So, who's seat is it ?

[Trifle]

We booked a package holiday for a week but dp's work wanted him to return a day early to attend a conference so his work paid for him to fly back on his own.

As we had paid for 4 allocated seats (2 seats in one row and two in the row behind), was I within my rights to insist on using dp's allocated seat so that I got more room to spread out?

The aisle seat also happened to be free so it appeared that there were 2 seats free in the row. Several people seemed to think his 'spare' seat was theirs for the taking until I politely informed them that only the aisle seat was available.

Am I right or wrong ?

I think easy jet have size but not weight restrictions. I may be wrong. It is perfectly possible if you don't take actual books and dress in layers on the plane

Am very impressed with the hand luggage only for a week

So glad it's not just me. I was beginning to feel hugely inadequate!

Becca well said!

I always think, oh, it's only a weekend, I won't need to take much... then end up with a bag that dh has to carry for me. I look at it and think, hang on, there is NOTHING in there that I won't need!

*NB I do have suitcases with wheels, but dh comes in handy for lifting in and out of cars/trains.

Edam I think you must be me!

I didn't have to take towels, though-and was going somewhere warm, so I guess that that helped.

YANBU! I wouldn't have given up the seat either. You paid for it!

Right, It is perfectly possible to book a seat on a plane for an infant under 2
We have done it. Child needs to be on a grown-ups lap for take off and landing, but can sit in its own seat the rest of the time - some planes even have booster seats available on board for them.

However, I suspect short haul flights don't necessarily operate this system.

OP - sorry, you fortified your rights to the seat when DH didn't board. But since it didn't belong to anyone, spreading out to another seat which was empty, and happened to be next to you would appear OK. Officially,. once the airline knew your husband wasn't flying they could have resold the seat, and someone else could have had a boarding pass issued with that seat number on.

YABU and selfish. Did you have a boarding pass for that seat?

As a PP said, airlines overbook, you pay to fly, your DH didn't fly.

The airline could have filled that seat, it was not yours unless you had a boarding pass for it.

I know some, er, larger men who buy three plane seats and sit one each side of the spare seat. If the flight is full then the system is that the airline refunds them the cost of the extra seat. If it is not full then they keep it for "overspill" so as not to annoy others. Some people have asked them to move up so as to have the aisle seat but they politely decline explaining they have bought three seats.

Once your husband knew he wasn't travelling, he should have notified the airline that his check in was no longer valid. I have no idea how you scanned an additional boarding pass through. There are serious security issues here. I simply don't think what you're describing is possible.

I can't see the logic of people saying the airline could take back the unused seat and resell it. If this were true then very fat people wouldn't be allowed to buy two seats (which is allowed by Easyjet as well as most other airlines). I'm sure that had Easyjet offered a full refund on the seat the OP would rather have had the money back but as she had paid for the allocated seat, it wasn't anyone else's to sit in.

How could the stewardess only be querying the head count on board? Surely the boarding pass wasn't scanned through security or the boarding gate?

Buying two seats because you are larger person is different. You would still only have one boarding card and of course you would be entitled to both seats. People that buy a ticket but then don't show up give up the right to the seat and the ticket can be resold.

I think in the case of a passenger not turning up for the flight the seat reverts back to the airline to allocate as they wish. As mentioned above, they overbook flights for this very reason.

So you paid for it but didn't strictly speaking need it but a family who really needed it were denied it, by you, because you paid for it?

Wow just wow

Where's the OP

Initially I thought it's your seat but then when i read about it being a family with a baby i changed my mind as think you were being v selfish!

OP my dh just said "why didn't she sit with her two children? That would make more sense, a family of three say in three seats?"
Why sit separately from your children on a flight? Is it really worth it to assert your perceived right to that spare seat?

so was it

a) mum, dad and baby

or

b) mum, 10 yo and baby?

you were within your rights of course. but i would have felt bad not giving them the seat. then again, they could have paid for a seat.

I don't think IOU could take a ten year old on without a seat??? Infant to me says baby or toddler. OP?

OP: You seem to be mean spirited.