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Original poster

Paying to chose seats on flights

138 replies

PinotAndPlaydough · 07/04/2019 22:08

We are going away on our first family holiday soon. Kids have never been abroad and DH and I haven’t been abroad for 10 years. We have scrimped and saved for this and literally every penny counts.
Have just looked at reserving seats and to book them there and back is £65. That’s a fair chunk of money for us and money I’d much rather spend when we are out there.

Despite this I think we should book seats, eldest child has asd and I’m not sure how they’ll react to flying and the youngest is only 5. No way would any of us be happy about having to sit separately. DH says that while one of us might be sat away from the kids there’s no way they’ll separate two young kids from their parents.
It’s been so long I don’t know how things work any more, is it worth the risk, can we just queue up and try and make sure we board first?
I’m really not sure this is a risk I want to take? Any advice from more seasoned travellers?

OP posts:
Hellohah · 07/04/2019 22:09

Who are you flying with?

Novia · 07/04/2019 22:11

Who are you flying with? We fly mostly with EasyJet and check in as early as possible. As a family of 4, we have always been seated together in a row.

Novia · 07/04/2019 22:12

Other airlines (Norwegian and Ryanair - looking at you), will deliberately separate you to make you pay...

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Ahberdhoom · 07/04/2019 22:13

Don’t risk it, kids have to be next to you according to aviation rules but the definition is loose and could include in front/ behind /across the aisle or diagonally across the aisle.
If others have paid for their seat, they could be very unwilling to move just because you haven’t.

pearldeodorant · 07/04/2019 22:13

Contact the airline and explain. They should let you book seats together if you provide evidence of your son's disability. I agree that's an extortionate amount of money for seats

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 07/04/2019 22:13

How old is eldest? Presuming not yet a teen, you'll have an adult and a child together at least, even if you're not all together. Would that be okay?

If so, wing it. I've always been seated with who I've flown with, with the exception of the last three flights, and I'm pretty sure that's the budget airlines pushing people to book seats!

If not, book the seats, it's not worth the stress Smile

NotGenerationAlpha · 07/04/2019 22:14

I always pay because I really don’t want to be sat across the aisle or in the row behind or in front. I was on a flight where BA put a mum in 5e row in front of her child. The child is 9 or 10 and I didn’t think he minded.

SpaceCadet4000 · 07/04/2019 22:16

It's not worth the risk, pay to reserve the seats. For many airlines, together includes across an aisle, in front or behind. Save yourself the stress.

I've been on flights where the cabin crew have resorted to asking random people if they will move to allow a family to sit together. It is not a nice atmosphere for the family or their fellow passengers.

Soontobe60 · 07/04/2019 22:16

I always pay to select my seats because I'm anxious enough when flying.
No matter who you fly with, at least one parent will be sat with the children. If you get to check in as soon as it opens you've more chance of getting seats together.

Trills · 07/04/2019 22:17

If reserved seats were included, and the flights had been a total of £65 more, would you still have gone on this holiday?

In your circumstances I wouldn't consider this an optional cost.

EssentialHummus · 07/04/2019 22:18

It depends on the airline (and to some extent whether you’re flying at a busy for families time of year).

Alienspaceship · 07/04/2019 22:21

£65 to look after your own kids. £0 someone else gets to put up with them. It’s a no brainer Grin
More seriously, I take the attitude that I’m not going to pay to look after my children. So if they want me to look after them they will seat us together. This attitude hasn’t let me down yet.

Gibble1 · 07/04/2019 22:21

We flew from Heathrow to Charlotte with DC’s aged 10 and 12 and didn’t pay the £320 extra to be seated together. When booking opened for us to view our seats we were in 4 corners of the plane 😱.
When we checked in, the lady on the desk saw our seat allocations and moved us around a little so the kids were together with DH in the row in front and me in the row in front of him.
Lots of families on the flight on a football tour who had all booked to sit together.
It’s a huge extra expense to add to flights though 😩

JurassicGirl · 07/04/2019 22:22

Pay the £65 it's not worth the stress.

JaneEyre07 · 07/04/2019 22:22

Short haul we never bothered, but long haul I always book as I'm a nervous flier.

Don't think getting there early makes any difference, few people check in at the airport these days and do it all online. See if the airline does the online check in where you can reserve seats 24 hours before hand? I've set a reminder and managed to get seats together that way.

Original poster
PinotAndPlaydough · 07/04/2019 22:23

We are flying with Norwegian air and it’ll be May half term so pretty busy I guess.

OP posts:
Vinorosso74 · 07/04/2019 22:25

Definitely pay to choose the seats. If money is tight could you save by taking one less hold item? I'm assuming you're flying with an airline where you pay per item you check in

Novia · 07/04/2019 22:26

Sorry - Norwegian are dicks, they'll deliberately split you up...

Original poster
PinotAndPlaydough · 07/04/2019 22:30

Think I’m just going to suck it up and pay even if DH is set against it. The stress of being separated is just going to ruin it if I don’t. I might just pay for the kids and I to sit together as that saves me 20 odd quid. DH can enjoy the randomly selected seat.

OP posts:
Original poster
PinotAndPlaydough · 07/04/2019 22:33

What do they get out of deliberately splitting you up? Is it in the hope you’ll pay on the day?

OP posts:
Flockingflamingo · 07/04/2019 22:34

Is it that time of year already? Glad to see you're booking, it drives me mad when others dont then lose their shit whne theyre not seated together

MazDazzle · 07/04/2019 22:37

How long is the flight? In my experience, the shorter the flight the more likely someone is to offer to swap with you.

GnomeDePlume · 07/04/2019 22:39

If you get on a flight where most other people have booked to sit together then you will be used to fill up the spaces left. As others have said they will look to put you near the children but that doesn't mean next to.

While most people will be fine sat next to your child that doesn't mean they will look after them

Honeydukes92 · 07/04/2019 22:41

Personally I wouldn’t. I think it’s complete extortion on the part of the airline and would hold my ground.

Good luck to any airline who thinks they can seat a 5 year old seperstley to parents and not cause social media outrage!!! Not to mention the poor person who ends up seated with the random 5 year old 🤔

But I totally get that your SEN child makes this a bit different.

Original poster
PinotAndPlaydough · 07/04/2019 22:43

My children would definitely not be fine being sat away from me even if the person next to them was Mary poplins! I’m booking me and the kids together and will chance it with DH. After googling horror stories I just can’t risk it. It’ll mean a slightly dull Easter holidays to budget for it but the kids will just have to deal with it and be grateful they are getting a bloody holiday in May.
The though of the eldest having a meltdown during take off is enough to give me nightmares for the next month.

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