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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think easyjet are unfairly taxing families?

74 replies

specialknickers · 25/02/2013 13:55

Really pissed off with easyjet today. We're fllying with 3 year old DS on Friday and I've just gone online to add all our passport details to have found out they've just introduced allocated seating.

I thought I'd better seat us since we're going on a 4 hour flight with a toddler. They've charged me £18 for the privilege of sitting with my own child! Obviously, if I was flying on my own I could have easily avoided paying, but as a responsible parent, I can't.

This is totally unfair isn't it? Am furious. Tempted to cancel the seats now and let the cabin crew sort out the preschooler whilst i relax on my own somewhere else...

OP posts:

CajaDeLaMemoria · 25/02/2013 13:57

They will seat at least one of you with your son (presuming by we you mean you and your partner).

So you don't need to book seats unless you specifically want to sit next to your partner. If you don't mind the small chance that he'll be elsewhere, you can leave Easyjet to seat you.

FillyPutty · 25/02/2013 13:57

lol, it's not a tax, they are a business.

You don't have to pay the fee, and they are not going to allow your child sit by himself in any case.

If you want specific seats, pay for them.

If not, wait till boarding and you will get somewhere.

Indith · 25/02/2013 13:58

Well no, they are not taxing families. You chose to pay. You could just as easily choose not to. There are rules about the age that children are allowed to sit alone so you would not be separated from him.

ComposHat · 25/02/2013 13:59

No it is not 'a tax on families' it is a service offered to anyone who wants an allocated seat.

YABU

Bunfags · 25/02/2013 13:59

YANBU. It's totally shitty. I also hate the fact that all of these travel companies hoik their prices up in school holidays. I must admit to getting very at my child free friends and relatives who can enjoy cheaper, more frequent holidays because they are not restricted by term times.

Sorry, I know you were specifically talking about the allocated seating, but I just had to slip that in.

annh · 25/02/2013 13:59

Well, they're certainly not the only ones! Lots of the low-cost airlines are doing this now. I wouldn't have bothered paying. Do you really think they are going to let your 2 or 3 year old sit on their own?

Bejeena · 25/02/2013 14:02

Also I am sure whoever sits next to your toddler will gladly swap with you anyway.

Bluemonkeyspots · 25/02/2013 14:02

I have just paid £100 to Ryan air to book our seats.

Worth every penny in my opinion as I can stand back and let the scrum board then toddle on at the last min.

We are not rich but to me I would rather book the seats then cut back on the spending money a bit.

scaevola · 25/02/2013 14:03

I've no idea whether there are rules, or what they might stipulate. But I've found airlines (even crappy rapacious ones) manage to keep children with an adult from their group until they're about 12ish (no matter how hard you try to get away from the little blighters).

expatinscotland · 25/02/2013 14:05

It's not a tax! It's a service you are chosing to purchase.

BadRoly · 25/02/2013 14:06

I dream of the day that I cannot get a seat on the plane next to my grumpy 3yo, chatty 6yo, fidgety 9yo or hormonally stroppy 11yo...

It never works, I always get at least one of them

Amateurish · 25/02/2013 14:06

Sorry OP I think you misunderstood. If you don't pay, you will still be sat together. When you check-in online, it will allocate seating for your group together. You just don't get to choose where on the plane that will be.

livinginwonderland · 25/02/2013 14:06

yabu. they are never going to seat a toddler away from you, booked seats or not, and last time i flew easyet, they let families with young children on first, so it's not like you'd be stuck finding a seat anywhere.

Original poster

specialknickers · 25/02/2013 14:07

Now I'm even more annoyed! I wouldn't have paid the extra if I didn't think there was a possibility ds would be on his own.

OP posts:

Original poster

specialknickers · 25/02/2013 14:14

But the allocated seating thing is brand new... We last flew with them in November and could choose our own seats on the plane. Now you can choose (and pay) online when you check in, meaning that most of the seats are already taken.

Would they other passengers out of the seats they'd paid for to sit children with their parents?

I didn't think so, hence feeling like I was forced into paying, whether I wanted the service or not (why I called it a tax).

OP posts:

IThinkOfHappyWhenIThinkOfYou · 25/02/2013 14:17

They aren't allowed to sit toddlers without a parent. Its some sort of civil aviation rule or something because in a crash/emergency the parents/dcs would be trying to get to each other rather than do whatever you are supposed to do in a crash.

Original poster

specialknickers · 25/02/2013 14:18

Sorry, crap typing on iPad - that should read "would they move other passengers...

OP posts:

NatashaBee · 25/02/2013 14:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Amateurish · 25/02/2013 14:19

I flew with my kids in December. I checked in online did not pay extra to choose seats, and was allocated four seats togther (or at least 3 together, and one across the aisle).

Your seats are allocated at the point you check-in online. So you know straight away where you will be sat.

AnonymousBird · 25/02/2013 14:24

On Easyjet you automatically priority board with five and unders.... we always did anyway, I never paid extra and we always boarded first.

Jins · 25/02/2013 14:25

Just flown with them. The check in clerk said that the only people who pre-booked seats seemed to be larger families. I was considering pre-booking the extra legroom seats which were the most expensive but when we rocked up at check in they took one look at DH and gave them to us anyway.

It's a much better system than the free for all

AnonymousBird · 25/02/2013 14:25

Oh sorry, just realised, I haven't flown Easyjet since the new system so don't know if they still allow priority board with young children (and of course, if everyone else has prepaid for allocated seating, then that still doesn't work anyway.....)

Original poster

specialknickers · 25/02/2013 14:26

But I didn't want to check in online, so we might not have been able to sit together (we have a pushchair so have to check that in at the airport anyway).

It's all a bit unclear (and I'm not especially stupid).

OP posts:

Original poster

specialknickers · 25/02/2013 14:29

Still want to know if they would move other passengers to sit ds and I together...

I'd be quite cross if I'd paid for a specific seat then had it taken away from me by a three year old!

OP posts:

Tee2072 · 25/02/2013 14:32

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

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