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

If it’s important to you pay up, if not, why even post this?
You pay your money you take your choice…..

I'm bemused why you won't just pay the £20 to be sure of sitting next to each other!

If it was £200 maybe, but £20???? Seriously????

I think some haven't fully understood the OP.

I have read it as - she will pay if needs be but does it apply to children of her age, before she DOES pay the extra as, if not, she doesn't want to be pointlessly out of pocket.

An astonishing amount of entitlement here, I can only assume that many of you have no fucking idea how mind-numbingly expensive flying was not that long ago, before EasyJet and Ryanair.

Yes!! I did a year abroad in Spain in 1992-93, and to get home from Spain to Glasgow needed to fly from Santander to London and then up to Scotland. My ONE WAY ticket was £300. And that was a student price. 30 years on, Ryanair offer flights from Santander to Edinburgh for as little as 31 euros. Until the advent of Go, EasyJet etc those sort of city break flights were incredibly expensive.

Every year there are threads on this subject.
You could end up sitting in front, behind or on the opposite side of the aisle from your child
You will have no guarantee of sitting be put to them and no rights to expect people to move for you.
Pay the money, your child is young it’s not fare on them.

You may be the family that has to stand in front until everyone is seated (everyone filing past you whilst you keep your toddler calm and hold the baby) for them to find volunteers to move, making announcements that the plane is not leaving until someone gives up their seat, then going to your seats that others have been asked to vacate. Don’t be that family.

I never pay ever and always get sat together,they definitely won’t not put your little one next to you

Don’t be such a tightwad

Of course people won't move if they, for example, are sitting next to their own child, and the parent in OP's situation (or even the unattended child).

And no, I won’t “look after” or accept responsibility for your child - I stick my headphones on and ignore them. Anything they need, I press the call button so you can be located by the steward. If you’re too cheap to pay for seat reservations for something which is so important, why should I care more than you do?

Exactly this.

@TonTonMacoute I agree with your post in principle but referring to the children in those terms is pretty horrible. It's not their fault they have entitled parents.

I have young children, one is also 2, and I wouldn't move or "look after" another child because they've been sat next to me due to a parent not paying. Earphones/earplugs in, book out, anything they need the parent can come up and sort when safe to do so. 🤷‍♀️

I wouldn't want to, but I would if it meant I didn't have to sit next to someone else's kid!

It's time airlines were stopped from doing this nonsense anyway. By all means charge for the premium seats but if you book together you should be seated together.

It's 'should' not 'must'. Guidance not law.

I used to move for families (lone female traveller, always asked) as I assumed that they’d been ignorant as to how it works or caught out. But then I discovered MN and saw how many parents do it on purpose knowing that someone who has paid will be moved - I don’t move anymore, unless reimbursed in cash (which is never offered).

And no, I won’t “look after” or accept responsibility for your child - I stick my headphones on and ignore them. Anything they need, I press the call button so you can be located by the steward.

If you’re too cheap to pay for seat reservations for something which is so important, why should I care more than you do?

An astonishing amount of entitlement here, I can only assume that many of you have no fucking idea how mind-numbingly expensive flying was not that long ago, before EasyJet and Ryanair.

DS and his GF are always flying off for weekends in Dublin, Lisbon god knows where. I could never have dreamt of doing this in my 20s!

I have no problem with people taking the risk of not paying, but the incredible smug entitlement that you refuse to pay, that you are being ripped off, because you assume that people who have paid for their seats will just move out of your way so you can sit next to your ghastly snotty-nosed brats on a super cheap flight makes me feel quite cross.

*A lot of people on here don't seem to grasp basic safety.

No UK, US or EU airline/pilot will depart with essentially an unaccompanied toddler.*

FWIW what the UK official guidance says:

"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"

Note "ideally" and "make every effort"..........

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.

Pay for the seats. Others pay for the seats to be near a window, be in the aisle for all sorts of reasons like fear of flying, being sick on plane (by the wing is better less rocky), back issues (need to stand up often), needing to be close to the lavatory…. You are going to hold up a flight of people cause the person they randomly sat you or your 2 year old and specifically paid for that seat you now want? Having 2 kids is needing an accommodation and it can be planned for so do so. I doubt you would want anyone next to your 2 year old if you are not of the other side of them. Good thing one over 2. I didn’t think they would sit 2 under 2 in the same row. Pay the 20, well worth being able to put the worry out of your mind.

I always pay. If the plane crashes I want to be holding my children’s hands as it goes down.

I never pay and have always been sat with my kids. They're 8 and 10 now so I suspect it will change but it doesn't matter much now as they're OK by themselves.

I don’t have a child but I’ve been sat next to other people’s very small kids before. Parents were behind and 2 along so not that close at all!!

Im flying alone with my 11 yr old with aer lingus and when I asked about us sitting together I was told by the travel agent that as he is under 12 we have to sit together by law. I questioned whether that would mean in the same row side by side they said yes. Im quite happy to pay the extra for peace of mind that my ds is beside me. No way would I chance a 2 yr old not sitting right beside me.

Also @pleasehelpwi3 there's a simple solution if you disagree don't fly a budget airline.
A holiday abroad isn't a human right. If you can't afford it don't go.

I've done this before and they always seat us together. It's just common sense and they know at the time of booking everyone's ages so seem to plan accordingly

I’ve paid so we can sit together on our forthcoming flights. My kids are teens so it’s not essential, but I’d prefer to sit with them, hence paying. If anyone wanted me to move, I’d consider it, but only if they paid me. Why should I pay to sit somewhere I don’t want, while they sit where they do want for free?