...to NOT pay extra to book pre-assigned plane seats with Monarch

[parakeet]

We are family of four, with our two children, six and eight. It's a 3.5 hour flight each way and we need at least one parent with each child (or one parent with the both of them would also be fine). It would cost us £64 to book assigned seating for all four of us, each way and it seems a bit much. Am I being mad (or selfish somehow) to think "they can't let the children sit by themselves" and let Monarch sort it out somehow once we've boarded, if we have difficulties getting each child with a parent?

I've seen threads on here where people are criticised for not booking their seats beforehand. But to me it seems like this is a problem of the airline's making when they could easily assign seats at check-in, like in the "olden days".

Years ago I was to fly back from Los Angeles to Heathrow on an American Airlines flight. It was a national holiday, insanely busy, and American Airlines' computer systems died. In the chaos to get travellers onto other flights, I, as a lone traveller, was given the lowest priority of everyone. By the time they got round to me, after sorting out the families, the couples, the young, the old, and anyone else, the last remaining seat they could find was a first class Virgin Atlantic seat. It was absolutely magnificent.

I am not sure why Easyjet is put forward as an example. The last few times that I have flown with them I have paid extra and chosen my seat several months in advance.

Mummypig, If I was sat next to a child on a flight I would get my oxygen mask on first and then make sure they had theirs as a priority what? Ahead of your OWN child? I don't believe you.

I am quite shocked anyone would use something as serious as this as some sort of riposte to a parent asking to swap seats Not if they were asking to swap seats. I said if they were using passive aggressive tactics to give me grief about swapping seats. Yes, then I would say it happily, using their own tactics against them.

I dont think I have seen anyone on here demand that someone who has a seat should leave it to them for free. Most people on here who don't pay seem prepared to take their chances and the people who love to pay extra for things like seats are getting all het up about the non-existent entitled people who might ask them to move.

I don't pay extra and I take my chances. I have never had a problem so far and if I ever do I may reassess in the future. Not sure what the problem is. If you have paid for a seat you can just refuse to move. Someone else who hasn't paid will be moved instead and if there isn't anyone like that the people who got on late will just have to sit apart and will no doubt pay in future. Lesson learned.

Not ahead of my own child, no LtEve. But then if I had two children I would have to put the mask on one of them first anyway. I would work as fast as I could at getting both masks on though. And if I was on my own I would treat any child put next to me as if they were my own (in an emergency situation.

But I don't get on planes thinking about the likelihood of them going down anyway, any more than I get into a car thinking that way. So if someone else's child was next to me, it would be the chances of ending up having to entertain them all the way to my destination that would worry me, not whether I might have to help them into their oxygen mask.

There have been lots of these threads on MN mummypig, especially in the summer holiday season and lots where people have demanded seats etc and got shitty with those who won't move. There had also been people 'forced' to move from their paid for seats who haven't had their money back from the airline because 'it's in the small print'

Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Oh sorry - I thought you meant people on this thread. I haven't seen all those other threads. And I think it is a bit different when the airlines force you to move. I agree that it is outrageous that they then don't compensate you when you haven't received what you paid for. But that is an argument to have with the airline - not the people who haven't paid.

I do also think that some people claim they didnt know they could be sitting seperately and use this as a excuse. As I said on another thread - my SIL wanted to go around to each table in an adults only restaurant abroad and ask whether they minded her bringing in her young child who was asleep.

She wondering why the maitre'd wouldnt let her. I told her she was unreasonable, what would have happened if she had woken up just as your food appeared. What if some people had chosen an adults only restaurant because - well they wanted a meal and not be surrounded by little people.

Some people just think the world revolves around them and their 'special' circumstances.

I find it strange that there is a scrum for seats and not assigned seats. In Aus you are assigned seats when you check in. On flights I have been on (I know there might be exceptions) the only time families are seated seperately is when they have checked in late.

In Aus maybe you have proper decent airlines with decent systems and decent staff.

Just to finish off this bunfight on a happier note - I travel alone and haven't got children. I'm very happy to swap seats or whatever, or to sit next to and entertain random children for 3 hours...I'm off to Mallorca in 3 weeks with Easyjet so you might get lucky...

Even Jetstar Theodorous? I've heard some pretty awful things about them.

Sorry that should have been directed to Goldopals

If we are travelling with the kids we choose, and pay for, seats together near the front.... far enough from the toilets and catering facilities, not near the bulkhead babies and not near a door with a gap big enough for other people with kids to stand in.....

these seats have been chosen with a selfish military precision - and all being well and going to plan (how DARE you change our plane for a different configuration VA?? - I'm talking to you!!) we will sit there....

I will not be moving because someone wants to sit with their kids in MY well chosen space..... go ask for the spaces near the back, next to the stinky toilet, with a seat that won't recline fully, or the one next to the catering area, or the one with the noisy, smelly person in the row...

If you want to sit together and have not paid, try asking for the WORST seats on the plane.... not my swishy ones....

I wouldn't mind but unless you are talking about extra leg room seats all this angst is over one crappy little cramped seat compared to another. If you really give that much of a toss, pay and refuse to move. Stand your ground and take no notice of the funny looks and whispering or confront the people who are doing it. In any event, whilst I accept it does happen occasionally, I refuse to believe it is a common problem - judging from this site, most people don't even have the guts to ask someone to remove their bag from a seat on a train, never mind to uproot people who have paid extra to choose a specific airline seat.

We have been taking our children on holiday since they were tiny babies and we have never paid extra, we have always sat together though. I have never seen anyone separated form their children either. Just get there extra early to check in

I actually can't believe there are so many nasty people on mumsnet though. I hope I don't get any of them on my flight this year

I would not want to be sat watching someone else's potentially snotty noisy kicky child on a flight if I were child free myself.
Is probably pay you to have my seat of you were the parent asking me to swap.

even if you had paid £25 extra and the other seat "on offer" was a middle one near the back, by the toilets, next to a group of stag weekenders????

Sometimes people who don't pay to be together don't care about being together until they see the alternative....

The answer to all this is either to fly with a proper airline like BA/Virgin (assuming they still allocate seats for free) or fly to such obscure places in France noone else wants to go there (like I do). Hopefully Dd will get over her car sickness by next year and I will never have to worry about this crap again.

What about adult only parts of the plane.

All the people with vomitting kids, kids kicking the seats, kids who cannot sit still, parents who go up to the overhead lockers time and time again resulting in things falling out on someone else's head (yes, I remember you Mrs Entitled from last year!) who just moaned that the lockers were too small rather than apologise to me for hitting me your Duty Free gin!

They can all sit together!!

so long as it is not near the front in MY special place!!! and it only starts after July this year when my 2 children will be classed as "adults" for ticket prices....

Not a bad idea handcream although my Dd who falls asleep the instant the plane takes off and wakes on landing is actually a lot less troublesome than most adults! Planes are usually the only place I get to read and drink wine undisturbed

Didnt a survey get done a few months ago regarding adult only parts of the plane?

It was seen to be very popular. However this then opens it up to all sorts.

1. people who smell. Who would like to sit next to them?
2. People who are vastly overweight
3. When mobiles are allowed on the plane there will loads of entitled business people giving their exact location (as if any one cared). I'm on the plane, I am waiting to take off, I am waiting for the door to open, I am eating my dinner all in the middle of the night because - after all they are VERY important people!

or even family ONLY planes. Went on a Mark Warner holiday last year and it was literally the flight from hell. Those parents who thought what they wanted to do for their kids trumping everyone else.

The child who kicked my chair every 5 mins. I asked him not to do it and the parent asked me not to speak to him directly - if I had a complaint I was to speak to them!

And then getting the same little brat on the way back in the same seat. Parent claimed he was bored...

Don't get the angst. If you go on holiday with kids you should be sitting with them. If that requires extra payment, tough.