Summer Travel Do's and Don'ts
June 14, 2011 -- Q: A few years ago, I had to do a decent amount of business travel while I was pregnant. On one flight, I chose an exit-row seat -- I wanted the extra legroom. I knew I'd be asked to assist the crew in the event of an emergency, and I would have been perfectly capable of doing so. Well, when I boarded, I was about to put my carry-on bag in the overhead when someone asked if he could put it up for me. I said OK, thanked him, and sat down. A flight attendant came over and said that if I couldn't put my own bag in the overhead, I shouldn't sit in the exit row. I tried to argue that I could easily lift the bag -- that I had just accepted help when someone offered -- but she wouldn't listen. She reseated me in a middle seat in the back of the plane. I still don't think that's fair and wonder if I should have complained. If I had had any doubts of my fitness to sit in the exit row, I wouldn't have chosen the seat. What do you think?
A: If you can fulfill all the exit-row seating requirements (help the crew, understand verbal instructions in English, etc.), then you should be able to sit there. The fact that you're pregnant shouldn't matter. But if the flight attendant thought you couldn't lift your bag, she might have thought you wouldn't be able to deal with a 50-pound airplane door ... and can you really blame her for erring on the side of caution? I would have offered to demonstrate by taking the bag out and putting it back in.
Q: I often see a parent traveling alone with a baby and think they might need some help. I love babies and would be happy to hold one while the mom or dad grabs luggage at baggage claim or puts their stroller together. But people always say no. Am I being creepy? Would you let me hold your baby so you could deal with other stuff?
A: After all the complaints I get about babies on planes, your question is refreshing! But my answer's no, I wouldn't let you hold my baby.
I know your intentions are good, but even if you were giving off the most wholesome, noncreepy vibe possible, I'd still worry about a million things, like whether you have a cold. And lest you think I'm just a misanthrope, some of my worries would be in your interest -- what if the baby throws up all over you? So I personally wouldn't chance it.
