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?

Isn't it a rubbish policy though - its just bound to get people angry. I mean, realistically I'd be pissed off if I'd paid to sit together and ended up swapping. But there is no way I'd let a 2 year old sit on its own if I could swap with its parent - am quite surprised anyone would really.

I would ask for a refund on the booking fee though and can imagine how well that would go

I hate having to swap seats and end up stuck in an aisle seat next to a random couple because people with children haven't reserved seats, or made sure they've got to the plane early enough on a non-allocated seat flight.

I make sure I'm there in plenty of time to choose a seat and resent having to move for someone who is the last person to rock up. Ok, sometimes people can't help but get held up, but it always seems to be the people with special seating requests that get on last.

Its not just Ryan Air though.

Easyjet too, and Thomson.

Definitely pre book your seats, it's well worth any extra.
superiorcat it's not selfish to want to sit in the seats you paid for at all, I'm of the opinion that if I prebook a seat to sit next to the DC's (especially DD1 who is a nervous wreck during takeoff) and someone started mithering to swap because of an assumption they made it's them that have to deal with it and learn the lesson for next time.
Harsh maybe but not particularly selfish.

we recently went with jet 2 and we booked seats there were people split up all over the place I had somebody next to me and his wife was over from him I spent most of the flight head back as they were conversing over me sigh on the baby was passed back and forward between them ,

This would be why I avoid travelling budget airlines when at all possible. I know flag carriers sell preferred seats nowadays too, but we yet to have BA be anything other than helpful, and they have always managed to sit us together.

A friend was having to sit seperately from her 3 and 5 year olds . Ryanair of course. The 3 year old was quite calm about it but the 5 year old was hysterical. AFAIK the hysterics did the trick and they all got to sit together. I would reserve seating if you could. Not worth the stress.

OP so if you don't pay and then end up apart, would you be prepared to reimburse whoever moves to accomodate you? And if not, why not?

If no-one paid for this they writes have to go back to the old ways and most people would get seated together. Just saying. I won't pay on short haul, I figure DS has to sit with one of us.

I think that the reason we got caught out with Air Canada is that a lot of people had printed off their boarding cards for all legs of their journeys and were in the air on inbound connecting flights. We arrived from a cruise (so no printing facilities), and got stuck with what was left. [Though fortunately there was a delay which meant we missed this flight and got on the next one which allowed us 3 seats together].

I think they should allocate one accompanying adult per child in seats of the airline's choosing for free as standard as a child would weigh less so makes up for it that way. If both parents want to sit with a child then that could be charged. When I say allocate I mean at time of booking, not by moving people around once they have paid for particular seats.

You can't book seats on Ryanair apart from the exit aisle seats (have to be aged 16+ to reserve these). You can book priority boarding which means you get on the plane before the hoards - but what if all the hoards book it too?? It's a crazy policy - I am terrified of flying and have always paid priority as its just another stress I don't need, there's no way I would move from my dc to make way for another family - sorry!! Easyjet have now introduced pre booked seats for the whole plane which far far better imo!

I do agree it should be automatic that a child is allocated to a seat next to a parent at booking (not moving people around!) - sadly airlines make things as difficult as possible for extra cash

I would rather die than give Ryan Air extra money for booking seats. It is a matter of honour. Also, I'm pretty sure anyone who was sitting next to DS would arrange a swap pretty quick. I can't believe the people who pay for speedy boarding for a two hour hop. Have a slightly inconvenient flight then spend 75 quid on a nice meal to get over it.

I know easyjet have just introduced allocated seats for everyone, which are given to you when you check in online, but surely if you don't check in until the last minute (AFAIK you can check in as late as 2 hours before the flight) there will still be the problem of families getting the random, not together seats that are left?

DP and I have checked in online for our flight next week and been allocated seats next to each other, but what if a family checks in very late, they could still expect us to move as their seats may not be together...

So really, giving everyone allocated seating before the day won't help if people who want seats together don't check in early enough, as there will still have to be shuffling round on the plane to accomodate them.

I wouldn't leave it to chance tbh. Just book the seats and if there's a surcharge then pay it. Personally, I couldn't see someone separated from their child during a flight and would move, but I appreciate not everyone would.

I got really annoyed a couple of years back when me and bet friend had paid speedy boarding. A family rocked up last minute and caused such a fuss they couldn't sit together we were made to move. Neither the family or airline offered to refund our fee.

I've just spoken to my husband, who knows about these things and he said fine, don't pay for your seats but be prepared to queue and queue early.
It's a nightmare when families turn up at the last minute and expect to sit together.

I wouldn't bank on people swapping ! I had a great seat once, loads of leg room on the outside of the aisle with a window just in front, you could stand up and look out of at will , near toilets but not too close. Sat next to very quiet people and so on.

My DH was in the middle aisles and in the middle of them iyswim, (we were separated as late checking in for some reason l cant remember) and had a lady sat next to him who was travelling alone. Neither of them could get up without having to disturb people.

I am petrified of taking off and landing and hang onto DH for dear life usually.

DH asked lady very politely if she would mind swapping with me and explained why and also that l had a very good seat for all reasons stated above.

I was in a right state and even thought of asking to get off . She flatly refused, no reason - and yes l know she was under no obligation to give one etc.

Only a lovely air hostess managed to calm me down a bit and l survived take off obviously , but was in tears and shaking with fear with no DH to cling onto as usual.

When the plane took off the woman started to try and engage DH in conversation for most of the four hour flight. He was like this . Let's just say he wasn't his usual friendly responsive self.

So however good your case or argument or reasonable your request seems to you, you just never can presume someone will oblige.

You can book allocated seats on Ryanair, I just have! flying glasgow to murcia this summer, costs £10 per person each way, worth it for us

We've never paid to pre-book seats, but we've always got to the gate early and DH gets on plane as quick as poss to reserve 1, or 2 seats. I find the whole flying thing stressful but when every penny counts I suck it up and prepare to find getting on the plane a nightmare. It usually works out ok. I need to get in my head that its only 2 hours and I can deal with that if the worse happens .

we just flew with thomas cook, didn't prebook seats as it would have added about £100 ish to the cost of the flight, and we assumed that they wouldn't separate a 3 yr old and a 5 yr old from parents (less worried about 12 year old ds1). they had indeed sat us all together. really don't see why i should pay extra as it's quite obvious that a small child (say 10 or under) shouldn't be sat with random adults, and the airline knew the ages of the kids from the original booking.

Best not kick off when you end up not sitting together and people won't move to accommodate your family then.

If you are prepared to take a chance and queue early, then don't bother paying. The airline may well seat you together.

I wouldn't move for another family if I'd queued up really early or had paid though. If it was a short flight I'd consider it if we were offered the same amount of cash we had paid for our whole family, but otherwise I wouldn't. We like being seated together enough to make the effort to ensure it happens.

But the airlines don't sit families together to avoid inconveniencing parents who haven't paid. They do it because of the non-parents who would be super unhappy about sitting next to someone else's unaccompanied 3 yo.