Does United Airlines Care About Your Child’s Safety?

I do my part when I fly. I show up at least an hour early - even earlier when I fly with my child. I pack carefully so that any TSA agent who decides to search my bag won’t have too much trouble getting though it quickly. I filter out all my liquids in my purse and my child’s diaper bag and make sure it all fits into my quart size bag (even though I am allowed more when I fly with my daughter). I can walk through most security check points without setting off an alarm, as I’m meticulous about what I wear and what is in my pockets. I even go so far as to make sure I wear easy off and on shoes so I don’t hold up the line. I never bring on more than my one carry on bag and one personal item (and that includes the diaper bag). And, as in the case of my last holiday trip, I pay for this privilege - A LOT!

However, even though I held up my end of the bargain this last holiday travel season, I was greeted at my destination with no luggage. Still, I tried hard to keep it together. So I would have to buy some soap and new underwear, eventually, I thought, I would get my things back. But then I realized - one of the pieces missing was my child’s car seat.

Parents, I’m writing this as a warning. This is how United Airlines dealt with me. Scratch that: this is how United Airlines treated my child. When I asked them to provide me with a loaner, they said they had none. They did check with another airline (Northwest) and they did not have a suitable option either. This is basically the conversation that followed:

Me: It is illegal for me to drive away from this airport with my child without putting her in a car seat. What do you expect me to do?

United Agent: I’m sorry, I understand, but there is nothing more I can do for you

Me: Can’t you coordinate something with one of the rental car agencies? Surely they have car seats you could borrow?

United Agent: Ma’am, you are welcome to check with them but I do not have the authority to do that.

Me: Will United pay for any costs that I incur?

United Agent: You can call this number and ask them, but I have no idea.

Me: (Stunned look).

Still stunned by United’s inability to manage an issue that they created I trudged over to one of the rental car counters and asked if they had a car seat I could rent. The kid at the counter said yes but could only give me one if I rented a car (which I did not need). After much begging and pleading he went against his company policy and gave me a car seat for no charge. I only had to promise to bring it back the next day before his boss came to work so that he wouldn’t get in trouble. I happily agreed and did return the car seat before his boss found out.

A few points to note:

First, I know it’s appalling to some not to put your child in a car seat on a plane. And honestly, this incident has forced me to think about that a bit more. I assumed since airlines often cite safety as a reason it enforces so many rules that they know what they are talking about when they say it’s optional. It’s tricky when the seats are all different sizes and availability is scattered. Still, I’m rethinking our previous approach to flying as a family.

Second, we had a plane change in Chicago - which is a busy airport - granted! However, my husband’s bag made it, which proved to me that while it was possible for them to transfer our luggage, they simply did not. Third, it took United two full days to give us back our car seat and the rest of our luggage. My husband and I had many conversations with United’s baggage loss department and one agent said to me many times that it was always at the baggage handler’s discretion on whether or not our luggage would be put on the next flight. Weren’t these the same people who didn’t do the job right the first time? The fact that they were holding our car seat made no difference to them.

It’s appalling to me that United had no solution for us when, in my opinion, there are several procedures they could put into place to deal with these issues. One would be to implement better luggage transfer processes (Weren’t they supposed to do that as part of this homeland security thing anyway?). Next they could have loaner car seats available at airports - maybe a stash that all the airlines could use? Or they could contract with the rental car agencies to borrow car seats from them when needed. Certainly airlines should be able to coordinate something with them directly instead of forcing their passengers to go begging. If that was in place, this poor car rental agent wouldn’t have had to put his line on the job to make up for United’s mishap. Finally, I have to say if airlines can’t handle this task, they should require infants and children who fly with them to purchase a seat and to be in an approved car seat.

This incident was a huge eye opening incident for me. At the end of it all, I’m not just re-evaluating the airlines luggage policies, but also their overall disregard for their young travelers. Safety does not seem to be of any concern for them. And while I used to trust that they must know what they are talking about when they say children can sit on laps (if they are under 2) and that if they have a seat, a car seat is optional, I can no longer take them at their word. For my part, I won’t check our car seat again. At worst, I will gate check it. They just can’t be trusted with something so important.

As a frequent traveler, I can accept lost luggage as I have come to accept all of the other annoyances that are part of flying. Like all of those things, I figure out how to compensate. But when I trusted them with something that is a legal safety requirement for my child I had expected them to respect it. I did my part, why can’t they do theirs?

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