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Original poster

Thomas cook. Chances of us sitting together on flight?

137 replies

Helpies · 12/08/2019 22:49

DH and I. 4 sprogs. 2 over 12. 2 under 12. (all over 7)

Keep being told by family not to waste £120 on prebooked flights (money is super tight) as everyone else has always been seated together.
They go away regularly and have never been split.
It's our first time and kids are nervous.

Would you pay?

OP posts:
ineedaholidaynow · 13/08/2019 13:38

Isn't it only the budget airlines that do this, hence the reason they are budget?

EskewedBeef · 13/08/2019 13:43

Budget airlines and package holiday agents ie most flights British families go on.

ineedaholidaynow · 13/08/2019 13:49

A PP mentioned not having this issue with Emirates and I didn't think Emirates was a budget airline

notacooldad · 13/08/2019 13:50

From the ages of around 9 I never paid for the family to sit together. However everyone was a confident and frequent flyer. In the past we were usual in the vicinity of each other but over the last couple if years airlines have done their best to put people as far as oart from each other.
Most Ryan air flights seem to do the Ryanair shuffle where at least one passenger co ordinates a few seat swops so friends and family can sit together!!

LatteLove · 13/08/2019 13:53

I think it’s ridiculous that airlines use this as yet another opportunity to screw money out of people. I wouldn’t pay.

notacooldad · 13/08/2019 13:55

I love the righteous ‘I’ve paid for my seat and I’m not moving brigade! I hope your sat next to a crying toddler on a 4 hour flight!, and see where the extra charge got you
But if you've shelled out £25+ for a particular seat would you want to give it up? Honestly? Someone will get your seat because they haven't booked but want to sit in the place you have paid for so they can sit next to their boyfriend/ girlfriend, whatever.
I dont think I would be happy if I had paid for a seat and I can't think of many others who would either.

LoseLooseLucy · 13/08/2019 14:02

Jet2 are the worst in my opinion for splitting you up if you haven't paid.

Groovee · 13/08/2019 14:06

Flew to Florida with Thomas Cook. A family of 5 were seated one behind the other over 5 rows. They whinged the whole way there. But the staff told them that they couldn't move as everyone else had paid to sit in their seats and they wouldn't ask them to move.

On the way back they had paid to book their seats.

GreenTulips · 13/08/2019 14:08

notacooldad

Not what I was saying at all!

It all ‘I paid for my seat etc etc, yet you have no control over who the other person is next to you, none at all, could a larger person taking up all the room, or a small child, or someone with bad personal hygiene, what would you do then? Pay for the extra seat?

We fly regularly and have never been split up, I’ve told the kids it’s a short flight and just sit down, same as I would on a packed bus. They sit. They have their things to occupy themselves. They get on with it.

I refuse to get drawn into this ‘fear’ that I should sit next to them or what ifs, or any other nonsense peddled to get your extra money.

They sit where they’ve been placed and I would never ask anyone to move, wouldn’t even enter the kids head to even ask.

Where we’ve had isle seats in a row, I’m sure the other passengers weren’t happy, but that’s not my issue is it?

Nesssie · 13/08/2019 14:15

Nowhere has OP suggested she would ask anyone to move!!

But the cabin crew can and will not let the flight leave until someone swaps to allow a young child to sit with an appropriate adult.
We've had it before, when we were basically told the flight would not leave until the parent and child had seats together.

Beerincomechampagnetastes · 13/08/2019 14:16

This really bothers me.
I feel like tight people use their children to blackmail others.
I’ve paid for my seat... but I’ve ended up with your 3 yr old next to me... so I have to move to let you sit in my seat or I’m responsible or disturbed my whole flight.
How can you justify this?
I’m so sick of entitled people getting on planes and expecting everyone else to accommodate them with cries of ‘we can’t seriously be expected to sit away from our children’???
Well PAY then. 🤷‍♀️

Or don’t travel if you can’t afford it.

Beerincomechampagnetastes · 13/08/2019 14:16

what Nesssie said ^^

Beerincomechampagnetastes · 13/08/2019 14:18

love the righteous ‘I’ve paid for my seat and I’m not moving brigade! I hope your sat next to a crying toddler on a 4 hour flight!, and see where the extra charge got you

^^
This is just plain nasty.

Wolfiefan · 13/08/2019 14:19

Pay if it concerns you. If you’re all happy to be separated and know the kids will behave and can cope without you for the flight then don’t. Can’t afford it? Well then you can’t afford the holiday.

GreenTulips · 13/08/2019 14:21

No it’s not, you can’t pay for a seat to sit next to your husband or child and expect the third seat to be taken by someone who’s to your liking.

No one is asking anyone to move. But paying extra doesn’t get you what you want either. Hence it’s a complete swizz!

Teddybear45 · 13/08/2019 14:22

It depends on other passengers. The ones who have paid or have younger kids than yours, or the disabled with carers, will get priority when it comes to sitting together.

Fettfrett · 13/08/2019 14:25

For those saying the OP has never asked anyone to move, this is what happens if they need to seat parents and children together.

If you haven't paid to choose your seats and the only seats remaining are apart, they have to ask for volunteers (most of whom have paid to choose their seat) to move to create seats together. If no one volunteers they have to force people to move as they can't have children sat without a parent.

Fsid00 · 13/08/2019 14:34

We have just flown with them. Two adults and two kids. We didn't prebook, but I did check in online the moment check in opened. We were all sat on the same row and the plane was pretty much full. I didn't want to waste money prebooking either.

Just make sure you check in as soon as it opens online and you're seats are allocated then so you can see if you're together. If not then maybe pay at the airport.

notacooldad · 13/08/2019 14:40

I think we've managed a few weeks without a 'paying for seats on an aeroplane' thread.

That's not bad for this time of year!

Propertyofhood · 13/08/2019 14:43

I just don't see the need to pay for something you'll in all likelihood (or every single time in my experience) get for free anyway. That's a lot of money I've saved over the years.

Yep, same here!

I feel like this is one of those things that's a huge deal on MN which is barely even a thing is real life.

VivaLeBeaver · 13/08/2019 15:07

If you haven't paid to choose your seats and the only seats remaining are apart, they have to ask for volunteers (most of whom have paid to choose their seat) to move to create seats together. If no one volunteers they have to force people to move as they can't have children sat without a parent.

Won't be true in the OP's case as her kids are old enough to sit by themselves. I've seen cabin crew ask for volunteers for a kid who was 7yo and nobody volunteered. So child had to sit next to 2 strangers and was hysterical.

This was on either Ryanair or Monarch over a decade ago back before the days of paying to bag your seat - when it used to be a stampede at the gate to be first one on. So maybe a few people had paid for priority boarding but that was always a small number.

hopelesslyromantic93 · 13/08/2019 15:12

Me and my dp flew to Greece last year with Thomas cook. We didn't book seats but fortunately were seated together both ways! However this was only 2 of us and late september so not the busiest time!

JudgeRindersMinder · 13/08/2019 15:19

I pay to book an aisle seat even when I fly alone-I just see it as a delayed payment for part of the flight.
I’d swap to allow a family to sit together IF the family reimbursed me. Otherwise no deal

Propertyofhood · 13/08/2019 15:23

Me and my dp flew to Greece last year with Thomas cook. We didn't book seats but fortunately were seated together both ways! However this was only 2 of us and late september so not the busiest time!

You are far far more likely to be sat together, especially if there are only 2 of you, than to be sat apart on any flight, at any time.

holidayhelp123 · 13/08/2019 15:39

I had the same dilemma earlier in the year we did not pay the money and our family group were all still sat together Smile our travel agent told us they would not split young kids from at least one guardian, I called the airline and they also confirmed the same thing. We checked in as soon as it opened around 28 days before flying I'm sure it was.