Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Confused about flights

43 replies

Nousername94 · 27/06/2023 00:03

Hello,
I am wondering if anyone can give me some advise.
Were going on holiday in two days times, I booked it only today so very last minute. I checked online and it says to book seats now but when I check there aren’t any seats together. My DD is under 2 so she will be on my knee so will my four year old have to sit on his own or will he be seated with the other adult coming with us?
do I need to book these seats now even though they are not together or will we be allocated seats?
sorry, I am very confused. Basically what happens if I don’t reserve seats now?
TIA

OP posts:
fungibletoken · 27/06/2023 09:42

Sorry, OP - just saw your update - great news!

suburbophobe · 27/06/2023 11:57

@lalue

Yes, of course you are right. I'd forgotten all about that......(Covid curbed my travelling...).

Nousername94 · 27/06/2023 13:20

I’ll just go off the advise she gave me to not book online

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Nousername94 · 27/06/2023 15:08

Neverinamonthofsundays · 27/06/2023 09:16

WHile I understand they have to seat your child with you how does that work if there were no seats together to book initially? WIll they get someone else to move?

I guess not all of the seats are actually booked? I’m not sure

OP posts:
Nousername94 · 27/06/2023 15:08

fungibletoken · 27/06/2023 09:42

Sorry, OP - just saw your update - great news!

🙏

OP posts:
gogomoto · 27/06/2023 15:26

But remember booked nearby can be one row away or across the aisle, the two adults may be far apart

PrincessMini · 27/06/2023 15:30

Have a great holiday!

Yes they would move other people. I've had my seats moved before...I know I booked a specific row but then when I got my boarding pass it was different. They could also move people once everyone is checked in. You know you sometimes get those announcements at the gate saying "Mr so and so please make yourself known to ground crew" could be because they've issued the guy a new boarding pass with a different seat number.

Neverinamonthofsundays · 27/06/2023 15:31

I hate the idea that people who have picked and paid for a seat would be asked to move. There are 5 of us in this family and it would be a cold day in hell before I would. We like to sit together so we pay for that privilage.

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/06/2023 15:39

I know you've spoken to Jet2, but just be aware that when airlines say "next to" it doesn't necessarily mean directly next to you - it could also be that your 4yo ends up behind, in front, diagonally or across the aisle from you.

PrincessMini · 27/06/2023 15:53

Neverinamonthofsundays · 27/06/2023 15:31

I hate the idea that people who have picked and paid for a seat would be asked to move. There are 5 of us in this family and it would be a cold day in hell before I would. We like to sit together so we pay for that privilage.

It's a safety thing when young children are involved. I'm sure the airlines do put some thought into who they're moving. They'd probably pick a solo traveller who hadn't paid for a specific seat before they split up a family group who had paid extra.

Nousername94 · 27/06/2023 16:37

Just to clarify for those who don’t think it’s fair to be asked to move, one row is saved by the airline for situations like this. I’ve been told which row I’ll be on and we will all be seated together 😊

OP posts:
cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/06/2023 16:49

Nousername94 · 27/06/2023 16:37

Just to clarify for those who don’t think it’s fair to be asked to move, one row is saved by the airline for situations like this. I’ve been told which row I’ll be on and we will all be seated together 😊

Being on the same row could still mean one of you is across the aisle from the others though.

ChocChipHandbag · 27/06/2023 16:57

lalue · 27/06/2023 09:41

@suburbophobeOf course you'll have seats on the plane. They only sell as many tickets as are seats in a plane. They'll hardly expect you to stand in the aisle for the duration of the flight. It's not like the tube.

Unfortunately this is not true of all airlines. It's common for flights to be overbooked as there is always a certain percentage of no shows and they can maximise profit that way. If more people than expected show up then you can be bumped off. I've seen this on the last two short haul flights I've done - the airline emailed us ahead of time to see if we would accept a small amount of money to move onto a less popular flight. Evidently not enough people agreed as we saw people at the gate being turned away and told they'd have to go on the next one. I would therefore book whatever you can get now, OP, and then see whether you can do anything about changing after.

You’re right, but they don’t tend to do this when they have sold a package as it’s all tied up with the transfers and accommodation at the other end and they may only fly to the destination once a week.

Overbooking and bumping is more of a scheduled flight thing.

Neverinamonthofsundays · 27/06/2023 17:21

PrincessMini · 27/06/2023 15:53

It's a safety thing when young children are involved. I'm sure the airlines do put some thought into who they're moving. They'd probably pick a solo traveller who hadn't paid for a specific seat before they split up a family group who had paid extra.

I have seen it happen that ryanair at least have tried to split up couples because a parent wanted to be beside their child etc. Ours are teens but we still like to start our holiday together and we sit three behind and two in front, the two in front being me and my partner so in all liklihood it would be us they would ask to swap and as an anxious flyer there is no way I would do it. Now on the way home from a holiday they could possibly separate all 5 of us down the plane but we like each other taking off which is the main thing lol

Nousername94 · 28/06/2023 08:46

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 27/06/2023 16:49

Being on the same row could still mean one of you is across the aisle from the others though.

I would still prefer that to my son being on the other side of the plane I suppose

OP posts:
ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea · 28/06/2023 10:12

There will most likely be adults travelling on the flight who have not paid extra for specific seats . I know that when DS and his mates/GF travel they never pay extra for specific seats, and I'm pretty sure they won't be the only ones, so there are bound to be some people who won't mind moving or who haven't paid extra for particular seats .

Nousername94 · 28/06/2023 16:04

Sorry to go on but I’ve just got on and we’re all seated together 😁

OP posts:
Wendysfriend · 28/06/2023 17:51

That's great news. Hope you all have an amazing holiday.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread