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?

now i'm going to bed.... not posting and leaving..... see you tomorrow

But they didn't catch the next flight they sat in a different row on the plane.

So you were asked to move, for a double mask (whatever that is), you said no, they were seated somewhere else.

Where's the big drama? Oh yes, the bit where you implied that there were seats with special double masks for people with babies and due to your refusal they had to sit somewhere without one. Which would be awful, and a lot of people reacted to that. At which point you said, ha, not really, everything was fine they sat somewhere else.

Oh hold on just went back:

"double masks - you know when you crash... the masks fall down.... well some of them have two. one for mum/dad and one for baby.... they say put your own mask on then help anyone else.

But for info.... I sat there HATING myself the whole flight for refusing to move..

what if they died cos i didnt move"

What if they DIED because of what you did???
So you were really implying that there would be one mask between two.

Why did you do that when it was not true???

nicetabbard you are again taking what someone said out of context.

In my list of reasons for not moving is a specific worry about people dying when they swap seats. I referred in particular to the film BOUNCE (in which two people swap tickets one dies in a crash and the other one lives)

NO airline would fly with two people sharing one mask... that is you reading into things that weren't said.

going to bed.... all this fuckwittery is making me tired!

....BOOM BOOM BOOM - we are all gone now - happy ???

For God sakes guys - life is far too short to argue the toss on seating on a "No Frills" airline.... Their airplane - their rules... If you don't like it - don't fly with them..

Live and let live....

...just wishing that I had a potential flight that I could be annoyed with this year - but we are going nowhere - enjoy your holidays !!!

I don't even fly with them with the kids, for obvious reasons (anxiety + bad experience).

On my own is fine and I am happy to move because I'm not fussed. And have done so.

Just the stuff about the unattended toddlers has freaked me out, frankly.

We go to the british seaside for all our holidays, in the car

There is definitely allocated seating.

Our first flight as a family is this summer, apart from that time with the baby. I have booked BA and checked and double checked their website and it says it will be OK.

I suppose this thread is the nearest modern day equivalent to queuing for lifeboats on the Titanic. "But I should get a place in this lifeboat over those children! I'm a first class passenger! I paid more!"

I had no idea that this even happened on flights. I think anyone who gets on a flight knowing that it is run by an airline that is prepared to endanger all the passengers on a flight by separating parents and children is taking a huge risk. I agree with other posters that eventually this will end in tragedy and the law will have to be changed.

... Sod the Titanic - just wait until the Zombies arrive !!!

Flying is scary but even more scary before you take off !!!

We usually book more last minute and as a result probably pay way more then most others who booked earlier and got te cheap seats. If we pay more for the same flight does that mean we can choose any seat we want and turf the low payers out - if it's all about moany and all?

Of course - it all about money - that is the main argument here...

You pays yours money ( or not) and take the risk ....

So you'lll only supervise your children if the airline want you to. If they are happy to seat your children away from you then you won't bother your arse? Nice

Well if I am at one end of the plane & my dc are at the other, realistically, what can I do? Do you think the people sitting with her want me dangling all over them to ensure she behaves? What if there is turbulence & I can't stay with her, what then? I can hardly set up camp in the aisle now, can I?

NiceTabard I think you need to read tomorrow's posts in the context that if she (and all her family) were offered a free upgrade to First, £50k and tickets to Disneyworld she still wouldn't move. In case the plane crashes and the person in her old seat dies and it is all her fault. In which case worrying that not moving and then the person she didn't swap with dying in their (perfectly fine) new seat and it being all her fault sort of makes sense.

My own answers to "would I help" are as follows:-

The only reason I could imagine having a random child next to me is if I was flying alone with dd and baby ds. (If I was flying alone I'd swap as I'd be quite happy if they put me in the hold as long if I had my book and my drink and no one going "mummy" at me." If I was flying with dh then currently we need 3 seats and we don't fly to places exotic enough to have any plane formation other than 3+3.)

In which circumstance I would be vaguely helpful and call the stewardess if they needed the toilet but highly unlikely to help them myself as I would be a bit busy.

In an emergency I would help with Oxygen masks but only once I was 100% convinced that my children's and my masks were working correctly. Until that point I wouldn't care.

If an evacuation was needed I would get my children out. I wouldn't even try and help them. No capacity and any attempt to try would put my children at risk. Not going to happen.

So the moral of the story is:-

When given the choice of sitting your child by the nice friendly mum with young children of her own (who obviously couldn't move) or the rude awkward sod who refused to move due to the principle then go for the awkward sod every time. Because in an emergency situation the mum will save her own children no matter what the cost to yours where as the awkward sod probably would do the decent thing.

Skipped a bit here so hope not already said, but IMO budget air travel is like a long distance train journey - if I booked a ticket from London-Edinburgh in peak times, I would not expect to get seated together unless I was lucky. If it was important for me to be with whoever I am travelling with (eg a young child) and I was not willing to trust to luck, I would have to stump up the cash and book seats.

Last time we flew I'm sure the airline didn't let people with kids book in advance in case you booked the "wrong" seats (eg by the emergency exits) and I remember fretting and getting to the airport ridiculously early to be first in check in queue! Have not had a flying holiday for about 5 years, we drive to France (perhaps I should charge the kids for sitting on the shaded side of the car?!)

If no one does then parents and DCs have to wait until the next flight.

That isn't workable & would never happen. You have to factor in the fact that their luggage is on the plane (you can't hold an entire plane up to remove luggage because people refuse to pay extra for seats).

Then what if you don't have any room on the next flight, or the one after that, or the one after that? Nope, if the airline sold me a ticket for a flight, unless it was grounded I will be on it. I have paid for it. Unless they are prepared to upgrade my entire family on the next flight, they won't be bumping me for not paying an additions cost for my seats.

... Dog eat Dog... we are getting there slowly and surely...

Keep it up ...

All this thread has taught me is that I'd happily pay extra for certain people to be seated in the hold.

yes midnight - previously I have always thought paying for BA first class was a waste of money but its starting to look very good value!

Housemum it's free to reserve seats on a train. And you don't pay full price for children. Or put your lip balm in a little plastic bag. Trains are great

Tomorrow - I can see where you are coming from being an anxious flier myself. I have a thing about sitting on the right side of the plane in the wing section. I don't think you were being unreasonable - there were other double masked seats on the plane.