Summary
A dispute arose on social media after a 2-year-old child was seated apart from his mother on a Southwest Airlines flight because his parents did not pay to choose seats. Southwest Airlines assigns seats randomly if passengers do not pay, but tries to keep families together, offering help if they are not seated together initially.
Key Facts
- A 2-year-old was seated apart from his family on a Southwest Airlines flight because his parents did not pay for seat selection.
- Southwest Airlines assigns seating automatically unless passengers choose and pay for specific seats.
- The airline states it will try to seat children under 13 next to an adult in their group when possible.
- If families find themselves separated, airline staff can help them find seats together or offer an alternative flight.
- Southwest Airlines switched from an open seating policy to assigned seating starting January 27.
- Different airlines have various policies but often try to seat families with young children together.
- The incident sparked a debate on social media about whether families should have to pay extra to ensure they sit together.
