To not pay to choose seats but expect to sit together?

@rookiemere I don't think it's just about money making. Seating passengers on a plane must be like a logistical jigsaw puzzle. If enough families with young DCs book, then they genuinely can't guarantee actual seats in the same row on the same side. In your case your DS was beside you - just separated by the centre. That seems fair enough to me.

but here's the thing - they manage it fine when you fly long haul. i've flown extensively with my child long haul and the system always automatically seats us next to each other. not across an aisle but immediately next to. It's only budget airlines that make you pay for this. It's standard elsewhere

Just checked with someone I know who works for them, don't worry, your 2 year old will be sat next to you as long as you make your bookings at the same time.

They always sit children next to their accompanying adult. They split adults up - not kids.

They don't care. If everyone else has booked and paid for seats, they'll do what they can.

What a bizarre take @Getoutofherenow

I'm not an anxious traveller at all. I've travelled around Latin America and South East Asia alone.

But if I'm flying with my kids, I want to sit with them. So I pay so we can sit together in the seats of our choice. Comfort and convenience, not anxiety.

People don't just fly for pleasure.

We don't know why OP is flying or her financial situation outside of the fact she'd rather not spend a needless £20.

I've been asked to move because I was in an aisle seat and it looked like I was alone. An 8 year old was sitting alone a couple of rows down. If it is a full flight and people have paid for seats nothings is guaranteed.

It's not throwing money away. It's peace of mind. If the two year old needs you, turbulence, is crying wanting you, wants a drink, snack etc you are next to them to deal with them.

On a seat on the plane usually - were you thinking they could put you in the hold or something?

So many anxious travellers on this thread - I hope your kids don’t pick up on this. It’s a bloody plane - nothing’s going to happen. How on earth do you lot cope with risk on s daily basis - there are bigger things to come!

Think of it this way, the staff aren’t going to want a young child away from their parent, they will put you together or else incur lots of extra work for yourself, do not pay.

Never been split on an easyJet flight and travelled with the kids at least twice a year during school holidays. Although would have enjoyed the solitude in the teen years!😂

Because you like throwing you money away - it isn’t £20 per trip, it’s per person each way. You like handing out at least £80 for nothing - fool and their money, imo!

I'd challenge anyone to sit next to my child without actually offering me £20 to move seats to be next to him🤣. Just to be clear, he isn't just a naughty child but does have complex additional needs.

I'll be checking in 48 hours in advance of our Tui flights which are on the first day of the school holidays. I have just looked and fewer than a third of seats have been booked - if folk were going to pay to book seats they'd have done it long before now, so I'm 100% confident I'm going to get a 3 and a 2 next to/in line with each other. That's £200+ well gambled.

Surely if you can afford to fly you can afford to just book the seats. Save all the hassle and potentially being a pain in the arse to others

I still can't believe how many people are paying for something they will get for free.
And how it is apparently 'entitled' to expect to sit next to your own toddler without having to pay
Because there's no guarantee you will get it for free. It depends on who else is travelling.

On our last flight in the school holidays there were a lot of family bookings. Undoubtedly when there's only so many rows of 3/4, families choose to book to be together. That leaves a lot of odd 1 or 2 seats around the plane.

Sure some people might decide to penny pinch and stamp their feet on boarding that it's their right to have their preferences without booking a seat, but I doubt most families would split themselves up because someone else chooses to take a gamble that doesn't pay off.

I'm afraid you look closely the CAA info (link below) they don't call them rules, and also scattered throughout the text are lots of "should" but few if any "must"...

As for it being a hidden fee...is it?

For context/provide a bit of perspective if roughly half the passengers on a shorthaul flight pay for seat choice at 20 pound a head that's about 2000 pound to the airline...a sizeable chunk of the total revenue that flight will earn.

I'll reiterate my earlier comment even if the charge is banned/dropped the airlines will find raise revenue elsewhere. If anyone thinks otherwise I have a bridge I can sell them

https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/before-you-fly/making-a-booking/airline-seating-allocations/#:~:text=Families%2C%20children%20and%20infants&text=Young%20children%20and%20infants%20who,seat%20row%20from%20accompanying%20adults.

You are being silly. £20 for a child to feel secure.

@fedupwitheveryone" "I think with young kids they should actually guarantee 'next to' and the fact they don't is purely to make money for this exact reason. It's a pretty shitty policy.

PS WHY do people bother to pay to choose seats? on short flights? it's not like any of those seats are all that good"

I don't think it's just about money making. Seating passengers on a plane must be like a logistical jigsaw puzzle. If enough families with young DCs book, then they genuinely can't guarantee actual seats in the same row on the same side. In your case your DS was beside you - just separated by the centre. That seems fair enough to me.

I'm not particularly bothered where I sit and I've realised that it's usually cheaper to pay for luggage separately than add a bundled package, but a lot of people do. Also for friends holidays for many of my friends sitting together is important to them and they are happy to pay for it, whereas skinflint me and one other friend reckon we'll be seeing enough of each other on the break.

These are the CAA rules, I’m with you and object to paying the hidden ticket fee.

Families, children and infantsThe seating of children close by their parents or guardians should be the aim of airline seat allocation procedures for family groups and large parties of children.
Young children and infants who are accompanied by adults should ideally be seated in the same seat row as the adult. Where this is not possible, children should be separated by no more than one seat row from accompanying adults. This is because the speed of an emergency evacuation may be affected by adults trying to reach their children.
Whenever a number of infants and children are travelling together the airline should make every effort to ensure that they can be readily supervised by the responsible accompanying adults.

Tbf it's probably £80 if it's 20 each way for 2 seats.

why is everyone saying 'it's just £20 - because surely it's £40 for both seats needing paid?? i'm not sure of the order when you check in but i don't think you can just choose one and have the other allocated free.

OP I flew easyjet recently and didn't pay and they sat my son (7) across the aisle. He cried as he was super tired. If he had been younger (pre 3/4) I would have asked someone to move (most ppl seating in the back of the plane are those who have also opted not to pay, so it's not that cheeky and I would definitely offer someone to swap in those circumstances)

I think with young kids they should actually guarantee 'next to' and the fact they don't is purely to make money for this exact reason. It's a pretty shitty policy.

PS WHY do people bother to pay to choose seats? on short flights? it's not like any of those seats are all that good

Your DH is the mug, planes are noisy anyway why would you bother with one person's loud complaints.
I'd be piping up with parenting tips not moving

Yes you’re BVU. Why would you not pay an extra £20 to ease your mind that your child sits next to you ffs?

I have always just paid extra to choose seats as I would hate to be split up from my child on a flight you just never know where the will put you x

YABU just pay the money rather than be in the position that, when your small child is sat across the aisle from you or behind you, that you complain over loudly until a kindhearted soul like my DH moves and you sit back smugly mouthing to your DH 'see I told you so'.