To think they will not seat the dc away from me

[inmyshoos]

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??!

YANBU to think they'll try to sit you with DC but it's not guaranteed. YABU if you expect to sit together without prebooking.

Personally I'd rather pay the extra (not much on ryanair we paid it for holiday in summer) and know I was sitting with DH and DD (who's only going to be 2 so definitely needs at least one of us). Before DD I didn't care where I sat or who with so got the benefit of slightly cheaper flights. Now I'm willing to pay a little extra for benefit of choosing appropriate seats for us.

I wouldn't be bothered about sitting by someone else's child. I work with children so quite used to asking them to behave if needed or chatting to them. I don't think I'd have liked to sit with stranger on the plane though when I was young though so probably wouldn't put my own DD in this position in few years.

It's entirely up to you of course. I'm almost sure online check in as soon as possible will get you seats together but not convinced enough to risk it myself. If you think DC will be ok if seated apart from you and you want to save the money then why not.

'I felt very uncomfortable that I was effectively put in a position whereby I was 'responsible' for this lad. I had to keep putting his seatbelt on, picking up his toys, telling him to be quiet, holding his vomit bag after he ate too many jelly babies'

I'd have put my headphones on and left him to it. Ring for a blanket, cover body with it in case he voms, and tune out.

God, those parents must have loved every minute of that flight

Outrageous that a random passenger has to act as mum to a strange 5-yr-old. I'd have been summoning a steward every 5 minutes.

Nick you put yourself in the position of childcarer.You could have just ignored him.

'I'd have been summoning a steward every 5 minutes.'

Yep, if there were a time I couldn't tune out. Not.my.problem.

By looking after that child, you were enabling the airline's shit policy not to seat families together as a matter of course. I too would have been ringing the bell for the stewardess to come and attend to him and made it clear he was not my child.

We (DCs 2 and 4) were seated in completely different areas of the plane once. There were loads of free seats, but the airline (an asian one) had a policy of not allowing you to be in a different seat from boarding pass on take off or landing. So, the stewardesses each sat next to (and entertained) each . It was great!

Yabu. You risk your children being apart from you. Your choice re not wanting to pay the extra. You cant expect someone to move seats because you wont pay extra. Dont think i could take the stress.....

I flew with Easyjet last week. I checked in online early and booked seats together without having to pay...whats the problem?

Ugh at the posters who would ignore a 5 year old child because his parents were too tight / disorganised to pay for seating together. Note - not the 5 year olds fault! Repulsive people

Not wanting to be an unpaid nanny on a 6-hour flight is repulsive?

OK, I'm repulsive.

I wouldn't be happy about it either - but I would do it rather than ignore a small child.

I'm not a babysitter. Guess that makes me repulsive. Okay. I'm poor and book seats to sit next my kids, because doing otherwise is tight and stupid and expecting others to move for you is twatish.

I never pay, dcs would be fine sitting alone for an hour but we have always been seated together.

Again - wasn't the child's fault/ decision

I said I would call a steward when the child needed attention, not ignore it completely.

If they were called often enough they might manage to produce a solution

Good for you, hmc, swap your seat then. If I book/pay for mine, I will sit in it and not act as a babysitter.

I am flying Easyjet tomorrow in a group of 7. I checked in last week for 5 of us (all adults) not caring where we were to sit. So didn't pay. We got 5 seats together in the same row. Both ways. The 2 who booked separately decided to pay extra to sit near us.

I wouldn't pay extra, but am pretty relaxed. DSs have sat separately before with no issues.

Best go and pack!

I work as cabin crew for BA. British Airways check in opens for everyone exactly 24 hours before departure. At this point you can go online and select for FREE your seats. The majority of our passengers do this. A few will pay to book ahead of this especially if they want one of the exit legroom seats.
OP if you decide not to pay for seat selection on your Easyjet flight and are unlucky enough not to be allocated 3 seats together, get the best seats you can aisles/windows and hopefully fellow passengers will swop ( very difficult to talk someone into moving from an aisle or window to a middle seat)
Good luck (personally if the cost is not too great I would pre-book and ease some of the stress of travelling with children)

Yep, I'd ring a steward, too. I pay to travel, not be a nanny.

I would pay, especially if its going to be in school holidays.

I pay to sit with who im travelling with, or to get a certain seat. I wouldnt move because I planned and budgeted for it. Or I would move if you gave me back my money and bought me a glass of wine, or two.

If Im on an easy jet flight with another adult its because its a nice child free break together and weve paid for our choice. Or you may see me with my teenager and think we can manage apart, we can but it would be a special trip, that I planned and paid for.

Just trying to correct some of the inaccurate posts further up regarding BA

Maid of stars

I am afraid I did not my proudest moment - we actually sat and left a space between each parent / child ( I.e empty seat , no bags on it) between us. No one chose to sat between us ...