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

I believe they have to put you together at that age (TUI definately do). We have never pre booked seats together and always been placed in 3 seats together and another one across the aisle (kids primary school age).

I'm assuming the 2 year old isn't the one paying but will be the one distressed so yes I'd move.

We just traveled with EasyJet. Couple with a toddler (3 if I had to guess) were seated separately. Dad about 8 rows back and Mum and toddler seated on the aisle seats. Luckily the couple who should have been seated together were happy to swap and take the aisle seat. It was awarkward for a few mins though. I would just pay for peace of mind. Good luck with your plan though.

Simple way around it to not pay..

• Login to your booking, go through to the reserve a seat section and check both of your flights to see how full they look
• Check again quite close to Online check in opening for the same
• If it looks OK, wait until online check in opens (30 days before) and check in the second it opens. You will 100% be sat together, only risk is 1 each side of the aisle

Alternatively, just pay the money and save the stress

Good luck! A friend flew with flybe last week... her flight was cancelled an hour before the flight(they finally admitted they over booked), leaving them stranded abroad and flybe were no help, they re secluded flights for 2 days later, to wake the next morning to find everyone BUT their 2 year old was cancelled off the flight, so they expected a 2 year old to fly on their own! Then then re scheduled onto annother flight and had to argue to move their 2 year old onto the same flight as them, then told that their 2 year old would be sat across an isle from them and the rest of the family dotted arround the plane, including a family member who has special needs. When they originally booked the flight they paid the extra to all sit together

But it's part of the cost of travelling. My dd (19) is really happy to pay £30 return to fly with no designated seat and no luggage. I am not happy with that so I pay for what I need. Sometimes that's to sit with other people, sometimes it's for checked bag etc. Or both. Or neither. It's part of the price model the airlines offer these days. You get to choose. What's not on is to not choose then moan about it and claim it's unfair.

I wouldn’t willingly move even if I haven’t paid for my preferred seat.

Not my job to subsidise tight arses or poor budgeters.

Maybe they could ask someone who hasn't paid for their preferred seat. I never pay and sit where I get allocated so it wouldn't worry me to swap.

No idea why all of that was in bold.

For all of you saying, "It's only £20!", it's not. It's per person, which is a lot if you are travelling as a family.

Yep. If you can’t afford that, you can’t afford to travel. Why make your lack of planning/inability to pay everyone else’s problem if things go pear shaped? No way I’d move to facilitate this. I’d even put up with a toddler on a long haul than give in to such a CF’er.

Parents can walk around with their 2yo.

I thought that once and my four year old ended up sitting across the aisle from me next to a stranger who was very kind but was still a stranger. I can see now I was a bit of a twat to have not paid and I don't blame those who had paid for not moving for us. I think i just thought, like you, that because she was a young child they would sit her next to me. But in retrospect that was probably a bit entitled of me!
So I would say definitely pay to be on the safe side.

For the love of all things good, do not be one of those CF’ers who expects the plane staff and other passengers to solve YOUR problem if your toddler is seated across the aisle/in front/behind you. This means paying the extra fee.

This.

Yep, me too. I've never not had seats together and never paid to do so.

Lots of opinions on this post lol!

So legally the airline has to seat a child under 13 with an adult. "With" can mean next to, infront, behind or across from the aisle. All the posts about you taking someone elses paid for seat isn't your problem and its up to the airline to manage the seating and allow space for families. It wouldnt be your fault at all if they failed at this.

Ive flown several times with DD, shes 11 now and we have always been sat next to each other even on flights that are completely full. Obviously your partner would likely be sat far away from you though.

I think in your case for the sake of £20 I would just pay it because i have been worried in the past that we wouldnt be next to each other but reserving seats was so expensive. But if you really can't afford it, i think you are pretty safe.

How about if you are beside an “unaccompanied” 2 year old? Might not be so fun?

I don't know how yu got on OP, but I've never booked seats for me and the kids and we've always sat together (I've travelled with them a lot on my own). Now they are a bit older I reckon it's a bit more risky, but then againn DD thinks it's exciting to be sat "on her own", so...

I flew with Tui a few years ago - long haul. Very expensive holiday where i'd paid around 4k for me and adult dd. Think it was £80 per person each way to choose a seat early.

So I waited until it was free pick your seat day and sure enough we were opposite ends of the plane on a massive Dreamliner. But there was an empty seat next to me. But was still £80 to move her into that seat. Thankfully dd has complex medical needs so they moved her next to me free of charge, I had to email them a diagnosis letter.

I said ‘duty of care’ not legislation.

For all of you saying, "It's only £20!", it's not. It's per person, which is a lot if you are travelling as a family.

It depends where you're going and who with.

Of the flights I've booked recently the cheapest has been £3.99 short haul to £49.99 long haul. I had to draw the line at extra leg room at £99.99 each though.

Seems fair enough.

I have no probably with people waiting to check in and risking it.
It's just an expectation that others will move from their own prepaid seats I take issue with.

Yeah but I'd move for the 2 year old who would be so distressed away from their mummy. Cmon, be human!

I understand that and would properly feel guilt tripped into moving.

But it comes to something when a random stranger cares more for the toddler's feelings and distress than their own parents do!

@NoDought There is no legislation that requires this. The CAA guidance is just guidance and says that “next to” can be in front, behind or across the aisle.

This is constantly represented as the law on these threads but it’s not true.

I am not advocating inconveniencing others and I think my point has been misinterpreted (not a fan of the sob story parents who say people won’t switch for their family to sit together when they haven’t paid for seats altogether) however airlines have a duty of care to ensure a minor is with an adult if unable to care for themselves and not require assistance from the airline staff. For example family of four 2 adults, 2 children would be situated with 1 adult and 1 child sat together, it is also a safety requirement so the parent can assist the child with their life jacket and oxygen in case of an emergency.