Do I need to 'select my seat' on airplane when I have a 3 year old

[imakingsmummy]

We are just booking a holiday and I always usually pay to select our plane seats so we are together but DH just mentioned it's probably a waste of money as surely we will be sat with our 3 year old anyway.

I'd like to save the much needed money but worried we won't be sat together if I leave it to chance.

What if every other passenger decides to pre book seats then there's only odd seats left. Will we be sat separate? Surely they would put us with ds?!

No, there's no actual requirement except to be neat, if everyone else has reserved seats the computer can't allocate them

The airline definition of together includes across an aisle, or in front/behind.

It will probably be ok, especially in term time. But it might not be.

One of you will be sat 'near' ypur dc. The other will likely be sat miles away because airlines are twisted

Nope. As long as they're near you, the airline is happy.

Pay for seats. Don't be stingy!

They will put your child near you, but 'sat with' doesn't necessarily mean next to you in the same row. They may put the child across the aisle or in the row in front.

Check your airlines policy around seating, but most will ensure a child is sat with one parent at that age, but won’t guarantee you would
be sat as a group. We’ve never had any issues though, we just tend to check in as soon as it opens.

Can you tell I'm salty after spending another £300 on top of £3.5k tp sot with my 12yo and 7yo?

They might put one of you near to your child. Near to can be in the next row or across the ailse.

If you don't select your seats its a chance you will have to take.

Is it really worth the worry of not booking ?

Search Mumsnet, there was someone moaning they weren't sat with their 4 year old a couple of weeks ago and was unanimously told they should have paid to reserve seats. Best to just reserve them now

That's clear then, I'll be paying for seats! Defo not chancing it. I was hoping everyone would come back saying we'd definitely be together 🫣

One you will be sat with your 3YO, but the airline’s definition of ‘with’ can be across the aisle, row in front so not necessarily in the seat right next to you and the other adult could be anywhere. If that bothers you and will impact your flight then you should pay for seat selection. If it’s long haul and in business or first class then those seats are very separate so I wouldn’t bother as you can’t really sit next to each other anyway and typically all seats have aisle access. If it’s short haul and your kid could end up properly sat next to a stranger then I’d pay.

I'd have thought it would be MORE important to do it if you have a 3 year old, not less...

I read any under 12 HAS to be seated with atleast one of their guardians.

Worth ringing them to check.

Saved myself £80 just for asking.

One if you will be allocated a seat with your child, but this can mean they may be directly behind/in front of you, or across the aisle. And your DH may be seated elsewhere, depending on how many other people have pre-booked exact seats.

If you want to be next to your DC and DH in the same row then you should pay for seat allocation.

I always pre-book specific seats for me and DH, for medical reasons.

The problem comes when people with DC do not book seats next to each other in a row, then want people that HAVE pre-booked their seats to move to accommodate them.

I think they would allocate one of you to be with 3 year old but the other adult could be right at the other end of the plane. This might work out ok ...maybe especially for the one who doesn't have to entertain a 3 year old on the flight 😁 of course if this happens you can swop seats with the other parent half way through the flight. This arrangement might vary with different airlines. If it's important to you that you are all day together I think you really would need to book seats

This makes me want to not select a seat for my 3 yo and just claim him at the end of 9 hours of bliss with noose cancelling headphones while some poor person deals with him 3 rows away 😂

That's not the case.

www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/Before-you-fly/Making-a-booking/Airline-seating-allocations/

Think it depends on airline. I flew Ryanair recently, and at check in part they sat my 11yo next to me automatically. I didn't have to pay for him. I did have to pay for me and my teenager so we were sat together.

Just do it.

It will save you the stress of travel, even right now by posting about it on MN.

Airports are chaotic enough at the moment without it.

Think of it this way: the airlines are greedy fucks to make you pay to seat your family together. However, if you don’t pay and there are three seats dotted about, the crew will have to ask someone to move. Someone who paid for their seat reservation and will get annoyed at losing their preferred and booked seat because you wouldn’t pay like they did. They won’t get reimbursed either.

Glad you're booking your seats - there's been so many posts on here/news articles recently about people complaining after not paying for their seats and wanting other passengers who had paid to move for them.

Airlines have no requirement to sit you next to your child. You would be seated "near" to them but that doesn't necessarily mean in the same aisle.

It's always better to book seats in advance if you need to sit together

I wouldn’t move I’m afraid. I pay for the seats I want due to the location of them and sitting with DH as I get a bit anxious in the air. If you get on a flight and everyone is in family groups or have paid for selection you cannot guarantee it. I’d book all 3 seats so you know it’s just you three in a row.

Useful guide here

www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/airline-seating/

I've never paid for seats and always been sat beside our kids.
Save yourself the cash.