Hahaha, they may have us on national health care, but even in its current crappy, decrepit, abusive condition, America's airline industry is still ahead of the Brits on some things.
British Airways announced they'd start charging passengers £10-60 [$16- $(6x16)] for advance seat assignments, or as Cory calls it, a "fly next to your children fee." Seats can be selected 4-10 days in advance, as opposed to the current 24 hours.
I don't fly BA, so I have no idea, but I have to laugh at the ghetto third worldliness of an airline that already wasn't letting you pick your seat when you bought your ticket. Also, I have to assume that none of this fee nonsense applies to Executive Club members.
Ah, here it is: Executive Club Gold members: no fees. Silver members only pay if they want the emergency exit row. Also still able to choose advance seats for free: "Customers traveling with infants."
British Airways sets seat charges [bbc via boingboing]
As for flying with toddlers and kids in general, I look forward to the awesome family separation horror stories.
New Seating Policy from 7 October 2009 [britishairways.com]
I'm sure there are some people out there who would be happy to pay to be separated from their toddlers on long-haul flights. :)
What a joke. And Ryanair now wants to charge you to use the bathroom. What's next- If you want an experienced pilot, that will be $50 more pal.
I am sure this is going to backfire big time against the flight attendants.
What happens when they want to shuffle someone around before takeoff (as they are wont to do) so that people can sit together or parents can sit with toddlers, and the people who are being asked to move says "hell, no, I paid 20 pounds extra for this seat!"?
Air Canada charges $22 per person for advanced seat selection, and has done so for years, so we're light years ahead of BA on sucking.
This puts BA on par with AirTran. Stooping to new heights, they are.
Northwest charges $15 for aisle or window seats...which means I have to pay to sit next to my kid. I argued with every customer service operator they had. So then I said, screw it. I'll book two middle seats and tell the guy in the aisle that HE paid an extra $15 to sit next to my 3-year-old. Guess what? I got my aisle seat for free.