To think easyjet are unfairly taxing families?

[specialknickers]

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...

[sashh]

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

I'd be volunteering.

[TWinklyLittleStar]

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

They do. I fly easyjet fairly often and have seen cabin crew move people (before and after the new system). People shift fairly quickly when they announce nobody's going anywhere until the parent and child are seated.

I've also known them to ban nuts etc on flights when someone with severe allergies flies. I actually think their customer service is pretty good.

[specialknickers]

I called it a tax fairylights because I deemed it to be a "burdensome charge, duty or demand", as per the dictionary definition of the word. I am well aware that I'm not obliged to go on holiday, as I said, I'm not especially stupid. If you read the thread back you'll see that I thought it was a charge I HAD to pay, in order to be seated with my 3 year old on an already full 4 hour flight.

Thanks to the genius of mumsnet I now realise that's not the case and I've been duped into paying £18 for a service I didn't require, since I couldn't give a rats ass which part of the plane I sit in.

I'm still cross about it though. I've always thought easyjet had great customer service (especially when regularly flying solo with a newborn, the cabin crew couldn't have been more helpful each time) and I feel like a bit of a fool.

13iggies is right. Where can you have a moan if to on mumsnet and enjoy too right! Hopefully anyone reading this thread won't get bamboozled into parting with thier cash as easily as I was. Fight the power!

[ProudAS]

Remember it isn't just parents and children who need to sit together. I have Aspergers and anxiety and would find being separated from DH very difficult.

We always pre book seats or speedy boarding rather than expect people to move and I don't see why those with children should behave any differently.

I do think however that it's common courtesy for someone on their own to move so that families/couples can sit together.

[ifancyashandy]

do think however that it's common courtesy for someone on their own to move so that families/couples can sit together

Totally depends on the length of flight. If I am flying long or mid haul and I've booked / paid for specific seats, I would need a damn good reason to move for a family / couple (especially a couple) who had not pre-booked and paid for seats in the same manner. I am single with no kids so frequently fly alone - buggered if my forethought would be put asunder for others.

[DelGirl]

I've flown with EJ a few times in the last 12 months and never book seats ( I know it is a relatively new thing anyway), seriously, I doubt anyone would choose to sit next to a child if they didn't have to and would swap seats with you if it meant you could sit next to your own child. (dreams of the day when I can sit by myself instead of fidgety dd. That said she is a pretty good flyer and doesn't cause too much fuss

[livinginwonderland]

I do think however that it's common courtesy for someone on their own to move so that families/couples can sit together.

debateable. if it's a short flight, fine, but i would rather sit next to my partner or friend on a six hour flight if it's possible, and if i've pre-booked (and paid extra) to do so, i shouldn't be expected to move.

[ProudAS]

*I do think however that it's common courtesy for someone on their own to move so that families/couples can sit together.

debateable. if it's a short flight, fine, but i would rather sit next to my partner or friend on a six hour flight if it's possible, and if i've pre-booked (and paid extra) to do so, i shouldn't be expected to move. *

I wasn't talking about expecting someone who has pre-booked to move even if they are travelling alone. Sorry if that wasn't obvious from my previous post.

BTW I don't think there is any requirement for airlines to sit conjoined twins together.

[Fillyjonk75]

I would just a) not pay b) let them sort it out when you get there c) expect one of us to be able to sit with the child in any event d) If they fuck you about, fly with someone else next time.

Mind you I can't stand flying generally these days, it's a pile of poo.

[mrsscoob]

YABU they are trying it on and they only get away with it because gullible people fall for it

[ifancyashandy]

Fair enough Proud

[bryte]

Bear in mind one of the reasons low cost airlines have kept their costs low(ish) is by not offering allocated seating. I've always hated the extra anxiety that not having an allocated seat causes, so I am pleased that booking a seat is now possible with EasyJet. Those who still want to fly at the cheapest price possible can forgo this extra payment.

[Jins]

I am old so I remember the days when you couldn't prebook seats at all and they were all allocated when you checked in.

There was never an issue. Nobody ever panicked about not sitting next to family.

It's the Easyjet scrums that have led to panic. Having flown under the new system it is a million percent better.

[MajaBiene]

I flew Easyjet recently with DP and a 2 year old - we didn't pay for allocated seats, but they allocated us 3 seats together at the gate and we also got automatic priority boarding.

[MajaBiene]

Actually our seats might have been allocated when we checked in online.

[annoyednow]

We flew with easyjet last summer. I had a 9 year old. We were ok going from london as we got two seats together so a parent could sit beside him. On the way back, we were told by a easyjet employee at the gate as we had not paid the fee to book a seat beside him, he could be seated away from either of us. Cue was when the little shuttle bus delivered us to the plane, we ran like bats out of hell to get in to try and have one of us beside him.

I think it is interesting as I don't think easyjet officially allow unaccompanied minors on their planes. However this is basically the position easyjet's employee said he could be in. No flexibility whatsoever officially. I guess they can't charge extra for a minor's seat, but can charge extra under the guise of seating allocation. If it is illegal for a minor to travel unaccompanied (and I don't know if it is), I don't see why you have to pay extra.

I meant to write to them but as we successfully raced for seating beside him, it didn't become a burning issue.

[annoyednow]

Interesting as I see easyjet officially say they don't accept unaccompanied minors under 14. Are they possibly in breach of something or other in practice. Placing a child randomly on plane without responsible adult to ensure their safety.

[washngo]

We've just flown with easyjet. They will sit you with your child - no need to book seats (if they didn't just think of the fuss people would make, no other passengers want to babysit someone else's child for the duration of a flight).. They do not board people with children first anymore though - fine by me, the less time spent entertaining toddlers on a plane the better.

[Jengnr]

YABU with this one as you have the choice about the seats.

However we are flying with JET2 with a baby in September. Not only have they charged 20 quid each way for the privilege of him sitting on my knee but you HAVE to reserve seats with a baby, which they then charge you for.

I don't like referring to things as a 'tax' because it's bollocks but I do think that's unfair.

[forevergreek]

You can still check in online with a buggy btw. You can print a flight tag for buggy and use it right up to plane, then just fold with tag attached.

So if just hand luggage and buggy no need to queue

They will just move others. Although we last flew in jan with easyjet as a group of 8, no pre booked seats and just wandered on and all sat together.

[13Iggis]

I assume a child crying because its parent is at the other end of the plane would annoy passenger/flight attendants, as would a child announcing they need to do a poo or whatever, or needing the person next to them to cut up their food (not that you get any on easyjet). The biggest inconvenience would be the parent standing on your head to get to the end of the plane where their child was during an emergency evacuation.