Premier economy mix up...

[JulieHaydon]

My partner and I work very hard and we decided to treat ourselves to a holiday with seats in premier economy as we were flying long distance and my partner is tall.

Fine going out and we had a wonderful holiday.

Then coming back we were all sat down on the plane waiting to take off when parents got on with their young child. Again fine, if they've got the money to do that then good luck to them. A flight is public transport after all.

The problem was they boarded late and there was only two seats left. What the mix up was I don't know but as the child was four the flight crew would not allow him to be on one of his parents laps.

So they had the awful task of trying to get one or two people to swop down into economy to let them travel together in Premier - and no one would. We refused outright as did the other passengers. If it had been up to first class we and others would have gone like a shot but this was never on offer. Perhaps it was full.

It was the parents' attitude that amazed us. You'd think with a child they would have booked in early but they didn't they came late, and expected others to move to accommodate them. The woman was very large and said she needed a wide seat which was obviously true.

But as another passenger said "Why can't two people from economy be upgraded so that they can all sit together in cattle class? They were late after all so why should someone move when we've all paid so much more?" However they went on to refer to the mother as a "Fat lump with no manners, if you need a wide seat with your family then be on time boarding" which I don't respect - there's no need to be rude.

We were delayed for an hour because of them. I think they had to go down to economy to sit together as they wanted because two new people suddenly appeared and took their seats.

And I don't think this was unreasonable do you?

[Wibblypiglikesbananas]

Many years in the airline industry - just wouldn't happen.

[NaturalBaby]

I fly with my dc's and with every good intention of being early/on time we are inevitably late sometimes.
Don't be so judgmental of other people. There was a mix up, you have no idea why.
It is madness that you all had to sit there for an hour waiting for it to be dealt with - I'm surprised air traffic control let the plane sit there for an hour while cabin crew tried to play musical chairs with the last passengers on the plane.

[JulieHaydon]

This happened on Virgin.

I was simply trying to emphasize that my problem was not with the fact that there was a child booked (or otherwise) in premier, there was one other who had obviously got a booked seat because he was sitting in it, next to his mother. I'm not having a dig at parents who fly with children.

I'm griping about the fact that someone who had paid a lot of money was expected to move down into economy to allow these late comers to travel in the same area of the plane. What the problem was I couldn't quite get, but tough. It wasn't my problem.

[HazleNutt]

they should have upgraded someone to Upper class if there weren't enough premium seats. Not reasonable to expect someone to downgrade. Especially if one of the passengers didn't even have a premium seat.
Hm I wonder if they booked the child into economy, hoping for a free upgrade as the airline would not let a 4-year old to sit alone. But this booking should not even be possible.

[eurochick]

I don't get why you are emphasising the lateness. If they were there before the plane took off, they were not late! On Virgin, there is assigned seating. Clearly the airline had messed up somewhere and overbooked Premium Economy. I understand why you didn't move, but I can understand why the parents were pissed off, if they had booked PE too.

[MissMilbanke]

I wouldn't have given my seat up either unless they were promoting me to first class. Trade up not down
I have given seats up before for families but this was in economy so swapping like for like.

If you've paid a bit more ££ why on earth would you want to ?

I don't get the 2 seats 3 boarding cards though ... Sounds like we don't know the whole story

[PatriciaHolm]

Entirely the airlines' fault.

Somehow - and I have absolutely no idea how, in fact it seems almost unbelievable - 2 people on that flight must have been given the same seat.

The fact they were late was irrelevant. The airline had booked 2 people into one seat. The airline should have upgraded someone to free a seat, or offered significant compensation for someone to be bumped to economy. Not the passengers fault in any way.

[ILovedYouYesterday]

Yanbu. The cabin crew should have sorted it and not delayed the whole flight for an hour.

One parent could have sat with the child in premium and the other gone to economy and swapped half way through the flight (or the mum could have just stayed with the child in premium if she needed the bigger seat - Dad gets stuck in economy but doesn't have to entertain a four year old - win win!)

I don't understand why there were only two seats left though and, if I were that family, and had paid for premium economy for all of us, I'd be really upset with the airline.

Not your problem though and I wouldn't have given up my seat.

[JulieHaydon]

I'm afraid I don't know the whole story either but was pretty annoyed with the airline. To be honest I doubt I will travel with them again.

[Vintagejazz]

I think the point re the passengers boarding was to emphasise that in that situation one of them should have accepted being downgraded to economy - and fought it out with the airline afterwards re compensation.

To ask passengers who had got there in plenty of time to move down was unfair - regardless of what kind of mix up there had been.

[Vintagejazz]

Sorry, I meant to say 'the passengers boarding at the last minute'

[fromparistoberlin73]

the airline fucked up, surely the whole point of premium economy is you come on later and sit in pre booked seats?

you are penalising a family that were (a) late and (b) fat how dare fat people fly hey

when its airlines fault

[fromparistoberlin73]

and whats all this "late comer" malarkey OP??

Its Virgin not fucking Ryanair

someone will board first, someone will board last

the point is its not a bloody free for all, in that last comers dont get a seat!!!

[msscoob]

What an odd thread

Um yanbu to be a bit peeved you've been asked to move from your seat I supposed but you refused so it doesn't matter.

Family weren't late, if they were they wouldn't have been allowed to board. Must have been awful for them with everyone bitching and what that man said was incredibly rude and insulting.

[AlpacaPicnic]

I imagine that there were three seats available on the plane. But not together and the family wanted to sit together which caused the fuss/delay.

But no way would I downgrade a seat in premium economy for cattle class.... Nuhhuh.

[BIWI]

I'm interested that this purports to be a thread about late-arriving people, wanting an extra seat for their unallocated child (which isn't possible, surely?), with a little fat-shaming thrown in for good measure.

This wouldn't be one of those goady threads, would it?

Oh, and welcome to Mumsnet.

[msscoob]

In fact it is that kind of superior attitude that makes me want to fly economy class rather than be sat next to a bunch of stuck up rude people who think they speak to people like shit as they've paid a few extra quid.

[Inertia]

I don't understand how the problem arose? Surely the typical issue is that seats may need to be reorganised to seat children with a parent, yet the problem here seems to be that one seat is missing altogether. If that's the case then they'll always be one seat short.

[BIWI]

"The problem was they boarded late and there was only two seats left. "

They would not have been allowed to board without a boarding pass - which means an allocated seat.

[Nancy66]

I'm really fussy about where I sit on a plane and always select my seat in advance.

I always refuse to move too (which I'm often asked to do as I travel alone a lot) particularly on long haul. I'm not going to be uncomfortable for 10 hours because some other passengers couldn't get their act together.

[BeCool]

Clearly the problem was with Virgin's check in staff. The family with the child had, like you, paid for Premium Economy seats.

I hate to break it to you but someone has to get on the plane last - I don't know what that , or the fact the lady was big was an issue. There is no need to 'blame' someone for being last on the plane. You don't lose because you are last in line.

They probably checked in late too and got the last 3 tickets. This happened to me once and ground crew said that the staff on the plane would sort our seats out so my DD 18 months didn't have to sit alone. Maybe they were disorganized, maybe their car broke down or one of them was sick or whatever. It's not a crime. And despite the best planning it can happen.

The fuck up was with the ground crew/check in and unfortunately the cabin staff then have to sort it. With everyone like you going "not me" it must be a nightmare.

There is no way I would travel with my 4yo sitting by herself on a plane.

[TightyMcTight]

It is possible to arrive late with a boarding card. It has happened in a flight I have been on. People didn't turn up. We waiting for however long they wait for. Then the bags had to be taken off. In that time they turned up. Late.

I reckon they had two seats in premium and one in economy and were trying to blag seats together.

[JulieHaydon]

I'm not sure but I don't think there was a missing seat. One was in economy and two were in Premier. Fair enough the family wanted to be sat near each other, but not fair that people who have paid lots of money should be obliged to shift to make this happen.

And when I was travelling with my kids I always made sure I didn't arrive at the last minute. It's common sense.

[TightyMcTight]

Being big was a relevant part of the story. The seats are much larger in premium.

[umiaisha]

We flew with Virgin to Dubai last year on a night flight.

When we checked in we had 4 seats together but when we got to the boarding gate our seats had been swapped around (more like re-sold) so we had 3 seats together and 1 random seat half way up the plane. When we questioned this the stewardess assured us she would see if she could swap some people around, upgrade some to accomodate us. She didn't ask anyone (I didn't take my eyes off her!). What we should have done was put our 2 year old on the odd seat and see how quickly she resolved it then!!

Wouldn't mind betting something happened to the passengers OP was writing about.