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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I understand (possibly) paying a little for allocated seating on a flight BUT

67 replies

kitsilano · 04/02/2013 15:54

We are flying to Florida at Easter and BA want to charge us a total of £760 to choose seats so we can be sat next to our DDs - 5 and 7....

£125 per person on the flight out, £65 per person on the flight back.

Looked back at an old thread on here and there was lot of "suck it up, why should others have to move, if you can afford the flight etc etc". But was a £5 charge, which I agree, I would pay, although irritated by a stealth tax. But £760?!

Have called BA and they are immoveable on it. We have asked if they can please guarantee our childrens' safety while they are sat next to a stranger, in the dark on an over night flight.

OP posts:
SauvignonBlanche · 04/02/2013 15:57

That's daylight robbery! Shock

Shinyshoes1 · 04/02/2013 15:58

I don't think they seat 2 children with a stranger . I thought it would be more 1adult and 1 child then someone where else would be another adult and child .

I could be completely wrong though I
Don't see what other option you have if the airline is refusing to budge

Bejeena · 04/02/2013 15:58

Don't worry I am sure the people who get the seats next to your DDs will be more than happy to swap with you, as lovely as children can be I don't think any adult would prefer to sit next to two young children on such a long flight if they had another seat option.

Plus if you just check in early enough just change seat allocation then?

JeezyOrangePips · 04/02/2013 15:59

They seat children under 11 with an accompanying adult - ie someone in the party travelling together.

So you might be in two lots of two, but they won't be next to a stranger.

Bejeena · 04/02/2013 15:59

Children that are not their own I mean obviously!

badtemperedaldbitch · 04/02/2013 16:00

we were in a similar position and didnt go in the end Sad

JeezyOrangePips · 04/02/2013 16:01

www.britishairways.com/travel/family-prepare/public/en_gb see here for confirmation

ENormaSnob · 04/02/2013 16:02

Yanbu

That's extortionate Shock

LtEveDallas · 04/02/2013 16:02

That's disgusting. Do you have to use BA?

I think I'd take the chance TBH - or maybe pay for one adult and one child only. They really shouldn't be able to get away with that.

NatashaBee · 04/02/2013 16:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

meddie · 04/02/2013 16:03

total rip off.
Most flights can be checked in online 24 hours before the flight departure and if you are online bang on the dot it goes live you will more than likely get seats together at no extra cost.
I would certainly not want to line the airlines pocket for a service that really costs them very little.

NatashaBee · 04/02/2013 16:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NotADragonOfSoup · 04/02/2013 16:04

They seat children under 11 with an accompanying adult - ie someone in the party travelling together

Oh, I must have imagined the scenario where they seated my 11 year old in one row, my 9 and 4 year olds behind him and me another row behind on the far side.

They sorted it out when I phoned up though. Heaven knows what they were thinking - it was an 8 hour flight. The next time I paid to choose my seats at the time of booking (but it was only £25 a seat each way, oddly enough)

cgdoha · 04/02/2013 16:06

www.britishairways.com/travel/family-prepare/public/en_gb

Scroll down to bottom of "getting ready to fly"

According to the BA website, if you don't reserve your seats, they will allocate your seats 5 days before travel and ensure that at least one adult is seated with the children. Maybe check this with them.

NotADragonOfSoup · 04/02/2013 16:06

I you fly BA with an infant, you can reserve seats at the time of booking free of charge for your entire party.

JeezyOrangePips · 04/02/2013 16:07

Really? They actually sat your family like that? I would have spoken to the cabin crew in that case, rather than phoning from the plane.

RafflesWay · 04/02/2013 16:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

theoriginalandbestrookie · 04/02/2013 16:08

I wouldn't trust BA. We were coming back from London once I didn't get a chance to book in online and they had DS age 5 sitting beside a stranger.

When DH asked about this they said that we would have to wait until we got to the boarding gate for it to be sorted out. Luckily DH is not easily dissuaded so we went to customer services where we had a bit of a stand off until it was sorted.

I queried this before. There is no hard and fast rule about making sure you sit beside your child, and I think its shocking that an allegedly reputable company such as BA wants to charge that much. I don't know what I would do in your situation. I think you can always check in online with BA up to 24 hrs in advance so I'd maybe risk not paying it and set your watch/timer to make sure you are first on the system to get your seats.

thesnootyfox · 04/02/2013 16:08

Why does it cost so much? It doesn't make sense.

quoteunquote · 04/02/2013 16:09

Just train your children to make a very loud high pitch continuous scream if they are more than a foot away from you (if you offer them a £10 to put on a dedicated performance it will be quite a saving),

that way the airline will decide that they prefer you to sit with them.

NotADragonOfSoup · 04/02/2013 16:11

No, I discovered it when they allocated my seats before departure. They sorted it out perfectly and with no fuss so by the time I arrived at the check-in desk they had seated us all together (although when I looked when online check in opened, I didn't have a seat at all! :o)

Tryharder · 04/02/2013 16:11

There is no way that BA would seat your children next to strangers on a long haul flight. They are just using blackmailing tactics to get money out of you. BA are cunts in any case, I would rather never leave the uk again than fly with them.

Ignore and make sure you arrive at check in with plenty of time to spare. I don't think Mr Businessman would be very happy to be told on reaching the plane seat that he's officially responsible for a random 4 year old.....

CarlingBlackMabel · 04/02/2013 16:13

"If you decide not to select your seats in advance, we'll allocate your seats five days before departure. If the group can't be seated together, all children in your booking will be seated with an accompanying adult."

This is what they say on that page about 2-11 year olds. And yes, if you are travelling with a child 2 or under you can select you seats free of charge.

This sounds fair to me. t ensures that children will not be seated randomly and apart from adults.

Except where there has been some mistake- which presumably they will then rectify.

NotADragonOfSoup · 04/02/2013 16:13

If you check in online 24 hrs prior to departure you can select seats for free

Only if the seats haven't been allocated to other passengers.

OP, are you choosing special seats or flying first class as the fees seem at odds with the BA website - mine were the lowest cost shown last summer, £25 per seat and that was in Premium economy. I imagine Florida is a popular route though.

whoneedstosleep · 04/02/2013 16:14

I flew BA long haul last year,, you can check in 24 hours before flight and lots of seats were still available in rows.

Also when I went on 24 hours before they had already allocated our family in a row to ensure we were together.

It seems they don't always do this though?

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