Narrative:

Number of infants in one row. I was the purser on flight X. I feel that there may have been an far violation with the number of infants in one row and not enough oxygen masks. Below is how this all played out. The agent and I had synchronized our watches to know the passenger boarding time of XA25. However; he decided to send them down on the jetbridge at XA20. I did not let the 3 passenger board at that moment as I was still completing my safety checks and it was not XA25. I called the agent to let him know not to send down the rest of the people as it was not time. He called me again to find out when it was time to board and it was now XA25 so he could board the passenger. I find that if I do not tell him to call me before he sends the passenger down to the plane and the time always gets pushed. Passenger: 11B (infant); 34B (infant); 34H (infant); 34J (infant child); 37J (infant child) were all traveling together. Yet customer service did not try and get them together. That meant that small children were seated by themselves. I told the parents that we would try to get them closer. I called the podium and csr answered and may have been the supervisor with customer service. I told them that I needed help to get the infants with the parents and small children together. It is a customer service issue. He said he would come down but he never did. I do a thorough briefing with my flight attendants. I understand that the agents are overwhelmed at the gate. However; I feel that management must recognize that the agents are tremendously understaffed and now there will be an far violation with this. This family was not the only family to be affected. 30A: (infant); 30B (infant); 30D: (infant child); was another family that had to be reseated with too many infants and not enough oxygen masks. The supervisor came down planeside to close the door but bins were not all closed and he had just boarded the last min passenger. Plus the passenger all had carry-on baggage that had to be stored with the flight being full. The door was closed when I told him he could close it. But during taxi; my team found another family (below) that we had to change around and reseat everyone due to the lack of the oxygen masks with the number of infants. As you can see; there was a lot to deal with. At no time did we receive help from the customer service supervisor or help from the agent on the ground as I had previously asked for. 24D: (infant); 24E (infant child) were also affected. We had to stop the taxi out and reseat this family. The issues were finally resolved but we pushed back with this violation. Customer service needs to assist us in a better way with the infants and children. And it also happened in first class with 3HJ mr and mrs X and their twins. We are all overwhelmed with the tasks of boarding. But neither the agent nor the flight attendants should be constantly pushed on closing the door early with these issues. I am amazed that every time we leave ZZZ it is always early for the true departure time. Yet issues may still need to be resolved. I am very concerned that these issues will still continue. Management needs to recognize that staffing on both sides (agents and flight attendants) must be increased.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PURSER REPORTS TOO MANY INFANTS SEATED IN ONE ROW AND INSUFFICIENT OXYGEN MASKS.

Narrative: NUMBER OF INFANTS IN ONE ROW. I WAS THE PURSER ON FLT X. I FEEL THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN AN FAR VIOLATION WITH THE NUMBER OF INFANTS IN ONE ROW AND NOT ENOUGH OXYGEN MASKS. BELOW IS HOW THIS ALL PLAYED OUT. THE AGENT AND I HAD SYNCHRONIZED OUR WATCHES TO KNOW THE PAX BOARDING TIME OF XA25. HOWEVER; HE DECIDED TO SEND THEM DOWN ON THE JETBRIDGE AT XA20. I DID NOT LET THE 3 PAX BOARD AT THAT MOMENT AS I WAS STILL COMPLETING MY SAFETY CHKS AND IT WAS NOT XA25. I CALLED THE AGENT TO LET HIM KNOW NOT TO SEND DOWN THE REST OF THE PEOPLE AS IT WAS NOT TIME. HE CALLED ME AGAIN TO FIND OUT WHEN IT WAS TIME TO BOARD AND IT WAS NOW XA25 SO HE COULD BOARD THE PAX. I FIND THAT IF I DO NOT TELL HIM TO CALL ME BEFORE HE SENDS THE PAX DOWN TO THE PLANE AND THE TIME ALWAYS GETS PUSHED. PAX: 11B (INFANT); 34B (INFANT); 34H (INFANT); 34J (INFANT CHILD); 37J (INFANT CHILD) WERE ALL TRAVELING TOGETHER. YET CUSTOMER SVC DID NOT TRY AND GET THEM TOGETHER. THAT MEANT THAT SMALL CHILDREN WERE SEATED BY THEMSELVES. I TOLD THE PARENTS THAT WE WOULD TRY TO GET THEM CLOSER. I CALLED THE PODIUM AND CSR ANSWERED AND MAY HAVE BEEN THE SUPVR WITH CUSTOMER SVC. I TOLD THEM THAT I NEEDED HELP TO GET THE INFANTS WITH THE PARENTS AND SMALL CHILDREN TOGETHER. IT IS A CUSTOMER SVC ISSUE. HE SAID HE WOULD COME DOWN BUT HE NEVER DID. I DO A THOROUGH BRIEFING WITH MY FLT ATTENDANTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE AGENTS ARE OVERWHELMED AT THE GATE. HOWEVER; I FEEL THAT MGMNT MUST RECOGNIZE THAT THE AGENTS ARE TREMENDOUSLY UNDERSTAFFED AND NOW THERE WILL BE AN FAR VIOLATION WITH THIS. THIS FAMILY WAS NOT THE ONLY FAMILY TO BE AFFECTED. 30A: (INFANT); 30B (INFANT); 30D: (INFANT CHILD); WAS ANOTHER FAMILY THAT HAD TO BE RESEATED WITH TOO MANY INFANTS AND NOT ENOUGH OXYGEN MASKS. THE SUPVR CAME DOWN PLANESIDE TO CLOSE THE DOOR BUT BINS WERE NOT ALL CLOSED AND HE HAD JUST BOARDED THE LAST MIN PAX. PLUS THE PAX ALL HAD CARRY-ON BAGGAGE THAT HAD TO BE STORED WITH THE FLT BEING FULL. THE DOOR WAS CLOSED WHEN I TOLD HIM HE COULD CLOSE IT. BUT DURING TAXI; MY TEAM FOUND ANOTHER FAMILY (BELOW) THAT WE HAD TO CHANGE AROUND AND RESEAT EVERYONE DUE TO THE LACK OF THE OXYGEN MASKS WITH THE NUMBER OF INFANTS. AS YOU CAN SEE; THERE WAS A LOT TO DEAL WITH. AT NO TIME DID WE RECEIVE HELP FROM THE CUSTOMER SVC SUPVR OR HELP FROM THE AGENT ON THE GND AS I HAD PREVIOUSLY ASKED FOR. 24D: (INFANT); 24E (INFANT CHILD) WERE ALSO AFFECTED. WE HAD TO STOP THE TAXI OUT AND RESEAT THIS FAMILY. THE ISSUES WERE FINALLY RESOLVED BUT WE PUSHED BACK WITH THIS VIOLATION. CUSTOMER SVC NEEDS TO ASSIST US IN A BETTER WAY WITH THE INFANTS AND CHILDREN. AND IT ALSO HAPPENED IN FIRST CLASS WITH 3HJ MR AND MRS X AND THEIR TWINS. WE ARE ALL OVERWHELMED WITH THE TASKS OF BOARDING. BUT NEITHER THE AGENT NOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS SHOULD BE CONSTANTLY PUSHED ON CLOSING THE DOOR EARLY WITH THESE ISSUES. I AM AMAZED THAT EVERY TIME WE LEAVE ZZZ IT IS ALWAYS EARLY FOR THE TRUE DEP TIME. YET ISSUES MAY STILL NEED TO BE RESOLVED. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THESE ISSUES WILL STILL CONTINUE. MGMNT NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THAT STAFFING ON BOTH SIDES (AGENTS AND FLT ATTENDANTS) MUST BE INCREASED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.