Ryanair made 4yr old sit alone

Exactly. Why would they have to pay when the airline says they’ll put them together regardless? Why pay money when you don’t have to? It’s stupid to do so.

The fact is that in this situation the airline did not do what they said they would on their website. If they say an under 12 will be sat next to an adult, I’d damn well expect to be able to hold them to this. Why not?

@Drfosters it's mandatory to have a passport as well but they won't pay for that either. There's loads of policy things that airlines do that can cost customers. They're basically saying you must sit with your child therefore you must reserve a seat.

YANBU. All the 'if you want to sit together pay for seats' riles me up no end. It's ridiculous. It's just a fucking way to scam you out of more money. 15 years ago, this never happened, you didn't have to pay for seats. You shouldn't have to now. YOU'VE ALREADY FRIGGING PAID FOR THE SEAT.

And it creates a bigger problem with the expecting others to move and be accommodating when they have probably paid for the seat. If I've paid extra for that seat, then I'm not likely to move for someone who hasn't. I've paid for it because I want to sit with my family.

Saying that, this time I've not. It would be a blessed relief for someone else to be sat next to my four year old. If they offer to swap I am saying no 😅

@FeatherBoat what would you pay for something that is mandatory. Ie the plane technically shouldn’t take off unless you are have paid to be sitting together? or you leave the plane.

Don't forget that the plane taking off without them is Option 2. Not forcing others to move.

Something must gone wrong booking end. I took 10 dlights with Ryanair this year and you have to pick seats next to each other when having young kids. In fact they automatically assign us 5 seats across row normally. Maybe the late check in as you can check in ages before flight?

If sitting together matters to you-do what the rest of us do. Pay extra for seats together. Sorry (not), it's harsh but true.
And if you fly with the cheapest airline around don't expect them to treat you as anything more than cash generators.

I used to fly with Ryanair a lot when younger/pre-kids, some destinations it used to be just them.

But essentially - for me that’s it. They are not a nice company to interact with ever and I can’t believe everyone is saying OP should have paid without acknowledging that Ryanair hate humans (but OP should have still paid).

Yeah, they do it on purpose to make you pre book. They tried to it my 2 year old alone! I asked the man next to her - middle of mid row - to swap with me - aisle seat, he refused so I handed him DDs teddy and said "well good luck to you, good luck" and he blanched and swapped. WTF is wrong with people. I couldn't book seats because i was a last min booking due to a close relative dying.

I'd swap if the price was right I guess but yeah I booked my seat for a reason

Surprised how many people pay for the pre booked seats. Booked many flights with low cost airlines (including Ryanair) and never had a seat away from whoever I’m travelling with.

This.

I’m honestly not sure it is legal to make someone pay for a mandatory add on.

I fly Ryanair lots because it’s cheap. I don’t pay extra to book because my dc are over 12 and I’m happy for us to split up. Their seat allocation system must be shit because 3 times I’ve booked for the whole family and they’ve put my youngest in the emergency exit row and had to move him because they need someone who is big enough to open the door. When I had smaller dc I sucked it up and paid for choosing seats. It’s a pita when people won’t pay for the seats they want and arse about when you are trying to take off. I once had my sons who were about 12 and 16 at the time and had lucked out by being in the same row get embroiled in an approx 50 way swap and ended up several rows apart because some arsehole mother wanted her little boy next to her. Her little boy was about 30. Why is her little boy more important than mine? Just pay for the seat allocation.

But if it mandatory for the children to be with the adult it seems an odd policy for the adult to have to pay for their seat. What if the adult doesn’t mind where they are sitting? Surely if it the airlines policy for the child to sit with the adult then it is the airline’s responsibility to sort out the reservation?

if there wasn’t this policy I’d have zero sympathy but I’m confused how an airline can make someone pay for their policy?

I’ve zero sympathy. You should have paid to sit together when you booked your flights. Blame yourself.

Yes, die on this hill OP, it's worth it.

I thought the OP said that, in the end, the 2 youngest were sitting together? Or maybe I misread it.

But the policy says it is a free reservation as it is mandatory for children to sit with adults. So very confused- what would you pay for something that is mandatory. Ie the plane technically shouldn’t take off unless you are sitting together?

It says

It is mandatory for an adult travelling with children under 12 (excl. infants) to reserve a seat. A maximum of four children for every one adult on the same booking will receive a reserved seat free of charge

So an adult must pay for a reservation in order to have their children seated with them for free.

People really need to stop flying with Ryanair.

You aren't going to get the same level of care that you will with a decent airline service. You need to stop thinking you will, and also be ready for any fuckery on their part, because they are notoriously bad. It's one thing to put yourselves through it as adults, but you're a bloody idiot if you put your kids through it, KNOWING what Ryanair are like. You genuinely should have known better.

Why should you have to pay for reserved seats when legally you and your child can't sit apart?

Ryanair’s own policy is one thing but CAA guidelines are just that, guidelines, and they are not legally binding.

I’ve done it twice and both times I had a much worse journey than if I hadn’t given up my seat (which I had paid extra for). I think the world would be a better place if people organised themselves better, as opposed to relying on everyone else’s good nature to pick up the slack. It’s rude.

Either way they don't have to move seat.

Why is everyone assuming that all the people who didn’t want to swap with OP had paid extra to book seats?

Had this with Ryanair last year. Me and 2 family members PAID to sit together, cue screeching mum demanding everyone in the flight should move so her family of 5 should be sat together. This is not a passenger issue this is a fault with the airline, they should by policy make sure children under 12 are with an adult in their party so then those seats shouldn't be bookable 🤷🏼‍♀️.

Or just suck it up when you book with a cheap airline spend the pennies regardless of the policy and book together!

Quite.