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Original poster

TUI do they sit you together as a family?

65 replies

heyho8 · 03/08/2022 10:16

Just booked to go to Greece with TUI in September there will be me, DP and DS who will be 11 months. I haven't paid for our seats as I'm not bothered where on the plane we sit, but I'm just wondering if they sit you together when you have a young child? I know jet2 always do and we flew with them in June but unsure about TUI. May book our seats if we're likely to be sat apart.

OP posts:
prescribingmum · 04/08/2022 20:07

@notimagain it depends on where the oxygen masks are as to whether the baby can be seated elsewhere. There are extra oxygen masks on certain seats and the infant needs to be seated in that row in case the cabin pressure were to drop during the flight. They would usually ask the adult who wants to sit with baby to move to the seat that the adult with baby on ticket was allocated

CharlotteRose90 · 04/08/2022 20:12

satelliteheart · 04/08/2022 18:44

@CharlotteRose90 sorry but why will baby automatically be sat with the mother and the partner will definitely be sat elsewhere?! Have we really made so little progress that airlines still view the mother as default carer and the father can't possibly be given any responsibility?! That is disgusting

They are normally booked under the mothers name but they can sit on whichever parent that wants them. As long as they are on the correct row with oxygen it doesn’t matter. But from experience it’s normally the mother that holds the infant. Doesn’t matter whether it’s mum or dad that holds them and we don’t prioritise mum over dad . It’s whoever wants the infant at the end of the day.

ivykaty44 · 04/08/2022 20:19

they sat me with the person I was travelling with - we were each side of The aisle, but could reach each other and pass things the couple in front were in the same situation and their children were in front again on aisle seats - so all together

if your seat is ok for baby and you want to swap - then the other parent could seat in your seat and you go and sit in their seat

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Boxofbics · 04/08/2022 21:28

Do you actually want to sit together?

I recently flew with Tui and a family of 11 were split across the plane (shouting to communicate) and parents of a baby were split and mum seemed to be struggling alone holding baby/ getting things out bag etc while dad was nowhere to be seen lol!

Begoniasforever · 04/08/2022 21:50

balalake · 04/08/2022 18:05

I think that there should be a legal requirement for holiday companies and airlines to have to warn people 'if you book a number of people regardless of age in one booking, you may not be sat together', and it be required to be announced on all radio and tv adverts, in press/media adverts with a minimum font size, and you be required to tick a box to say you have read this before you pay anything. Unless you sit people together as Jet2 do, apparently.

I'd expect the practice would end, or it would become a discount if you were willing to be split up.

What are you on about, it’s clear on every single airline booking site if you want to sit together pay 😂

Blossomtoes · 04/08/2022 22:06

Jules912 · 03/08/2022 10:55

Don't count on being able to just pass the baby over halfway through, as only some rows are suitable for infants on laps. They'll make sure to allocate one of you and the baby to one of those rows, but no guarantee both of you will be.

Show quote history

Then you just swap seats.

bubblescoop · 04/08/2022 22:38

If you want to guarantee to sit next to your family, you pay for your seats.

If you don’t pay, you can’t complain if they split you up.

notimagain · 05/08/2022 06:42

prescribingmum · 04/08/2022 20:07

@notimagain it depends on where the oxygen masks are as to whether the baby can be seated elsewhere. There are extra oxygen masks on certain seats and the infant needs to be seated in that row in case the cabin pressure were to drop during the flight. They would usually ask the adult who wants to sit with baby to move to the seat that the adult with baby on ticket was allocated

Yep, though TBF that set up can to some extent aircraft type or operator specific.

As I recall it at the outfit I worked at every unit (PSU) in the overhead had at least one extra mask, so you could certainly have a babe in arms each side of the aisle in every row.

In any event I was specifically talking the instance of adults moving to sit next to a seated child.

notimagain · 05/08/2022 06:49

"@Ginger1982

It's rubbish that you have to pay, as it was never like that when I was a kid, but it's just what you need to do now.

Wasn't like that a long time ago when I was a kid either, but then again you couldn't potentially buy a seat on short haul flights for less than the cost of a train fare..

Some people have done very well out of the move to menu/pick and choose pricing..

Despite comments to the contrary the airlines are struggling, so even if seat choice pricing is banned they will have to claw the revenue back elsewhere.

exLtEveDallas · 05/08/2022 07:11

Back in the mists of time, when DH and I flew with Thomson (as it was), we did not pay and were separated. It was long haul and horrible for me (a nervous flier). The next flight we took was our honeymoon and we paid to sit together as I didn’t want a repeat.

When DD came along we took her to Spain when she was about a year old and again, didn’t book seats as we thought there was no way we’d be separated on a family flight with a baby. Wrong. Another awful (but thankfully shorter) flight. Since then we have always paid, even this year and DD is 17!

It irritates me, but I’ll always do it. As a nervous flier, and the way my mind works - if we are going to die in a plane crash I want us to go together, holding each other and professing our love. Not separated, even if that only means across an aisle or behind each other. I want us in each other’s arms.
(and yes, I know that makes me sound crazy, but I’ll take that and own it, it’s the way I’m built )

byvirtue · 05/08/2022 07:20

I went to Greece in May with my 9 month old a couple of years ago, didn’t book seats and husband and I were seated separately. Asked at check in if there was anything they could do and again at the gate. When we got on the plane it turned out they had 3 rows at the front which were unused so before take off they moved us down.

After that experience we’ve paid for seats when we go in September, we now account for it as just part of the cost (like an upgraded room).

MrsPerfect12 · 05/08/2022 07:26

I've booked and paid for 6 seats 4 adults, 2 children for my holidays, I won't be allowing any of them to move to accommodate someone who doesn't want to pay.

HuffleWoof · 05/08/2022 22:53

@MrsPerfect12 I don't blame you

B1rd · 05/08/2022 23:26

My OH and I came home and we were allocated to 1c and 30d. It didnt matter because another airline brought us home. The best thing is to check in early, see what seats you're allocated...then make your decision.

xippo · 06/08/2022 00:23

There is no way I would pay for seats together and be asked to move for someone who hadn’t.

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