>Advertising the low price, but expecting parents to ALWAYS pay extra "for the benefit of everybody else" is entirely the airline fault.

No, because in this case we've been talking about the parents complaining about being away from their little sprogs, not about who might get stuck beside them. So in this case the fee is for their benefit.

If they choose not to pay then that is entirely on them.

>Call their bluff every time and still get stuck sitting next to my own kid for free every flight.

Sure, but that's a gamble you're willing to make.

One day the airline might not have empty seats to swap you around on to, or someone might not be willing to swap and if that happens that's something you (or someone else risking the same outcome) could've prevented by choosing seats.

It's not the airlines fault is my only point.

>This isn't necessarily the person booking the tickets fault.

Well it kind of is if they didn't book specific seats and waited to see what they got allocated at the airport.

That's a risk you take, especially with low cost airlines. Pay to select the seats you want or risk it for the biscuit and see what you get at the airport and enjoy the cheaper fare.

>They should take it to the car wash

Yes!

Next mission to mars drops off a drive through car wash for all the rovers to use. Genius.