United Airlines parents in first class left kids alone in coach, passenger says
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Angry flight passengers are complaining this week about three rambunctious children being left unattended on the bus while their parents were comfortably seated in first class, according to a viral post on Reddit.
“United now offers free baby care,” one passenger wrote on social media, describing the chaotic United Airlines flight from Houston to Fort Lauderdale.
According to the post, the children, with estimated ages of 7, 9 and 10, were sitting in the 8th row. The watchdog speculated that parents were “upgraded to first class”, leaving the little ones behind while the adults relaxed on their own.
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The poster on Reddit wrote: “30 minutes before landing, the kids start punching each other; throwing punches, choking each other, talking so loud they’re almost screaming. The little girl’s seatbelt remains as loose as possible.”
“Parents were raised, so [they] “We had a nice, relaxing flight while a select few of us kept an eye on the naughty kids,” the United passenger told fellow passengers on Reddit.
Angry passengers recently complained that unsupervised young children (not pictured) were behaving unruly in the carriage while their parents sat in first class. (iStock)
“At what point should the flight attendant have stepped in and requested that the parents rearrange to supervise their children?” the user added.
Fox News Digital has reached out to United Airlines for comment.
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Many commenters on Reddit weighed in on the flight drama.
“There are two types of parents: Those who are real parents, and those who are nothing but bad camp counselors who want to quit when their shift is over,” one person said.
According to a social media post, passengers complained about unruly children (not pictured) sitting apart from their parents. (iStock)
Another said: “If that happens, one parent will have to stay with the kids and one child will move up or no one will move up. Some people can be very selfish.”
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“I would go first and loudly bring the father,” another person wrote.
“Most kids get very uncomfortable in an enclosed space. They want to run up and down the halls.”
Others thought angry passengers should have brought the matter up to flight attendants.
“Why didn’t anyone press the call button?” wrote one Reddit user.
“I think one parent should stay with them because of their age,” one etiquette expert said. (iStock)
“Just ring the call bell, when the flight attendant arrives, walk up to them and put your headset back on,” another said.
Jacqueline Whitmore, an etiquette expert from Florida, told Fox News Digital that children under 12 generally should not be left unsupervised on a flight.
“I think a parent should stay with them because of their age,” she said.
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In such cases, the flight attendant should ask the children where their parents are and the parents should be notified, Whitmore said.
“That’s what flight attendants are there for – to ensure safety and peace in the cabin,” he said.
He also noted that many children have trouble staying in their seats on long flights.
“Some kids listen, some don’t,” he said. “Most kids get very uncomfortable in an enclosed space. They want to run up and down the halls. That’s exactly what kids do.”
Some major carriers do not promise to provide free guaranteed contiguous seating for families. (iStock)
The U.S. Department of Transportation encourages airlines to seat young children next to a parent or accompanying adult at no additional cost, according to the agency’s website.
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But federal regulations do not currently require airlines to guarantee adjacent seating.
The department maintains an online dashboard that shows which carriers promise to seat children 13 and under with an adult at no additional charge.
The U.S. Department of Transportation encourages airlines to seat young children next to a parent or accompanying adult. (iStock)
Some major carriers, including Delta, Spirit, Allegiant and United, are not committing to providing free guaranteed adjacent seating, according to the DOT dashboard.
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However, some airlines state that, under certain conditions, they will seat children aged 13 and under with an accompanying adult at no additional cost.
These carriers include Alaska Airlines. American AirlinesFrontier, Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue.
Fox News Digital’s Kelly McGreal contributed reporting.
