To not book reserved flight seats for us and the kids?

[LittlePudding1]

Hi, I have a 6 year old and a 3 year old and was under the impression that even if we weren't all sat together together on a plane they would sit me with 1dc and dh with the other but a couple of people have told me they can sit you anywhere. Surely they wouldn't sit a 3 year old away from a parent and next to a random stranger, would they?

Surely it's axiomatic that if I stick my two-year-old on his own for a 6 hour flight, he's very soon going to be uncontrollably distressed? Whatever someone's reasons for not moving,

what about your reasons for choosing to save a little money to prevent his distress?

The other side of the coin is, those that aren't willing to pay for seats: -

There are three seats, one by the window with my child in, one in the middle with me in, an empty one by the aisle. Are you REALLY saying that rather than pay to ensure you're sitting with your child you think its appropriate to dump your child on someone else? If no-one is willing to move, that is actually what you're saying.

"I wasn't prepared to pay, so sorry - you did, but do look after my child for me"

Whatever someone's reasons for not moving, they have to be pretty bloody brilliant to trump that

Phobic
Valium taken
Colostomy bag
Insulin dependant Diabetic
SNs
Cancer sufferer wanting to spend every last minute of her life with her dear husband.

Do you need more?

What's your "pretty bloody brilliant" reason for not paying to ensure you sit next to your two year old?

of for crying out loud, yes - when did I say there weren't any reasons? I said they'd have to be good. Most adults should be able to move!

My reasons for not paying an extra 200 pounds for allocated seating, fasterstronger, is that then we can't afford to go on holiday.

Wow!
This is a bit of a heated thread....
Those of you who are refusing to move because you have been lucky/early/wealthy enough to pre book, You do realise that even if you pay for your special seats, the airline has a little clause that they are not guaranteed as seats may need to be changed for operational reasons....

In the real world, luckily, most of you will not be on my flight, so I'll get to sit next to him without paying 200 quid for the privilege!

imp My reasons for not paying an extra 200 pounds for allocated seating, fasterstronger, is that then we can't afford to go on holiday.

how many and where were you flight to?

... sleeping child could be molested.
I don't see paedophiles everywhere, but it is airlines responsibilty.

Yes, because it was the airline's decision not to stump up the extra cash needed for parent/child to stay together, of course it's their fault.

Why do some people bother having children when all they want to do is abdicate responsibility for them at every turn? Utterly baffling.

I actually think that the parents on this thread who don't safeguard their childrens' needs, whilst bemoaning the selfishness of others who won't accommodate their lacksadaisical attitudes, seem quite willing to take the risks but absolutely NO responsibility, not now, not ever.

My 4yr old is a pretty good kid. She probably wouldn't do half of what I listed & she isn't gobby, but neither is she impeccably behaved, because, well...she is 4!

She probably wouldn't spill stuff all over you, but she would want to wonder around (thus getting you to move for her, if she wasn't on the aisle) she would need help with her in flight entertainment system. She would want drinks, snacks. Which would probably be packed for her, but she may need help getting them out the over head, she would also need help getting her books/stickers/toys etc. She did tend to drop a lot on the last flights we were on, so that is to be considered too.

She would actually see it as an opportunity to make a new friend & you would be told all sorts of interesting facts about Concorde (including why it crashed & doesn't fly anymore), about world war 2 & dinosaurs. Oh & why she likes Thomas. She would be upset if you asked her to be quiet, because she would think that you didn't like her.

My 9yr doesn't need anything special, she just would want to be with me. She would throw up, but she would be OK after that with her earphones.

I wouldn't expect a mother to leave her dcs, I wouldn't expect any one to move at all to be fair, but they would have to put up with my dc. They aren't badly behaved actually, and I would do what I needed to do to ensure they weren't a nuisance, just as I would if they sitting with me or in any other place in the world. But I would be limited as to what can be done depending on where my seat in in relation to theirs.

She would throw up because she gets travel sick, not for any other reason, btw!

differnent - DP is a HT but he used to work in early years.

he'd enjoy having your children sitting next to him. he'd keep them busy. they'd keep him busy.

a win win for me

Haven't read all of this thread but it got me thinking as I'm off on holiday next week with Thompson and hadn't even thought to book seats. I called them and they said as my DD is three she would be seated with me as standard practice and told me not to pay the extra for booking the seats.

FasterStronger She would love your dh! He could teach her stuff, she is never happier than when she is learning!

i think it is really awful that if someone found themselves next to a distressed 2yo they would simply unclip their belt and put them in the aisle.

That is really dangerous and just mind-boggling. I feel a bit shaky reading that. It's a huge safety issue and just so unbelievably callous.

Haven't read the whole thread, but let me tell you a story before you decide to not book ahead;

Before I had children I had friends who were twins; one was my best friend and the other was a real brat, like huge brat, the only way to describe him, but he was great to travel with as he spoke several languages and had one of those rare 'don't mess with me' auras about him. Anyway we were on a flight from Dubai to London and him and his brother ended up in seats with a five year old next to the window and brat twin next to her. Come hell or high water he was not changing seats as he had booked his seats and I had already endured his wrath before this child and her parents had boarded the plane so that a deaf girl could sit across the lane to her carer. I actually think that had the plane crashed he would of just stayed put in the seat he was so attached to it.

So of course he refused to move when the mother asked and everything that could go wrong went wrong; kid vomited, wet itself, screamed and cried, all of which friend completely blanked. Then kid starts misbehaving and being cheeky, climbing over stuff ect but believe it or not my friend was an even bigger brat than a five year old.

He started having conversations with his brother about how Santa and the Easter bunny isn't real, about really violent video games in great detail and THEN takes out his Ipad and proceeds to watch horror movies on it angled just right so 5yo could view what was happening. His reasoning? If the parents were going to be selfish and not book a seat and then have their child make his flight uncomfortable, he was going to make their holiday uncomfortable.

So don't think people not moving is the worst thing that could happen to you, stop and think that if these people have no problem letting a young child sit apart from it's mother what else do they not have a problem with? Would you be fine with your child watching Texas chainsaw massacre and child's play because you didn't want to spend eight pounds to reserve your seat? Because the flight attendants could see what he was watching, but did nothing to stop him as he had a 'Right' to watch whatever he wanted on his Ipad and it's not their problem if your child can't sleep the next night.

Think about it.

This thread is really shocking.

This is why i never travel with my family on these types of airlines - once was enough with the baby it was one of the worst experiences of my life.

They just encourage everyone to behave in such a selfish, appalling way. Shoving people who are disabled and trying to carry a baby down the stairs. Refusing to call for assistance for a distressed toddler. Taking it's seatbelt off and sending it into the aisle. WTF is the matter with people.

the airline has a little clause that they are not guaranteed as seats may need to be changed for operational reasons

But moving out of my selected and paid for seat because a parent could not be bothered to pay for selected seating is NOT an "Operational Reason" so not relevant to this thread.

Different... Why the faux concern for your children at all? After all, you'd willingly and knowingly putting your children in that position.

Why not stop flying altogether, lining the pockets of the fat cats you so hate? Or don't your sensibilities extend quite that far?

If your child is likely to wander around/throw up etc then you have a responsibility as a parent to ensure your seat is with theirs. And unfortunately if that means paying for it, then sobeit.

And I probably would ignore them if they were chatting, because I'd want to chat to my own child - you know the one I've paid to sit next to.....

Further to my last post, I think small children should automatically be sat with their parents, but as Ryanair have no decency then I will either pay for one of the available two rows that they have or preferably fly with Easyjet who have a choice of seats to reserve anywhere. When I was five months pregnant last year, we flew with ryanair and the flight was late. There was a rugby scrum to get on the plane and people pushed me and DS1 (4YO) out of the way. Nice.

It is pretty shocking isn't it.

I flew back from the USA with my DC's aged 4 and 5.
Even though we had pre allocated seats all together, in reality I was seated across the aisle and diagonally behind my children. The stewardess was very snappy with me when I left my seat to fasten the younger ones seatbelt for him.....but refused to help.

Boo to United Airlines

My kids are actually usually quite happy as long as they can sit together and know which direction I am sitting in. Even on budget flights we have always managed to find two seats together and there is usually some obliging passenger who will move so I can sit next to them.

My eight year old had to sit on her own all the way to Alaska once, but the young soldier sitting next to her was happy to chat to her for five hours, so did me a favour really......I had a good sleep.

United airlines seat allocation failure again......

PS my husband once flew LHR to Washington and sat next to a little boy from Delhi who was unaccompanied. He vomited for the entire flight.
The BA cabin staff gave my hubby a bottle of champagne for being so tolerant.

Yes, but they dont actually need to tell you what the operational reason is...
And you have no idea whether or not the parent couldnt be bothered. People up thread have have already given a myriad of reasons why they might not have been able to pre book seats.

Yes, it is shocking. You really see the basest behaviour coming out. Someone upthread summed it up 'I'm alright Jack'.