
Agree with Chuck. Best answer Ponie!
Posted by Ghost of Doc J on 2008-05-15:
I second Ponie's comment. Being a fetus incubator is not synonymous with 'mother'.
Posted by DebtorBasher on 2008-05-15:
That Mother should have bought a ticket for another seat for the child and had the proper restrants for it. When I went to London, there was a woman and her husband flying with an infant, and they had a car seat secured on the seat between them. I don't know if it was a car seat they brought with them, of if the airline provides it for young kids...but there was no problem...they didn't have to sit with the baby on their lap or annoying other passengers...Sounds like the one traveling with you was unconcerned about her children's safety for the sake of saving a buck. The airlines should have said something to her when she boarded with one ticket and two kids. I would have said something to her, and I would have kept kicking her bags off my feet onto hers until she moved them.
Posted by DebtorBasher on 2008-05-15:
How long of a flight was this? I would have "accidently" spilled a drink on her, spill my food on her everytime her kid crawled onto my feet or my HEAD! Not to take it out on the kids, because they don't know any better, but I would have made sure the Mother got my message loud and clear.
Posted by cherpep on 2008-05-15:
note to self... don't sit next to DB on a plane. LOL.
Posted by superbowl on 2008-05-15:
Note to self, sit next to Cherpep.
Posted by DebtorBasher on 2008-05-15:
Cherpep...When I was on the plane to Disney World, I was sitting in my seat minding my own little business as I always do...staying out of trouble, as I always do...and my foot scuffed up the carpet runner under my seat...I tried to straighten it back by scuffing it. I kept scuffing it kinda under my seat with my foot...lol...the next thing I knew, I scuffed it so much, the woman's purse from the front seat was at MY feet...LOL...she must have had it sitting under her seat during the flight...I thought...how am I gonna get this woman's purse back up to her without getting into some "I Love Lucy" episode and without the woman thinking I was trying to steal her purse...so, I took both of my feet and starte scuffing the runnner forward again until it bunched all up under her seat WITH her purse. I still don't know how that happened, unless everyone in that aisle had their feet up on the foot rests...LOL...it was funny.
Posted by DebtorBasher on 2008-05-15:
ALRIGHT SMARY PANTS...Is THIS the reason no one ever takes me on vacation with them? IS THIS the reason I'm told to meet them at the airport, only for them to take off, leaving me behind? I'm starting to feel unloved!!!
Posted by yoke on 2008-05-15:
I can't believe the attendants did not say something to her. The seats are small enough as it is and to have to share a space with 5 people when it is only meant for 3 is awful. I bet the woman was counting on a row to herself when she bought the ticket. The only time I ever flew with my kids (without my husband) I was 6 months pregnant, had a 22 month old and 4 year old. I thought I would save money and not buy my 22 month old a seat, my 4 year old had a seat. Big mistake. I flew from LA to Hartford with him on my lap. On the way home back to LA my parents bought a seat for my son!
Posted by yoke on 2008-05-15:
Alley, I agree with you...ok get up from the shock! I don't see how an attendant or ticket agent would allow a woman on with one ticket and 3 people.
Posted by chris513 on 2008-05-15:
I actually find this hard to believe, also. which is why I asked my first question...You had a good enough conversation w/ the person w/ the infants to find out there age, yet at no point did you complain to the flight attendants...I'm sorry, I am usually pretty sympathetic to any situation, but this plane never would have left the ground if I was in your seat...Furthermore, this all goes against FAA regs...one lap child per seat...if this happened, as you say, you would be in the wrong to not report this to the FAA and/or DOT.
Posted by wgaguy1984 on 2008-05-16:
I kind of agree with the incredulity of the other two. I don't think she could have booked the ticket with two lap infants, I really doubt she could have boarded. She probably paid for a second seat and then the child didn't sit there, after the seat belt sign went off. But if the flight attendant didn't make sure at least one child was secure during takeoff/landing, that's a major no-no.
Posted by dianec on 2008-05-16:
Maybe she did book a seat and they told her one of the kids would have to sit in the lav so she decided to hold both children in her lap instead. Hey, it could happen! (Wait, it has happened.)
I do find this hard to believe. As lax as the airlines seem, they do have to follow regulations. If it IS true, it should be a news story. I'll be watching the national news to keep an eye out for it. Until then, rileygang, some of us are a bit skeptical. Sorry.
I do find this hard to believe. As lax as the airlines seem, they do have to follow regulations. If it IS true, it should be a news story. I'll be watching the national news to keep an eye out for it. Until then, rileygang, some of us are a bit skeptical. Sorry.
Posted by Sunchaser1469 on 2008-06-10:
Two children on a parents lap? I dont buy it. How did this get passed all the employees. If the kids were small enough, they could be put in a kennel below the plane. Report this to NWA.
Posted by jbarber8 on 2008-06-27:
I have been the person with someone else's infant crawling all over me on a long flight. We leave tomorrow on our first flight with our 2 children and I hope my kids don't cause problems for other passengers. My suggestion to all: Try to be a little sympathetic and helpful, or at least quietly tolerant. No one wants their kids to be a problem, and what goes around comes around. Even if you don't have kids, you once were one, and someone at some time probably helped your parents. Or glared at them. Which person are you?
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