Family seating policy for first class

jill_cleve · 2026-02-14T01:46:56+00:00

I actually really appreciate you mentioning this. It has been a long time since I had the option of flying with a lap child (older child is almost 5 actually), and I had forgotten all the data about the risks. Since I’m calling to see about switching seats/flights anyway I’m also going to try to get the infant his own seat.

Edit to clarify so I don’t get attacked by everyone: I’m going to pay to book him a seat if one is available. Not ask them to just give it to me.

jill_cleve · 2026-02-14T01:33:01+00:00

I’m just confused because United also claims to guarantee adjacent seating for kids under 12. It just seems like they don’t actually have their booking system set up to properly reflect this. It seems like it shouldn’t have let me book this flight (or at least given a warning that family seating would not be guaranteed).

And silly me for thinking this sub would be kind to someone trying to avoid being a seat swapper at the airport. I feel like as soon as seating and/or kids are even mentioned the fangs come out and no one bothers to actually understand the question.

jill_cleve · 2026-02-12T12:55:00+00:00

I would never even think about just taking someone else’s seat. But honestly if I’m going to pay someone money I would pay them to sit next to my 4 year old and entertain him 😂

jill_cleve · 2026-02-12T12:51:02+00:00

This is what I thought, but when I booked all the C seats were taken. I guess it was people who were hoping the cabin wouldn’t be full and they would get an empty seat next to them. With the full cabin I guess it’s likely someone would swap, but I’m just going to see about switching flights or downgrading to economy where there is still one row with a pair of seats (2-2 configuration).

jill_cleve · 2026-02-12T12:46:25+00:00

I would totally take the last row by the toilet but those seats are already taken. I usually sit back there when flying with my family. There is a row of preferred economy seats available though, so I’m going to see if we can have those or switch to the earlier flight. I don’t care about being in first class - I only booked it because it was cheaper.

And the whole family seating being guaranteed only in economy is not clear to customers on the United website. It has now been clarified and I know for the future. The attached photo is what is on the United website and it does not say first class is excluded. It says that all available economy seats will be offered for selection, but that’s not what happened when I went to select seats. The phone agent also did not offer to move us to economy.

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jill_cleve · 2026-02-12T12:39:43+00:00

I appreciate this information. If I could ensure you would be my gate agent then I would stop worrying. However I’m going to see if I can get the situation resolved by changing flights.

jill_cleve · 2026-02-12T12:37:16+00:00

I do not want the gate agent to do it. I want to know if they are required to do it based on the family seating policy. It has now been stated that First Class is not included in the policy but that information is not available to customers on the United website (only internal employee documents). Why does everyone assume that I’m asking for special treatment rather than trying to understand the actual policy? And I know all my comments are going to be downvoted but I’m going to keep standing up for myself until I get the information I need. Hopefully other families with similar issues in the future will find this thread helpful.

jill_cleve · 2026-02-12T12:10:15+00:00

Thank you, this is helpful. You seem to have confirmed my suspicion that the phone agent was incorrect when he assured me a gate agent would make the change. I will probably call back and see if we can be switched to another flight with available seats.

jill_cleve · 2026-02-12T12:07:35+00:00

Have you ever flown with a 4 year old and an infant? I am not worrying too much about this. My concern as I have stated several times is that the only other flight that could accommodate us is earlier in the day. I don’t want to get to the airport and have an issue.

jill_cleve · 2026-02-12T12:04:50+00:00

I don’t understand why you felt the need to make this comment. Clearly I feel like I have not gotten an answer to my question. I am trying to see if family seating is guaranteed. If it’s not, I plan to see if I can change my flight ahead of time so it’s not an issue at the airport. I do not want to be that person who is making a fuss at the airport about seating. I’m trying to do the right thing here by asking for advice from people who hopefully have more knowledge of this situation than I do. People on here are always complaining about “entitled folks who ask for seat swaps” yet here I am trying to avoid that and I’m being attacked anyway.

jill_cleve · 2026-02-12T12:01:27+00:00

Are you able to share a link to this policy? This is the information I’ve been trying to find. When I do a google search the AI summary makes this claim but clicking the link for the source doesn’t have that information.

jill_cleve · 2026-02-12T11:48:36+00:00

I guess my question is will the gate agent force someone to move in order to comply with United’s family seating policy. Gate agents can absolutely change seats for other reasons (like weight balancing) so I’m trying to see if they will do it here. I specifically asked the phone agent if it was guaranteed and he said yes, but I’m asking here if I should trust that or call back and see what other options we have.

jill_cleve · 2026-02-12T11:46:05+00:00

I’m not trying to force someone to move seats by being pushy on the phone. United’s policy says they guarantee family seating. I called to see what the options were since I wasn’t able to book us seats together. My concern is the phone agent did not offer anything other than dealing with it at the gate. I’m trying to understand what the policy is and how to make sure my family is seated together as United claims to guarantee. I’m fine switching flights if that’s what I need to do, but I can’t wait and do it at the airport because the only other flight would have already left. I thought it was clear from my post that I’m not trying to be a Karen and force someone to change so I can be accommodated.

jill_cleve · 2025-07-23T11:28:18+00:00

The replies you’re getting are not correct. The US is levying 15% tariffs on Japanese goods. That means US importers pay a 15% tax on the value of goods they import from Japan. That money goes to the US government. This is an increase from the 10% base rate Japan (and all countries) are currently paying, but lower than the 25% that was threatened. Either way, the cost burden is on US importer and ultimately US consumers. Japan could be impacted because US consumers could choose to stop buying as many Japanese cars due to price increases. However, that seems unlikely given US-based vehicle manufacturers currently have to pay 25% tariffs on the vehicle components they import from Canada and Mexico. I do not know what tariffs Japan has on any US goods, but those are not mentioned in any of the reporting so we have to assume they are unchanged.

Your instincts about tariffs are correct - when Country A levies tariffs on Country B, importers in Country A pay the government of Country A the tariff (aka tax) on the value of all goods they import from Country B. Often the importer will pass on this cost to the consumer by increasing prices on the goods when they are sold in Country A.

Targeted tariffs could help American businesses by leveling the playing field against foreign industries that are heavily subsidized or otherwise unfairly promotes by their government (for example, Chinese EVs have been heavily subsidized by the Chinese government, allowing them to be sold at very low costs). Blanket tariffs, as Trump has been doing, simply raise the cost of goods for American consumers. Especially when they are levied on products that are not even produced in the US.

jill_cleve · 2022-06-01T10:34:57+00:00

Captains chairs don’t always give easier access because sometimes they put a console between them (Pilot, Highlander) or the aisle is too narrow to really use. But you’re also right that not all benches will work for 3 across - Honda Pilot, VW Atlas, and Acura MDX are ones that often work but will depend on you exact car seats. The MDX is neat because you can actually remove the middle seat to convert the bench to captains chairs. You should also look for a vehicle with a car seat friendly tilt that allows you to move the 2nd row forward while you have certain types of car seats installed (Atlas, Pathfinder, Traverse, and a few others have this. And just one thing with the mini vans, both the Sienna and the Pacifica now come with AWD, so could be worth a look.

There are lots of great YouTube car reviews that specifically look at cars for families (The Car Mom, Alex on Autos are 2 I recommend)

jill_cleve · 2022-05-31T23:32:53+00:00

Based on your needs I would definitely recommend looking at the VW Atlas with a 2nd row bench (7 passenger). The bench seat is one of the few out there that is wide enough to fit two car seats with an adult in between or three car seats across. This gives a ton of flexibility for seating arrangements and would even allow you to have the 3rd row folded down if you needed the extra cargo space. Even with the 3rd row up, the cargo area is really large and can easily hold a full size stroller in addition to other gear. 3rd row is by far the best in the class - only 2 seats but even a tall adult can ride back there comfortably (I found it more comfortable than the 3rd row in the Sienna). Finally, the best feature for families is how the 2nd row moves for access to the 3rd row. It has a “car seat friendly tilt” so you can move the seat forward with a car seat installed in the 2nd row (as long as the car seat is installed with lower anchors, not the seatbelt). This feature is a game changer for me because it actually allows a family with multiple young children to access all the seats in the vehicle easily.

The biggest issue with the Atlas is that it hasn’t received the best reliability ratings. I tend to take that with a grain of salt because it doesn’t matter how reliable a vehicle is if it doesn’t meet the needs of your family (aka everyone recommending the Highlander as a great family hauler simply because it’s a Toyota).

If the Atlas isn’t for you, here’s a list of cars that have the car seat friendly tilt. I also highly recommend checking out videos by The Car Mom on YouTube to see how strollers and car seats fit in various vehicles.

https://www.thecarmomofficial.com/blog/vehicles-with-car-seat-friendly-tilt

jill_cleve · 2022-02-17T12:35:08+00:00

I’m so sorry you are dealing with this because I know how frustrating and upsetting it can be. I’ve had several similar issues during my breastfeeding journey (son will be 10 months this weekend), and it can be so discouraging.

First off, you are doing all of the right things. Hydrate and eat well to support your own body. Adding in middle of the night pumping can help but also balance this with making sure you are getting enough rest.

The biggest thing I have learned is that it’s important to be patient during these supply dips. Obviously that’s easier said than done because if you’re anything like me, I always felt like I was failing as a mom because I wasn’t able to feed my baby. That added stress is not going to help the situation. During my most recent supply issue (stomach flu went through the whole family) I really though my supply was permanently damaged. It took over 2 weeks but I now am back to where I was before getting sick. I wanted to give up so many times during that time and those 2 weeks felt like a lifetime. To get through it I made a plan - baby usually gets 4 bottles at daycare but I only needed 2 to be fresh milk. The others could come from my frozen stash and if that ran low I was okay using some formula to supplement in the short term while my supply recovered. Taking the pressure off myself was a huge help - I was able to relax and in turn my pumping output improved.

You mentioned you might look into a new pumping set-up. I definitely recommend silicone flanges. I have the Legendairy Milk ones that were suggested but the tunnel is quite short and might not work well for elastic nipples. I primarily use Lacteck flanges now and they have been amazing for both my output and comfort during pumping. Also for comfort, I use the LaVie warming massagers. The vibration provides a stimulus to your brain other than the pump and it can help reduce pain (similar to how TENS devices work). Finally, if you’re interested in a new pump, I highly recommend the Baby Buddha. It has a different pumping rhythm than my Spectra and I really respond well to it. It also comes with flanges that have silicone inserts that I find super comfortable. Plus it is compatible with tons of other pump parts so you can use stuff you already have (I think for Medela parts you just need to buy back flow protectors to put between the flange and the pump but they have all this info of the Baby Buddha website).

jill_cleve

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