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Original poster

I effed up our holiday

617 replies

poppysgalore · 15/10/2024 22:53

Flying out tomorrow on easyJet - family of five - first time on easyJet- had no idea we had to book our seats in advance. Just logged in and seen there's only random single seats left. Except for two rows that are near the fire exits so can't be allocated to under 16s. I'm gutted ! What do we do now , my youngest is 7 and the flight is 6 hours long. How could I be so stupid and not know this.

OP posts:
MuggleMe · 15/10/2024 23:18

You've not effed it up ❤️ that would be losing a passport or showing up the day after your flight.

Chances are people will be happy to move, warn your children they may have to start away from you but likely to be seated together. There might be empty seats where people don't arrive.

notatinydancer · 15/10/2024 23:26

It says when you're booking if you don't pay for seats you will get a random allocation.
I fly with easyJet and Ryanair about 4 times a month

Original poster
poppysgalore · 15/10/2024 23:26

@MuggleMe urgh thank you. Almost in tears . I was imagining this lovely memory of all of us flying together , everyone's so excited, and now we'll have this issue of not one, not two but three children sat in random seats worst case 😭😭 I really really hope people are kind and swap seats for at least the younger two. It was a genuine error. I just know I won't be sleeping tonight !

OP posts:

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Original poster
poppysgalore · 15/10/2024 23:28

@notatinydancer I did not see that message ! Im not saying it wasn't there, only that I probably booked it when someone was asking me about homework or dinner or a million other things and I just didn't pay attention. If I had seen it I would definitely have booked the seats.

OP posts:
Carnationstreet7 · 15/10/2024 23:31

I'm sure it will all be fine, if not you can start a MN thread when you get back in AIBU about how noone wanted to move seats🫢

CheeseWisely · 15/10/2024 23:33

Have you only just done online check in today OP? easyJet are genuinely very good at allocating families together when check-in is done in good time and they've still got seats to play with (it opens a month ahead of travel).

Ryanair are the complete opposite and will deliberately split families and groups up to force them to pay.

Not much you can do now I'm afraid aside from throw yourself on the mercy of the crew and other passengers, but for next time either pay for seats at time of booking or do online check as soon as it's available.

xTheLoudLeaderx · 15/10/2024 23:36

Make sure you check in now for your flight back home. You will have to pay to sit together.
Happens all the time now though, you get on a flight and it’s like musical chairs people don’t want to pay for allocated seats because they’re expensive 🙊😂 !

Holidaysandsunshine · 15/10/2024 23:37

You will be fine people always swap with me and I’m just an adult that’s too stingy to pay for seats together

remember there are 2 reasons people swap

  1. because they are lovely kind people
  2. because they are utterly selfish and see the trade as an upgrade

start by asking nicely if that doesn’t work get the kiddos to make some magic(mayhem/ on demand crying) and scare the other folks away. Works every time.

also there are rules about kids not being split from parents yours may already be old enough but worth a google as I’ve see cabin crew switch folk around coz of this on Ryan air

Original poster
poppysgalore · 15/10/2024 23:38

Yes we downloaded the app today and realised we had to book seats . My blood ran cold seeing those single seats 😭 how do people not book if they know ? Especially with kids.

OP posts:
Original poster
poppysgalore · 15/10/2024 23:41

@xTheLoudLeaderx the exact same situation for the return flight too, we checked it as soon as we realised

OP posts:
ChateauMargaux · 15/10/2024 23:43

If you are planning to ask people to move from their paid for seats, you might need to consider offering to reimburse them for what they have paid.

Hayley1256 · 15/10/2024 23:43

Easyjet policy states that they will try and sit any children under 12 with or close to a parent. If they don't then just ask people nicely if they will swap. Normally people with a middle seat will be happy to swap for a window or aisle seat, the staff may help you with this. As another user said, check in now for your flights back

Also check you've added the right baggage amounts etc

Original poster
poppysgalore · 15/10/2024 23:43

So do we check in now online or not ? Will we be able to check in at the airport and get printed boarded passes or do we need to check in online and print out our boarding passes beforehand? clearly not a frequent traveller

OP posts:
Onlyonekenobe · 15/10/2024 23:43

Don’t worry OP, you haven’t missed out on anything. There are no “lovely memories” to be had on easyJet!

itsmylife7 · 15/10/2024 23:44

I'd check in now

Hayley1256 · 15/10/2024 23:44

poppysgalore · 15/10/2024 23:43

So do we check in now online or not ? Will we be able to check in at the airport and get printed boarded passes or do we need to check in online and print out our boarding passes beforehand? clearly not a frequent traveller

Still check in now and speak to an easyjet member of staff at the airport

Original poster
poppysgalore · 15/10/2024 23:45

Should we skip seat selection or choose the random seats ?

OP posts:
Pumpkintopf · 15/10/2024 23:46

Op does this help at all?

If you leave it to the last minute it's possible that there may not be enough seats left for us to seat your family next to each other. We’ll still make sure each child under 12 is seated close to an adult on your booking. However we may only be able to arrange this at the airport or on board, which can cause delays for you and other passengers, and not everyone may be seated together.

www.easyjet.com/en/help/boarding-and-flying/flying-with-children

Hayley1256 · 15/10/2024 23:46

Skip seat selection unless you can buy some next to each other

CheeseWisely · 15/10/2024 23:46

You need to check in online NOW and then get to the airport in good time and speak to someone at bag drop. They may direct you to speak to the crew on the flight.

Not to panic you but easyJet overbook, and it's the people who check in last / don't check in online that will get bumped if anyone needs to get bumped.

Not everyone on the flight will have pre-booked and paid for their seats, they'll just have checked in earlier than you. There's bound to be people willing to swap (I would! I don't care where I sit if I'm travelling just with DH or alone).

Ivehearditbothways · 15/10/2024 23:46

Just remember that this is your error, not the other passengers. So, don’t be horrible to people about swapping with you. They’ll have paid for their seats together, or checked in early enough that they could choose seats together. Both of which you had the option to do, and are made very clear more than once when you’re booking.

I absolutely hate it when parents start being rude to others or guilting them or stomping about the plane because people (who paid extra for the seats) won’t swap.

If they don’t want to swap, don’t be rude. You’ll just have to manage.

Original poster
poppysgalore · 15/10/2024 23:47

@Onlyonekenobe I think our best memories are ones we've all spent together , the airline is irrelevant ☺️

OP posts:
Foggytoppy · 15/10/2024 23:47

You need to check in.

I'm surprised at this tbh as Easyjet have always sat us together though, as we have teens, we don't bother prebooking. As others have said it's Ryanair that deliberately split you up and we pay for dc to sit together.

RowdyTiel · 15/10/2024 23:48

Ivehearditbothways · 15/10/2024 23:46

Just remember that this is your error, not the other passengers. So, don’t be horrible to people about swapping with you. They’ll have paid for their seats together, or checked in early enough that they could choose seats together. Both of which you had the option to do, and are made very clear more than once when you’re booking.

I absolutely hate it when parents start being rude to others or guilting them or stomping about the plane because people (who paid extra for the seats) won’t swap.

If they don’t want to swap, don’t be rude. You’ll just have to manage.

I agree.

Hayley1256 · 15/10/2024 23:48

poppysgalore · 15/10/2024 23:47

@Onlyonekenobe I think our best memories are ones we've all spent together , the airline is irrelevant ☺️

Check the baggage allowances you have booked too as they will fine you if you haven't paid for the right size