To be so upset that a woman & her 2 children were given my (pre-booked online for an additional charge) plane seats?

[lalalady1971]

My DP and I flew to Cyprus last year on holidays. I'm a really nervous flyer but I get through it with mental preparation and don't want to let it stop me as we go away every year with my mum & dad, sister & husband and niece/nephew so it's a lovely get-together. (They live in different parts of the country so fly from different airports).

Part of my nerves-beating prep is pre-booking seats so I know exactly where we'll be sitting. I take a bit of time with this and look at the seats layout on the airline website, even down to the position of the window next to the seat so I'm definitely able to sit as calmly as possible without having to sit forward/twist my head backwards to see out (some seats have mainly plastic wall with the window further forward or back). This prob sounds very weird but part of it is extreme claustrophobia and being able to see outside/having a window really helps.

We paid a premium and pre-booked specific seats online, with extra legroom (my DP is 6ft 2) and a window seat with the window in the perfect position. All my mad requirements met so I felt ok! I also feel really self-conscious about my nervousness and sometimes retch a bit if I start feeling particularly anxious, so I like to be "cocooned" and safe in my window seat, hidden from others.

Soooo (sorry for such a long preamble!!), we get on the plane with our boarding passes and seat numbers (check-in acknowledged that we had booked our seats online already) only to find a woman and her 2 children (they looked about 8 & 10) sitting in our seats....with boarding cards with her original seat numbers scribbled out and our seats written on.

The stewardess approached and curtly asked what was the matter. I explained that there seemed to be some mistake as I'd pre-booked these seats. She went off to check and came back saying that someone had presumably gone through the seating plan at the gate and moved us as the woman had not pre-booked seats but needed to be seated with her children and the airline had to allow for that, so she had two new seat numbers for us.

I politely explained that I was a very nervous flyer and had specifically booked these seats (and paid extra for them!) so was there any way she could ask along the rows around if a different 3 people would mind moving as there were lots of gaps further down the plane but she said no, they'd updated the computer system at the gate so there was no way round it. (This made me feel even worse as I immediately thought, oh god it's so they know who's in which seat if the plane crashes and people die!!). At this point the woman in the seat stood up and said "Look, can't you see that I have children?! Obviously we need these seats more than you!", I was a bit taken-aback but said that I'd actually paid for these seats and if she was really that worried why didn't she pre-book seats so that they were guaranteed seats next to each other. She said she didn't need to, why on earth should she pay extra when she had children, the airline had to seat them together anyway. Followed by large amounts of smugness and smirking.

The stewardess then started tutting, saying the captain would go mad if we missed the take-off slot so we just needed to get into our seats. Oh god. Our new seats. It was my worst nightmare. She led us to the two seats halfway down the plane right next to the large exit doors. No window, just a door to my right with multiple emergency signs (and a bloody key in it with a massive red label on it saying "REMOVE AFTER TAKE-OFF" which stayed in for the whole flight!! (I was too mortified to ask anyone if it should really still be in the lock during the flight!). No seats in front of us so I felt massively exposed (and no seat-back for my crash position!!!), just a big gap then the next row. (Couldn't fault the leg-room though!). Plus a weird gap to my right as the two seats were slightly off-set so the window seat behind me had a bit of a half-gap in front of it. Through this gap, every 10 minutes or so, came a small child belonging to the couple sitting behind us. But the gap was a bit tight so the little girl was grabbing onto my arm-rest/arm to haul herself through, stepping on our feet as she came cackling past and grabbing my DP's knee to fling herself round the corner back into her parents' row. After an hour of this I turned to the couple and said "I'm sorry to be a pain but it's actually really annoying, d'you mind stopping her doing this" and they just looked at me (through the 20 mini wine bottles) and said it was keeping her quiet and it was a long flight for a little child so no, they couldn't.

Arghhh!! Dreadful experience. I felt really exposed and really anxious for the whole flight. Just horrible.

On a final note, the stewardess delivered my DP's pre-booked/paid meal to our original seats and the bloody woman took it and ate it!! My DP enquired as to where his meal was and, after 10 mins of him explaining what had happened with the seats (different stewardess!) she said she'd taken his meal to the original seat and it was accepted! She agreed to bring him a meal, but it had to be the vegetarian option now as they'd run out of standard meals...I was sorely tempted to say something to the woman at the baggage travelator thingy at the other end but by that point I was a bit of a wreck and couldn't be arsed with anything other than a large glass of wine!! (And she was still throwing the smug smirks my way so I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of showing I was bothered...)

I emailed Monarch when we got home and received a template email back saying, basically, tough shit, read the small print, we have the right to move you, this woman had children!! Yep, sorry about the meal but it's easily done as meals are allocated to seat numbers, not names and we have the right to change your meal, that's on the small print too.

We had a lovely holiday but we're off again in October to Turkey, again with Monarch (limited airline choice for date/time from our airport) and I'm utterly paranoid that this may happen again. Wonder if I should email Monarch in advance....or am I just over-reacting and being unreasonable??!

(And finaaaaally! I was pretty upset at that woman. I like to think if that were me I'd at least acknowledge the unfairness of the situation and say to the stewardess to be fair she has pre-booked and paid extra for these seats and is a nervous flyer, couldn't you just ask along the rows if anyone else would be happy to change seats? Or AIBU??!)

I'm a pretty confident, happy-go-lucky person in real life, it's just flying that turns me into a nervous wreck....maybe I just need to grow a pair!!

Increasingly I am ashamed of my fellow Brits when I travel. Loud, often obese, often drunk and usually entitled. Regardless of class or background.

OP, YANBU.

I've just looked at Monarch's T&C's, under the "flying with infants and children" it says all children under 16 must be accompanied. To me that means they don't take unaccompanied minors, not that they must sit them next to their parents..

Maybe the airlines could make us all pay for our tickets then use common sense to realise that if three people (regardless if ages) are in the same party that they will just be allocated 3 seats together.
Most people like to travel with their family or companions don't they.
If I go on a bus or train with my friend we don't go off to separate seats for the journey.
It's just another excuse for a surcharge which ends up backfiring on people.
Nobody moved when I couldn't sit with my five yr old and the cabin crew didn't make them.

Ilovesooty, actually it would make it a lot less stressful for everyone, and lead to more efficient boarding of the aircraft, so there's an argument that it's for the greater good.
BTW kids are not seated next to parents out of niceness, it's done like that because if there was an emergency evacuation, unattended children would slow down escape and it could cost lives. Greater good again.

Yanbu. You poor thing. I am not a nervous flyer but I am claustrophobic and I will make sure I don't get stuck in the middle four or even next to a window with strangers on other side. Makes me tense thinking about it.

It is all in the preparation, which you did. Argh.

Jet2 do the same MrsCB. I booked our seats in February, we travelled in July. We got the seats we wanted.

Ilovesooty, actually it would make it a lot less stressful for everyone, and lead to more efficient boarding of the aircraft, so there's an argument that it's for the greater good

I don't really see why something like this with an imposed additional charge would be something I'd find less stressful. I've booked a seat because it's Ryanair and I don't fancy the scrum, and I expect to sit in it. If it's an airline that allocates on check in I'm not bothered really about where I sit and I'd move if a party really needed me to. I don't really see why they can't allocate families together where possible out of common sense anyway, but if someone wants to risk arriving at check in late it would be more sensible to book their seats, or, in the case of Ryanair, pay the small extra charge for priority boarding.

I haven't finished reading the whole thread (I am on my phone and it is taking ages as I am out in the sticks this w/e), however, I know The Times has a travel rants column for this sort of thing at the w/e and the company involved are contacted for a comment and I think it also qualifies for the consumer columns you get.

It's not that I don't believe you, but I'm stunned that the exit row seats were free. Lots of people prebook them for the legroom.

Was the check in actually done by Monarch staff or a handling agent?

The worst thing of this story is that the bitch accepted the meal. What a cow!

OP hope your next experience is better. I am sure it will be!

Oh, and I think the entitled mother is a thief, as she took a meal she hadn't paid for.

As someone who does have small children (but also tries not to let them inconvenience and annoy other people) I would have tried to find a way to obstruct or block the child. I would also have, politely and loud enough so her parents could hear (so they know nothing sus was being said), have told her to stop and told her she was hurting you every time she came past and trod on you both. Not on a plane, but I have done that (as I also loathe ill-disciplined children in public areas, especially if there is no chance to move).

V. impressed you coped.

Do people really think it's as simple as, "airlines need to stop this practice of charging for pre-booking seats..."?

In order to make the same profit without fees for pre-booking, they would have to charge for something else or put the prices up in general.

The easiest option is to automatically add the pre-booking fee to the ticket prices when anyone books seats for children. Simple enough.

The other alternative is to put all ticket prices up by £20, or whatever fee they charge, and then offer a discount to anyone without children who doesn't want to choose a seat.

The easiest option is to automatically add the pre-booking fee to the ticket prices when anyone books seats for children. Simple enough

Good idea.

The other alternative is to put all ticket prices up by £20, or whatever fee they charge, and then offer a discount to anyone without children who doesn't want to choose a seat

That would work as well, but the base line advertised price wouldn't be so attractive.

Sounds terrible for you.

Tip for next time take a walking stick and use it, or wrist splints. Or both.

They put you in the emergency exit seats, the person / persons sitting there have to be physically able to open the emergency door - that's why tall men often get these seats, and they like the legroom.

If you have mobility difficulties the airline is not allowed to seat you in an aisle seat for take off and landing.

If yo can get a letter from your Dr saying how nervous you are, disability (which a letter would count as) trumps children.

In fact, write back to Monarch and say that due to your nervousness there is no way you could have helped in an emergency, in fact you would probably have blocked the exit having a panic attack.

Copy the letter in to the civil aviation authority - link below on the rules about emergency exits

www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=2207&pageid=12706

sassh, does that also mean then that children are not supposed to sit next to emergency doors? Then how were the aforementioned children seated in the OP's original seat? -I believe that extra legroom only exist next to emergency doors in planes, please correct me if I'm wrong.

That's really awful OP. You are aware you have a fear of flying and some other issues and you have worked out a strategy to deal with that. Its not as if you turned up onto the plane, announced you were claustrophobic and demanded someone else's seats (I have seen that on a plane and it wasn't successful lol!).

Monarch shouldn't charge for seat booking if their policies contradict themselves.

I've only flown with Monarch once and it was worse than Ryanair, the plane was so hot and crowded. Is there no other airline at all that you can fly to Turkey with, even if you have to change?

sassh that's rubbish. If you have mobility problems you can not sit near an emergency exit. You can sit in an aisle seat for take off and landing, I've been doing it, with lots of different airlines, for the last 16 years.

YANBU

IME Monarch are utterly dreadful, we flew with them two years ago and I won't bore you with everything they got wrong but basically all of the extra things we'd pre-paid for (seats together with DD's, special meals, additional luggage) got mucked up. They were incredibly unhelpful and just churned out standard responses when we wrote to them (three times!)

I gave up and just resolved to never use them again. It's a bit of a pain as sometimes they are the only option for some destinations but I can't bring myself to give them any more business.

I'm quite at some of the comments in this thread. Do posters really think that kids should just be placed anywhere and that it's tough shit? Even if they throw up on you (like my DD did)??

out of order to turf anyone out of their booked seats , you should of been offered your pre paid seat money back , the meal money and more , you do find that people with children think its their right to be sat together so they dont bother pre booking, , annoying as the little girl was i would rather she was running around giggling than be a major squin stuck in her seat .

If people have paid for their seats it isnt fair just because theres a family to move them just to sit them together especially if they haven't paid any extra.

So kids should just be dotted round in any old seat then?

What if the parents tried to pre-book and found that there were no seats together available? (This is what happened to us) What if the kid(s) were SN? Still ok to just put them in random seats away from their parents? First time 5 yr old flyer? Just put them anywhere?

Disgusted to hear Monarch can get away with this, what is the point of pre booking and paying for a specific seat if the seat can be given to someone else. I'd be fuming over the meal also. You should at least have received a refund, I like the suggestion about the Times travel columnist being made aware of this con.

You shouldn't have to pay extra to be seated safely, so children have a responsible adult next to them. In an emergency, if children and parents are seated separately, it would be chaos - parents trying to get down the plane to their children, panicking kids with no one to help them get out.

I traveled with Monarch last week, there was a family who hadn't pre booked, and were upset they weren't all together. The cabin staff had to put a call out asking if anyone minded moving, and told the family that it was entirely down to the goodwill of the passengers that they managed to get seats together