Aeroplane seats, daft question

[Schooldil3ma]

We've only holidayed in the UK until now so I'm clueless.

It'll be me, DH, Dc 6 and Dc 3. Do we need to book seats to be together? I'm happy for it to be 2+2 or 3+1.

I'm happy to book if necessary, but if the airline are obligated to sit a child next to an adult it seems pointless to spend the extra.

Thanks in advance!

It's another way that the airlines can keep travel prices low - simply charge extra for courtesies like sitting together, carrying luggage, having a meal during the flight. Many years ago, such things were included in the overall ticket price but if you didn't want them, you still paid. So it's transparency of pricing, and keeps the initial advertised price low.

I think it's pretty shit of them but yeah, you'd be best booking.

They deliberately split people up to encourage them to pay to sit together.

But it wasn't included in the ticket price. They have always charged extra to book specific seats. What has changed is that always previously, if you checked in as a group you'd be seated together, you just wouldn't get any choice over where exactly you were sitting unless you'd booked seats. That was how all airlines worked, for physical check in and online check in as long as flights have existed.

Then a few years ago some bright spark at Ryanair decided let's specifically develop a system to shuffle people who have not booked seats so that they aren't with their group. I remember threads about it at the time and from personal experience know they did this because on an almost empty flight DH and I hadn't chosen specific seats and we were in completely different rows, there was also a stag party on one of those flights out or return, can't remember. This was in 2018 although I think they started it earlier than that. This then started causing chaos because people would do what they'd always done and assume non assigned seating meant you'd be together just no choice about exactly where, and then panicked when they turned up at the airport and realised they would be sat separately from their children. Nobody wants that. Ryanair doesn't want that because it's a potential disaster in an emergency. So then Ryanair started this policy that children get a free seat allocation but adults in the party are forced to pay for one. However that means that families are now forced to book seats on Ryanair and it's solved the issue.

But it hasn't solved people's perceptions.

Totally agree @BertieBotts . It's become a race to the bottom for most airlines.

I think it pisses me off so much because it doesn't cost them ANYTHING! It was something the staff used to do to be nice, a little common kindness towards your fellow human. What does it matter where people sit? I don't object to them separating the cost for baggage handling and food out. Those things actually cost the airline money to provide.

It depends on the airline OP.
Some always sit the whole party travelling together automatically as long as you check in as soon as it opens.
Others are very likely to intentionally split you up if you don't pay to sit together even if you all end up the only person in your row I'm looking at you Ryanair

If you name the airline people may be able to advise better.

Thanks for all the replies. It's a TUI flight as part of a package holiday. Its all being billed as very family focused etc, so it seems awful if they purposely split groups up to eek a few more quid out of people.
We've all needed new passports, a super travel insurance policy to mitigate covid etc, so it's all getting more expensive and I'm loath to shell another £100 for something I assumed / hoped would be free.

Op it will be fine, 10 flights at least with tui, never been separated. Never paid £100 to sit with my kids either. Now that I think about it they do the same as Jet2, lead passenger between the kids, other adult either in front, behind or usually across the asile

I refuse to pay to look after my own children. The airline soon sorts it if there is an unsupervised toddler running riot 😀

We've never been split up with TUI

I fly to Vancouver (from Heathrow) next week and booked seats as I didn't want the kids seated elsewhere on a long haul flight (mind you, I might regret that as they're both teens) - I had to pay approx £300 for the privilege. British Airways!!

We've flown BA long haul several times @Serendipity72 and never been split up.
Just checked in online as soon as it opened.