I effed up our holiday

[poppysgalore]

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.

Surely most people don't pay for seats on easyjet? We never do. Yes we do usually check in early but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it OP, you're supposed to be sat near enough a child you can assist them in an emergency and not mess up an evacuation by trying to get to a child- the airline will sort it out. They're able to juggle people around before boarding as most people won't have booked seats.

People always come on these threads and list the exact reason why they won't move, but they're not on your flight, are they?

I also don't get speedy boarding! Who the hell wants to get on easyjet before they have to? I might actually pay not to sit next to DC on a flight...

For future reference ej check in opens 30 days before the flight.

The only people who might swap for you are those who also haven't paid for a seat but been randomly allocated one - a middle one, for example. They might see swapping for an aisle or a window as an upgrade? Anyway, there won't be time to be too choosy as no-frill flights come and go like buses, they want you all seated ASAP so they don't lose their slot. I agree with pp, sell it to the children in advance as a nothing rather than a huge catastrophe, pack their bags full of stuff to do, sweets etc and turn it in to a really fun experience to look forward to - as good parents you'll have had loads of practice! Good luck.

Why are you not ashamed to admit this? Why on earth should people who've paid for seats swap with you because you're embarrassingly cheap. Then getting the kids involved in the act. I often wonder why some people have such poor morals/standards, and more and more I'm starting to see why - because their parents have none.

I'm just surprised that you managed to book flights and missed the option to book seats. It keeps popping up and is pretty insistent. Plus you must be highly chilled to only check in the night before.

I think as a five it will be hard to seat you all together. Just focus on getting the 7 year old as close as possible.

This makes no sense. Easyjet pushes you to choose seats when you book - you can't accidentally forget to do that, you have to click "skip seats" to get to the next stage of the booking. You skipped it because you didn't want to pay extra and now other people will be expected to give up the seats that they have prebooked and paid for.

If it’s a flight to a holiday destination, it’s hard to get people to swap as they are sitting with partners/families.

Asking someone to swap to a random seat is usually asking them to move to sit alone.

We fly EasyJet a lot. We never usually pay extra for seats, but do check in as early as we can without paying extra for that privilege. Only once was split from DS; unfortunately I’d been allocated a middle seat. No one wants to swap with that!

We’re flying long haul this week, and I’ve paid extra to prebook seats together (first time I’ve done this). No way will I be agreeing to swap with anyone.

When I recently booked Easyjet flights, I'm sure I was asked many times if I wanted to book seats, extra cabin bags and hold luggage , to an extent that was really irritating.
If you somehow failed to notice this, you'd better make sure you've carefully read their policy on liquids before your flight.

OMG not booking seats on easyjet gives you 'low morals and standards'.

Amazing, extremely mumsnet.

I also coughed up the considerable extra cost for allocated seats and, though normally as kind as possible, I'm afraid I would think you had a damn cheek.

Just suck it up. The kids will be fine, keep an eye on them.

If I paid to book a seat and then some entitled mother came along and demanded I move because she hadn't bothered, I'd be fuming 😂

Depends a bit on type of flight/destination. If it is a family holiday resort probably lots of families who will not be keen to move for the same reason you want to sit together. If a business/major city probably easier as may have more single travellers or those not on family holidays. I think you will be able to get one of you sat with the youngest at least. Enjoy the holiday when you arrive.

Someone said upthread to bring in cash what the cost of booked seats would have been. That way you can offer to people for a swap.

It's disappointing OP, but things to do are get to the airport early- there may be cancellations so you might be able to get changed, remain calm and polite if air cabin crew are trying to sort something for you. Focus on having an adult beside your youngest, if DCs are say 10+ they will be just fine on their own.

This. 😂 oh dear…

Not booking seats is fine. I never book seats because I don’t where I am seated on a budget airline and whether I’m separate from my party. Not paying for seat section and expecting other people to inconvenience themselves because you decided not to pay for something which is necessary to you is entitled behaviour, and if I liked the seat I was assigned I wouldn’t move to accommodate someone who didn’t.

If your "random" seats is a row of exit, extra people seats people will happily swap!

Just be prepared for a lot of eye rolling and people avoiding eye contact when the air steward announces over the tannoy that they need volunteers to move so your family can sit together.We had this on our easyjet flight in August and the only reason two people eventually moved was when they were offered a free drink.
To sort 5 people out will be very annoying for everyone.

I agree. Plus if someone agrees to swap you need to pay them just like they paid for their seats. I don’t know how anyone can miss this information tbh as it is very clear, and shown multiple times.

I am careful with where I want to sit and would not move for s sad face. Or as I’ve seen parents who make the ones who don’t want to move the horrible ones.

🤣

I think you'll find someone who'll swap if you're as nice and apologetic as you seem! Have a lovely holiday!

This is what the CAA have to say on seating families together. I note the use of the word should over the word must, and the fact that this is just guidance means that children can be scattered across the plane and that’s just fine from the Civil Aviation Authority’s perspectives. With an adult is same row, or a row in front or behind the adult. The guidance also fails to define what they consider a young child or infant in scope of this is. Airlines might have their own policies, but every year there are reports about children separated from families.
The seating of children close by their parents or guardians should be the aim of airline seat allocation procedures for family groups and large parties of children.
Young children and infants who are accompanied by adults should ideally be seated in the same seat row as the adult. Where this is not possible, children should be separated by no more than one seat row from accompanying adults. This is because the speed of an emergency evacuation may be affected by adults trying to reach their children.
Whenever a number of infants and children are travelling together the airline should make every effort to ensure that they can be readily supervised by the responsible accompanying adults

I think my first thing to do would be say I'll happily spend £30 on the shop for you (for wine, snacks or whatever - equal to the cost of paying for the seat).

Someone said upthread to bring in cash what the cost of booked seats would have been. That way you can offer to people for a swap

That's what I usually suggest on these threads, but from OP saying they hope others will be "kind enough" to swap it sounds as if tthey expect them tto do it for nothing

Have you not flown since the 90's? It's been like this pretty much since I've been flying by myself (no idea prior as parents sorted it). The trick is to check in as soon as the check in window opens, excluding Ryan air where the only answer is to reserve seats. I'm flying Monday and have set an alarm for Sunday at the exact time to book my seats

Even reimbursing people for the seats they’ve paid to reserve doesn’t make people more likely to want to move. They don’t want the £30 it cost to book the seat in cash. They want the seat they paid for. It’s why they spent the money on it in the first place. If they wanted to save the money and be allocated anywhere on the plane, they had that option too. Just giving the money back doesn’t fix the problem or stop people being pissed off at having to move.

There are many invisible disabilities which might make someone either need a specific seat or need to be with the person they are travelling with and they might not want to discuss that on a full EasyJet plane.