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

We’ve done this today. I checked in as soon as we received the email and we’ve been sat together - three in a row and one in the seat across the aisle.

I am just gloing to shoehorn in an anecdote here (because I can, as my DS would say).

I was on a flight from London to Melbourne and a family kicked off BIGTIME because they were not seated together. All together. They were a family of ... 5..... and were seated 4 in the middle aisle and one across the aisle. No amount of explaining from the cabin crew that there simply were not 5 seats together on the plane - or indeed any plane- got through their thick fucking heads.

They stormed off the plane and their bags had to be located and removed while we sat on the plane. I had Ds1 aged 3 months with me and it was rather - annoying.

I swear this story is true. i did wonder what this family did. Maybe go by ship?

Your compassion for powerless frontline staff shines out.
I work in the NHS and experience this kind of attitude (plus crap pay)
oh joy

For most airlines "next to" is considered to be the seat directly in front or behind, or across the aisle.

Haven't read all the replies so apologies if repeating.

I'm pretty sure Martin Lewis said to be aware about this when booking holidays on TV the other night.

I have flown Easyjet many times and never been separated from any of my party, kids or adults. Just check in one month in advance and you will be fine.

Except the airline then split up people who have paid to sit together.

I've been on a delayed flight from Tenerife when a family of five had not prebooked and the dad stood in the aisle shouting 'you have to sit us together' the steward looked him in the eye and said - no we don't.

They did do their best asking people to move and eventually one parent was sat with one child each and their little girl was is the front row. A good 7 to 8 rows away from her closest parent. She put her headphones in for the safety announcement and would have been fucked in an emergency situation.

Everybody was pissed off with them, the staff and fellow passengers. For a few quid they could have not caused a delay and upset other passengers who had paid.

Yes you can be demanding and entitled like the father was but you do so at the expense of everyone else.

The people who actual pay this are a tiny minority whatever mumsnet says. You are the unusual one and as such will probably get the seat you paid for that it clearly says isn’t guaranteed anyway 👍🏻

What makes you so special? Why should someone who has paid be expected to move to accommodate you who chose not to move? I would not move for you unless you gave me the cash i had paid there and then

There’s absolutely no need to book seats. Just make sure you book in online when it opens. Mumsnet are weird about this, most people in the real world don’t stump up an additional £100 for a family of 4 going both ways. I’ve never had an issue.

You know that not everyone on a flight is going on holiday, right?

The OP has said nothing about a holiday. Perhaps there's a reason she needs to travel and is financially stretched enough for the £20 to matter.

Bot read TFT but I never book seats. Frequently fly with 3 children without my husband, but even if we all fly together, still don’t. Children are not 10, 8 & 7 and have been flying since the oldest was 2. Whilst we as adults have not always been together, with one or two children each, sometimes at the other end of the plane, that’s what you sign up to when not booking seats, and we’re ok with that. As a single adult with the children, you cannot be seated in the same row anyway (unless a larger plane) and we are all ok with that. The children know how to behave and talk to, (or not talk to!) other adults. We have never asked anyone to swap seats. If anything it’s been offered. Depending on how many times DC need to get to the bathroom from their seat!!

They wouldn't separate you and risk your two year old making the flight hell for everyone else. I say dare them!

I try that when it is my own!

Absolutely

I definitely would have been upset about this since you paid to sit together.

I would absolutely not move for anyone. I don't care if your kids are sad. I'm not helping them with their belts or anything.

You chose not to pay. Your children aren't my problem.

Which is why they will have to get a different flight.

The person next to someone’s 2 year old last Friday was my 6’5” DS(16). Mum asked him to swap to her middle seat the row behind and he said he wouldn’t fit.

the main issue usually if you haven’t booked us that you don’t have a good seat to offer back.

Did you really expect people to move for you?

Yes they will

Read my post

They sat my 5yo and 2yo on different rows or across aisles to both me AND dh.

So between the 4 of us none of us was sat next to each other.

No one offered to move.

I was sat in the row behind my 2yo on an easyJet flight

No one would move to let us sit together

If you check in as soon as it opens however this probably won't happen to you

It was the first flight we'd done in ages and didn't realise the whole pre booking your seat and check-in in opening a month before was a thing

SIL didn't pay and was separated from her 3 year old on easyJet. Others swapped with them.

I paid with BA for particular seats and on the day of the flight was reallocated for unknown reasons. My 4 year old was separated from me, sitting on his own with 2 rows between us!

Just pay it!

Or they could just not be tighter than a nun's minge and seat people on the same booking together automatically.

That would also stop parents from engineering a situation in which they are not seated next to their little darlings and another passenger gets to experience that joy instead.

Even if you wanted to of course they won’t seat a 2 year old away from his parent! Imagine being the person sat next to an unaccompanied 2 year old 😂Don’t pay it. If you get allocated separate seats (which you won’t) then query it at check in. It won’t be a case of somebody having to physically move on the flight.