Only an industry that thought it was a good idea to charge customers for checking bags (something people already don't want to do!), could possibly come up with this genius idea.

Wait for it... assigning children in seats away from their parents.  Honestly, it's so outrageous, it makes me laugh (but that unhinged laugh that scares my kids!)

Yesterday, a Wall Street Journal blog reported that many parents, who are paying full fare for kids and selecting assigned seats for their family together, are having their seats reassigned by the airline, leaving their kids in seats surrounded by strangers.

Not only is that one more indignity for parents (in case you forgot, the blog reports on the others that make you mad all over again) but it's also the worst idea ever.   You think that child is cranky being cooped up on a flight?  Imagine him with a stranger beside him.  And the parent who is just happy to be on the plane is really the ideal person to go organizing a seat swap all around the plane.

I'm the first to admit that this is neither a life-or-death issue and one that only a few parents who can afford to travel will ever experience.  But even a very infrequent family traveler like me sees this as one more indignity and hassle that seems hardly fair to place on sleep-deprived folks who are doing their best to raise the next generation.

Oh yes, and I'm feeling really good about staying for Thanksgiving right about now...

What do you think about all of this?