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Original poster

Paying for seats together on a plane...would you pay?

127 replies

louisekkh · 12/04/2022 22:55

I'm flying on a 5 hour flight in the summer with my boyfriend.
It's my first time abroad in years and I get nervous on the plane.
We are flying with TUI and it will cost £44 to pre book seats together.
Would you pay this ? Or do you think we will get sat together anyway?
I don't know what to do

OP posts:
Soontobe60 · 12/04/2022 22:57

I would - I’m a nervous flyer, but more than that, I’d hate to be sat between 2 com)late strangers for 5 hours!
You might get seats together at online checkin, but I’m not great with risk 😂

Bringonsummer19 · 12/04/2022 22:58

I wouldn’t pay, I’ll be amazed if they don’sit you together.

Embracelife · 12/04/2022 22:58

Pay up

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Flying Holidays
camelfinger · 12/04/2022 23:00

Not sure about TUI, but with easyJet if you check in at about 30 days before departure the seats tend to be next to each other anyway. We didn’t pay this time (easyJet) and got two pairs, immediately behind each other. It might be worth it for peace of mind if you’re a nervous flyer, but me and DH used to prefer to take the risk of sitting separately, which rarely happened.

palmplantcirca1980s · 12/04/2022 23:02

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Startuplife · 12/04/2022 23:02

We usually do because we like to get the extra legroom seats as DP is tall. If not, I wouldn’t bother. He watches films with headphones and I read on planes so it makes no difference being sat next to each other or not.

llm24 · 12/04/2022 23:03

I work in the business, more and more people are going on holiday now and planes are really busy , people who haven’t booked seats are being separated
£44 each is worth it and i’m sure only a small fraction of your holiday cost
i certainly wouldn’t move my seat in the plane if I had paid for it just to please you

TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 12/04/2022 23:04

I wouldn't bother. £44 will go towards a nice meal, and you might get seated together anyway

CornishLamb · 12/04/2022 23:05

Every time we have flown since COVID , we have all been together without booking (family of 5).

I think it’s down to COVID guidelines as there have always been some free rows on the planes as well, which they say is deliberate because of COVID.

So I wouldn’t worry about it at present.

maddy68 · 12/04/2022 23:06

Honestly I am a frequent flyer. I have never paid extra and usually sit with my party. If I am not with then then fine

WhatHaveIFound · 12/04/2022 23:07

I'd pay. We once went to check into a flight and they'd spread all 4 of us (inc. 2 young DC) across 8 rows. Luckily I could still book seats together at that point.

MaryStuart · 12/04/2022 23:09

I flew recently and paid for seats together.
Quite a few people who I assume hasn’t were seated apart (unless they’d paid to be so!)

HollowedOut · 12/04/2022 23:10

If I haven’t booked seats I normally sit with my partner about 3 times out of 4. If there’s more of you obviously it’s less likely you’ll all be together. Can you go into book the seats to see how many are left and where they are and then just not go through with the payment? It might give you a bit of an idea.

MintyGreenDream · 12/04/2022 23:11

Yes because you cant guarantee it otherwise

HollowedOut · 12/04/2022 23:11

Sorry just noticed your flight isn’t until the summer so probably won’t be helpful yet. If you’re worrying about it already just book them.

amicissimma · 12/04/2022 23:13

We don't. Generally get seats next to each other or one behind the other. Were separated more as a family, although always one adult by a child. This once led to me having wonderful flight as I was on my own and the stranger next to me turned out to be absolutely fascinating and I could have talked listened to him for hours.

We don't mind, we'll see plenty of each other on holiday and like to read/watch the movie/listen to music in peace.

On a night flight I prefer to be away from DH as he snores!

CuddlyCactus · 12/04/2022 23:17

We never pay for seats and are usually sat together.
Except with Ryanair, I pay then because they deliberately sit you all apart. On one flight DH had a row to himself and I had a row to myself. But they couldn't possibly have sat us together Hmm

TheBigDilemma · 12/04/2022 23:22

I wouldn’t pay for less than 3 hours flight, anything above that.. I don’t want to find myself falling asleep (or dribling even!) over a stranger.

Having said that, I was separated from my teen in a longhaul flight and it was bliss! Blush

milcal · 12/04/2022 23:25

I didn't pay and we were seated together.

WomblingWilma · 12/04/2022 23:26

Online check in is normally 24 hours before the flight departs. I put an alarm in my phone with a calendar reminder on the day and make sure I sit down to login a minute before check in opens, and go straight to select seats before anyone else does. Has worked for me the last few times I’ve flown. They do allocate seats but you can change them if there are others available.

Obviously dependant on how many people have booked in advance but IME a large proportion of people don’t want to pay either.

WomblingWilma · 12/04/2022 23:33

Sorry I normally fly BA and 24 hours is for their flights. TUI is 14 days before departure so make sure you check in immediately it opens.

Kite22 · 12/04/2022 23:36

I wouldn't pay, but then I would be quite comfortable sitting on my own. I'd generally be reading / sleeping or watching a film and not spending those hours chatting away to dh anyway so it wouldn't bother me at all sitting apart from him.

But, as pps have said, if you would be upset to be away from your boyfriend, then is it that much as a % of the holiday? Think if you would have booked the same holiday if it had been £88 more (presumably they will charge you on the way home as well?). If you would have, then do it and forget it was an extra you could have avoided. If you wouldn't have, then don't pay it.

Either way, don't not pay it and expect someone who has chosen to pay for their seat to move to accommodate you.

RomainingCalm · 12/04/2022 23:39

Either way, don't not pay it and then expect someone who has chosen to pay for their seat to move to accommodate you.

This.

Either pay it and have piece of mind that you'll be together and in seats that you have chosen; or

Don't pay but be prepared that the worst case scenario is that you are sitting at opposite ends of the plan. Best case is that you've got seats together without paying.

RomainingCalm · 12/04/2022 23:39

Sorry, peace of mind.

ToothGrinder · 12/04/2022 23:40

I've always just checked in in advance as soon as check in opens and never had a problem. If the seats you get aren't together you can always choose to pay to book where you want at that time. £44 is loads of money. You've already paid for your flight so the idea of "paying for a seat" is nonsense - clearly they won't strap you to a wing or something.