Happy Mother's Day to my wife and 4 month old boy! United denies infant and mother a seat booked months in advance! Read on....
I had the worst experience on United Airlines today. I was told I couldn't board the plane with my 4 month old infant because of weight restrictions on the plane. 6 people were told they couldn't board the plane, including myself and I found out that was based on our fares. I was penalized because I planned ahead and booked my ticket for less money. It doesn't matter that I started my trip hours earlier or that I connected and arrived to the gate on time. Some kind soul did try volunteer their seat. I overhead the gate crew saying there was a mother and baby who should board next which was superseded by the supervisor who said full fares trump everything. I left my house at 445am to catch a flight to connect to Chicago so I could get to my destination in the shortest time possible with a sleeping baby. I am a frequent flier, a "MileagePlus Explorer" (which I pay for by having a premium credit card), yet here I am-- the only person with a child on my plane--prevented from boarding because my $554 fare wasn't enough to get me my reserved seat. The breast milk that I froze and packed for my planned 4 hour journey is thawing and may spoil. I'm out of diapers. I am one irate customer and one irate mother--- and I have to wait 7 hours with my baby for the next flight.