that airlines charge you extra to sit together!?!?

[Dollygirl2008]

I mean, after a totally shitty year, I have scraped the money together to take my DC away for a weeks holiday to Menorca- possible the last foreign holiday we will have for a long time. And now, the sodding, well reputable tour operator want more money for us to sit together!?!? I mean, do pepper early do this!? Are they really going to split us up (DC is 7)??

Interested in others views or experience, thanks

[Dollygirl2008]

"Do people really do this" is what I meant to put - bloody autocorrect!!

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

Depends which airline. You're usually charged a bit more to booked allocared seats. But if you don't then it's a free for all. You can always risk not booking seats and then when you get to the airport check in ask them to put you together.... Tip: try to be 1st in line.
Or just ask whoever your dd ends up sitting next to if they'd be happy to move. If not then tell than they can deal with your dd's requests 😀

[AgathaMystery]

Interested in this as I have booked some flights and wondering if they will separate me from DC (4 yrs). I didn't pay the extra to sit together. Budget was maxed at that point.

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

I've just booked tickets with easyjet. It only cost me £8 more to allocate seats for 4 of us.

[Effic]

On a easy jet flight to Majorca at Easter. Parents and 6 year old daughter with no pre-booked seats on a jammed full flight. The cabin staff said there was nothing they could do about it and the woman behind me ended up looking after someone else's very upset 6 year old for the whole flight. Not fair on her ..... don't understand why people do this......paying for your seats is essential part of costing a holiday surely??

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

Agree effic esp when you're taking young children with you

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

It shouldn't cost that much to book seats.

[Akire]

The problem is this is now "a thing" so if 90% of families or singles pay for a seat together or at window say and handful don't - no one is going to feel like changing seats with you when they have paid to be with others or for a specific aisle or window seat.

Different if was random luck some people may change but if you been charged up to £50 can see why you woulnt want to be out of pocket when do some one else chose not to (child or no child).

[AgathaMystery]

Shameful I'm jealous! Ours were over £100

[EBearhug]

I pay to book a seat so I can get a window seat.

Don't know about other airlines, but EasyJet only give priority boarding to families if there's a child under 5 - and that wouldn't mean you can take a seat booked for someone else, you'd just get first pick of the unallocated seats

[expatinscotland]

Yes, they can and do charge. Pony up or take your chances. No one has to move for you and yes, they'll split a 7-year-old from a parent. It's not a baby. I paid up on an EasyJet flight last month for me and DD to sit together. It was about £4/seat.

[AgathaMystery]

Feeling V nostalgic for the days when, you know, booking flights for
Mr Smith
Mrs Smith
Jane Smith
Peter Smith
Just led to common sense dictating you were probably travelling with children (given they know everyone's DOB, address & passport #) & were just seated with them.

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

Wow agatha! That's alot!... Is the cost of the flight cheaper? Our baggage charge was more expensive than our flight! Crazy stupid!

[FortyFacedFuckers]

Yes I count that in with the cost of the holiday. I always book and advise everyone to do the same after being on a few flights where a small child has been separated from its parents, it's just not worth the risk in my opinion.

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

Agatha I'n feeling nostalgic about the "piley on" attitude Ryan Air used to have

[emsee13]

They split us up on the Eurostar when DC were 3 and 4 years old! People refused to move who were seated around us, I told the steward that these people could be paedophiles for all we knew and how could they let small children sit alone with them?! Ridiculous! Since then I've always paid to pre book seats, this years holiday is costing me £120 to do so.

[AgathaMystery]

shameful yes - seat allocation was within a few quid of the seat price.

WTF is going on?!

[Lucked]

I think any minor should be attached to an adult on booking so they get shifted as a pair or a three and can't be separated.

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

It's mad. It was in the news loads a few yrs ago. They advertise cheap flights. But then add on baggage & seat allocation.

[PollyPurple]

On our flight back last year there was an announcement asking for volunteers to move seats as there was a child (no idea of age) not sitting next to parent. No one must have volunteered so the next announcement asked again but said there would be free champagne and chocolates for the volunteers, if no one volunteered they would be forced to move people. I presume there must have been volunteers as there were no further announcements.

This actually annoyed me because we'd paid to sit together, I was annoyed at this extra cost but I didn't want to risk Ds sitting on his own, especially as it was a night flight coming home and he usually lies head on my lap. If anything check flight times and pay to guarantee sitting together on the flight you know your child will need you most.

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

Another reason we have allocated is so that we have an aisle seat, as my 2yr old is potty training and if we're next to the window then we will be constantly squeezing past whoever is sitting on the aisle seat. Which will be annoying for all

[Dollygirl2008]

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I'm just so bloody annoyed that' once again, the quoted price isn't the actual price.oh no, they let you book and then bam! - you then have an email saying "oh by the way, if you actually want to sit by your child, that will be another £42 and the same on the way back please". Once again, we are just being screwed - just like the price of holidays during school,vacations, but that's a whole other thread.....

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

Were you not given the option before you paid?

[Cloudstasteofmash]

Oooh where are you going in menorca? We go on Sunday to Cala n Bosch.

We also paid for flights after all of us getting split up through out the plane on the way back from Cuba. Never again.