To Thank Thomas Cook for clarifying the matter of paying to sit beside your children

[Groovee]

I flew Thomas Cook today to Florida. I paid extra for seats together and got to choose where we were sitting.

We decided to go on last because we had seats and there were near the cabin door. When I got settled a family were not happy that they had 5 single seats. The cabin crew were quite adamant that they could not ask customers who have paid to choose their seats to move.

So last weeks thread is solved

[flatmum]

Facebookanon, he's you're right, the owners of budget airlines are being "vair" entitled to think it appropriate to require small children to sit away from their parents if their parents can't or won't fork out for the priveledge of sitting next to the infants they have moral and legal responsibility for. They are also providing terrible customer service to their customers travelling without children who may have to sit next to unaccompanied children - can't think of anything worse.

it's all a scam to make prices seem cheaper than they are. it won't last. people will eventually go back to flying BA who will cost the same for standard seats where the cabin crew seat you sensibly and you don't have to pay for the ridiculous "extras" like bringing luggage and daring to have children.

[CloudsAndTrees]

A guide dog owner and some people with limited mobility have a need to have particular seating. It's not a want. The consequences of their needs not being met are not comparable to a tall person feeling squashed, or a toddler being upset.

A larger person who needs two seats should absolutely pay for their two full price seats to be together, the same as a parent with a child who needs two seats together. They may have a need, because if they don't have two seats together then they simply won't fit on the plane, but they are not more entitled than a parent and small child.

[BrianTheMole]

A larger person who needs two seats should absolutely pay for their two full price seats to be together, the same as a parent with a child who needs two seats together

Why? Surely being larger is a need that they can do nothing about? Same as the guide dog owner or the person with mobility issues. There is no alternative for them, unless you think they can cut themselves in half to fit across two seats in different parts of the plane.

[ShellyBoobs]

...guide dog owner? Person with poor mobility skills who needs to get to the toilet?

Of course those people shouldn't have to pay, in the same way that people with a blue badge quite rightly don't have to pay to park in many places.

The fat person should pay for two seats, though, if they can't fit into one seat without spilling out all over the poor person in the next one.

[CloudsAndTrees]

The alternative would be not to fly, to lose weight, to upgrade to a larger business/first class seat.

For a mobility impaired person who needs to be close to the toilet, the alternative would be not to fly, or to piss or shit themselves. Not really an option.

[BrianTheMole]

The fat person should pay for two seats, though, if they can't fit into one seat without spilling out all over the poor person in the next one.

lovely. Just lovely. How do you know the larger person hasn't got a medical condition where they can't lose weight? Calling them the fat person is low. And ignorant.

[BrianTheMole]

For what its worth I have seen Ryan air totally ignore the needs of the person with mobility issues, making them walk the length of the plane so that they can be nearer to the exit at the back. And they have fallen en route to their seat. I have seen Ryanair staff not provide an alternative seat to the guide dog owner, trying to insist that they shove the dog in the narrow gap in front of their feet, because using the aisle is not allowed obviously. Its a physical impossibility to fit a dog in that space. Just more examples where they don't follow the CAA guidance. Completely unacceptable.

[crashdoll]

I would move out of my paid seat if someone asked me nicely so they could sit next to their child. If they stomped around and acted all entitled like some people on both this thread and the previous thread, I would feel less inclined to move.

It's a moot point for me anyway because I am disabled but if I wasn't, I'd not happily move for any of the foot stompers.

[ShellyBoobs]

What should they be called then, Brian?

The larger person? That could describe someone muscular/tall.

Is 'fat' an insult rather than a fact?

[BegoniaBampot]

not everyone on a buget airline has a cheap fare. we often book nearer to date and are probablsy paying up to 5 times more than some passengers. if is all about you get what you pay for maybe we should be gettng more for ourmoney then. also families with young childen are being targetted here in a way that adults on their own or without children arent. i think its disgusting polcy from these ailines. so greedy and unprincipled and the punters just accept it and feel smug that they are being rsponsible and better parents rather than realising they are allowing themselves to be ripped off.

[BrianTheMole]

Yeah it is rude Shelly. And offensive. But you know that really

[ilovesooty]

Adults on their own are targetted on holiday in all sorts of other ways.

I don't see parents with children being "ripped off". If you choose to fly with a budget airline the basic seats are cheap and the rest is extras which you pay for. If you want to have children next to you at no extra cost fly with a scheduled airline in the first place.

[Dackyduddles]

Really don't get the point on this thread. Just pay and sit together? Then no pedo issue.

There you go! Solved.

If you're going to pay for holiday abroad why would you try to save a few pounds on the plane. Whoopee! Spent 1500 on hols but saved 50 quid not booking seats? Just daft. In for penny in for (multiple) pounds.

[Sallyingforth]

I have seen Ryanair staff ...
Everyone knows how Ryanair treat their customers, and if you still choose to fly with them I'm afraid YABU to make any complaint at all. That's just the way it is. But not all airlines are as bad.

How do you know the larger person hasn't got a medical condition where they can't lose weight I submit that is a very small proportion of obese people, and a responsible airline might be persuaded to make an exception if the person has a medical certificate to that effect - providing there is a spare seat available.
The problem with an obese person turning up and demanding two seats is that if the flight is full, either the obese person or someone else will have to miss the flight. The only way for this to be avoided is for them to book two seats in advance.

On the politeness issue, I was once behind a guy at a checkin for a flight to Stuttgart, who was insisting on an upgrade to business class. That flight is regularly half empty. "I work for BigCompany, we put lots of business your way and I require an upgrade!". I smiled sympathetically at the checkin staff who refused him, and as soon as I moved up they said very quietly "Good morning Ms Forth, I can offer you an upgrade to Business Class". It really made my day.

[BrianTheMole]

That's just the way it is

it might be how they act, but its not and should never be accepted as being just the way it is. Its disability discrimination and there are actually laws about that.

[IsabelleRinging]

Some people are fat, some are thin, it's a description surely, not an insult, anything else used to describe them is just trying to skirt round the issue without saying it.

[Sallyingforth]

That's true Brian but if people didn't use them that would solve the problem permanently.
As has been pointed out many times, if you book in advance with a responsible airline and choose your flights carefully you need pay little or no more than for Ryanair with its extras. You get treated better, plus you end up at the destination city you want and not some unheard-of airport miles away.

[BrianTheMole]

I know Sally. But at my local airport Ryanair seems to be the only one for the places I want to go to. I would gladly take an alternative because even if you pay more with Ryan air, you still get treated like cattle.

And Isabelle, calling someone the fat person is a derogatory term. I'm surprised you can't see that.

[BegoniaBampot]

It's not about cheap fares. Many passengers are not paying buttons. These airlines are using any excuse to get more money and preying on the fear of parents or vulnerable passengers. We are flying this summer with TC. Thomas Ookmhas never been seen as a budget airline as with EasyJet and Ryanair. We are paying over way over 500 a ticket, and still they are charging more for bags, meals and choosing your seat. they need a kick up the arse. But everyone gives them a by and fights with the other passengers.

[ilovesooty]

If they didn't charge for extras the basic fare would be higher. Fuel and taxes have gone up a lot in recent years.

[BeeMom]

They'll be asking passengers to pay for oxygen next

They do - medical travel. They will refuse to let you use your own oxygen concentrator (or you must use a specific battery powered one and each battery pack only lasts 2 yours). Otherwise, you pay the airline (a king's ransom) to use their oxygen.

Yeah - that is yet another reason we don't travel any more...

[MidniteScribbler]

People need to stop looking at flights as some form of magical carpet ride. You get what you pay for. If you want to take lots of luggage, get guaranteed seats with five star service, then pay for the full service airlines. Budget airlines are like basic public transport. Deal with it, or pay the higher fare on a different airline. But don't pay fifty bucks for an airline seat then complain that no one rolled out the red carpet for you.

[Primrose123]

How do you know the larger person hasn't got a medical condition where they can't lose weight I submit that is a very small proportion of obese people, and a responsible airline might be persuaded to make an exception if the person has a medical certificate to that effect - providing there is a spare seat available.
The problem with an obese person turning up and demanding two seats is that if the flight is full, either the obese person or someone else will have to miss the flight. The only way for this to be avoided is for them to book two seats in advance.

You may well think this, but are you an expert on overweight people? I find your attitude insulting. If losing weight was so easy, there would be far fewer overweight people.

I am overweight since having children, I was slim before that. I fit easily into a plane seat though. I eat healthy food, small portions and don't drink at all. I do lots of exercise, but I can't lose any bloody weight. Doctors aren't interested. What's your recommendation?

I know plenty of people like myself, I also know lots of slim people who do no exercise and eat as though they have hollow legs. Just because someone is overweight, it is not a choice, they may be trying hard to lose weight, but failing.

[CloudsAndTrees]

also families with young childen are being targetted here in a way that adults on their own or without children arent

That's not true. It can target honeymooners, any couple that want a romantic holiday, families with older children, blokes on a stag do that want to sit together for fun, people traveling with elderly relatives that might need help as well as anyone who has a preference to sit near the back/front/aisle/window/over the wing/whatever.

Parents with young children that can afford foreign trips are not victims here!

[BrianTheMole]

That's not true. It can target honeymooners, any couple that want a romantic holiday, families with older children, blokes on a stag do that want to sit together for fun, people traveling with elderly relatives that might need help as well as anyone who has a preference to sit near the back/front/aisle/window/over the wing/whatever.

It is true. Because the majority of the groups of people you have mentioned (aside from some older people who may need help) are not vulnerable people who can generally manage to cope sitting on their own if they don't want to pay. Unlike a very young child who is not going to be able to negotiate for the things they need, order themselves a drink from the trolley or take themselves to the toilet and find their way back to the seat afterwards.