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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think they will not seat the dc away from me

263 replies

inmyshoos · 04/03/2015 13:16

Flying on easy jet uk flight. Myself and dd1 (6)and dd2(8). Big treat for us. Goung to visit friends. Managed to get flights cgeap enough for it to be possible. Do i really need to pay the extra money to ensure we get seats together. Been a long time since we flew but have never had to do this before.

Aibu to think it is just another way to squeeze more money from you??!

OP posts:
BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 04/03/2015 13:17

YABU - when I flew with them I had to sit apart from my DS who was probably the same age. They will ask other passengers to move but if no one wants to that's a risk you take.

MaloryArcher · 04/03/2015 13:17

YANBU.

If they to seat your kids separately just tell them no. Worked for me.

It's juts another way of ripping you off.

Babycham1979 · 04/03/2015 13:17

'Do i really need to pay the extra money to ensure we get seats together'

One word; yes.

Heels99 · 04/03/2015 13:19

No I have never booked seats been on lots of flights and never been seated apart from children. Check in early on line. Even if you are allocated seats apart staff will move you round.

Hoppinggreen · 04/03/2015 13:19

Possibly not but if I was asked to move for you and I had paid for designated seats then there is no way I would.
If you can afford it then I would pay the extra, it cuts down the stress.
At 8 and 6 the airline may decide they are old enough to sit alone and then you will have to deal with that. Mine are 10 and 6 - my 10 year old would be distressed at sitting with strangers and strangers would be distressed at sitting with my 6 year old!!

MaidOfStars · 04/03/2015 13:20

Do i really need to pay the extra money to ensure we get seats together

To ensure? Yes.

To take the risk in not doing so and hope that one of the following happens:

  1. There are enough seats available and you get there early enough to reserve a row
  2. The airline will move others to accommodate you
  3. Other passengers will take pity and offer to move

...well, it's up to you how far you are willing to push that risk.

Catswiththumbs · 04/03/2015 13:20

One word from me: entitled.
Pay for the seats, otherwise it is reasonable for you all to be separated.

GoofyIsACow · 04/03/2015 13:20

To be honest, i always pay the extra despite my children being 2,2&5 last time we flew. Because, what if every person on the flight paid the extra to reserve their seat, that means everyone has as much right to the seat they are sat in as you do.

Therefore you are using the fact you have children to gain an advantage, which i think is bad.

850Pro · 04/03/2015 13:20

Its twatish to expect other people to move because you was to cheap to pay.

StormyLovesOdd · 04/03/2015 13:23

Have you looked to see if they have have a policy for this? I am refusing to pay to book seats with Virgin for our holiday this year as it would add an extra 75 to our trip, accoriding to Virgin's website under 12's are always seated with a parent or guardian but that does not necessarily mean we will all be able to sit together.

Heels99 · 04/03/2015 13:23

Easyjet is not a free for all any more, you get allocated seats on check in. The flight can't be more than an hour, I wouldn't bother paying.

Brandysnapper · 04/03/2015 13:24

My understanding is this - you buy the tickets. As soon as online check in opens, you do this. They will allocate you tickets. As there are loads of seats, they will allocate seats together - they won't sit you apart for fun.
Before you buy you can look to see how many seats are already purchased/allocated on the seating plan thing.
If online check in doesn't give you seats together, I would then phone them and say you made a mistake with the booking.

Shesparkles · 04/03/2015 13:24

Oh yes they will seat you apart. More than once Ive ended up with a random child beside me because their parent has refused to pay for seating, and yes I object to it.
When I'm looking at flight prices, I include the seat reservation cost in my calculation, if that makes the price too high I don't book it.
I'm afraid I've done my stint of looking after and entertaining Young children on planes, and think that putting an expectation on other people to move or look after your child is extremely passive aggressive.

Original poster
inmyshoos · 04/03/2015 13:24

Interesting that in 9 responses 7 are helpful responses and 2 are rude and offensive. Always makes me wonder if these people are arseholes in real life too.
Thanks for the civilised responses!

OP posts:
5Foot5 · 04/03/2015 13:25

Well it probably is another way to squeeze money from you so one could say the airline ABU to ask for this.

BUT - given that everyone has to play by the same rules then YABU to not pay and then hope that someone who ha paid wil take pity and move for your sake if you get seated separately

SummerHouse · 04/03/2015 13:26

I have been separated from my child. We always pay now. You can't really except someone else, who has paid for a reserved seat, to move for you when you haven't.

cashewnutty · 04/03/2015 13:26

The reason the flights are so cheap is that they have made seat booking, hold baggage etc optional extras. If you booked e.g. BA you would pay more but you would get hold baggage and seat booking as past of that cost. If you want to be certain of sitting with your children you need to pay to book your seat. I don't like travelling with cabin baggage so i always book hold baggage. I don't complain, i just accept that is how the budget airlines operate.

SinglePringle · 04/03/2015 13:26

I am often exactly the person who airlines would ask to move to accommodate you - a solo traveller.

But I pre-book my seat because I want that seat. I l've had evils from parents too tight to cough up when I've refused to move.

Prebook...

Original poster
inmyshoos · 04/03/2015 13:27

Shit shesparkles that's a pity I was really hoping some stranger would babysit my dc for an hour. There goes my cunning plan Hmm

OP posts:
SummerHouse · 04/03/2015 13:28

brandy there is no allocation vof seats if you don't reserve. You get on like you would a local bus.

LeSaor · 04/03/2015 13:28

"Even if you are allocated seats apart staff will move you round." Yeees, move YOU round.

Plural you, being multiple unrelated people on the sodding aircraft (some who have quite possibly paid the fee themselves to choose their seats) trying to accommodate your cheapskate arse, potentially delaying the plane while people quite rightly refuse to move.

MaidOfStars · 04/03/2015 13:29

Aibu to think it is just another way to squeeze more money from you??!

Just as an aside, I think this is a generally interesting statement. My perception of budget travel is that it is manifestly not a rip off. £80 for a return to Spain? £80? What more do people want?

Shesparkles · 04/03/2015 13:29

OP if you include me in your "rude and offensive" category, I can live with that.
You asked, I answered honestly.

I don't like that airlines take customers for mugs like this, however if sitting with family or friends is important to me, then I suck it up and pay for it.

EveDallas · 04/03/2015 13:29

You would be unreasonable to expect any airline not to take any advantage they can to get as much money as they can - they are a business.

You need to decide which is more important to you - sitting with your children, or saving money.

If it is sitting with your children - then pay the extra.
If it is saving money - then take the chance, but don't kick off if it backfires on you.

'Sitting together' (unpaid) doesn't mean sitting next to you - it means in the general area, and that can be in front, behind or seperated by an aisle. That is true for all airlines. If you are in row 2 ABC the airline can put your children in row 1 or row 3, or in row 2 DEF and they are fully within CAA guidelines.

'Select your seat' is the only way to guarantee (as far as possible) that you will be next to your children.

It's your choice.

addictedtosugar · 04/03/2015 13:30

Many airlines version of sitting together are row infront/behind, or other side of the aisle.
So, if your happy to have you on one side of the aisle, one child on other, and other child behind you, go for it.

if you want window / middle / aisle all together, and that is the only combination that will do, it is worth looking at paying.

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