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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not pay for seats?

188 replies

benetint · 05/04/2015 19:56

We've booked to go to Spain tomorrow with Dh, Ds (2) and Dd (5) to see my Dad.

Monarch charge £8 per seat to book in advance, which on top of the cost of the trip is a bit much for us. (£72 extra both ways)

Do you think there's any way we could be separated from each other if we don't buy allocated seats? Or would monarch not let that happen? Do they give priority to young children? As long as one of us is with dd and one is with ds I'll be happy.

Or do you think I'm being right risking it

OP posts:
Marmaladedandelions · 06/04/2015 11:40

Ok, I'll bite. I prefer sitting next to the window as I get plane (and car, and train) sick. i also prefer looking out of the window because I prefer looking out of the window. You find them equally uncomfortable, I don't. I was quite happy this morning :) My 8 year old however prefers an aisle seat so he can get to the loo easily.

I don't expect other people to care at all. However, having paid extra surely you can understand I care - it doesn't matter if you don't, if you find them equally uncomfortable, I dont.

(I have been up since 4 with a toddler hence sounding a tad frazzled!)

ememem84 · 06/04/2015 12:08

I've been asked to move a number of times. A few times I've refused mostly because it's been a totally different seat - ie I had window they wanted me to move to a middle middle seat. No. If moving to another window seat fine. In a bad flier. But know that others might be too and would have hated to have been separated from my parent (mum or dad) when I flew.

Once it's worked out well for me. I was flying on my own. Was asked to move so a mum with a baby and toddler could sit together. Was reluctant only until the hostie told me my new seat was in business. The mum was outraged. Kids aren't allowed in business on certain airlines....

Best flight ever.

PastPerfect · 06/04/2015 12:09

I fly regularly on a variety of airlines and have never been asked to pay to pre book seats. Presumably this is budget airlines only?

TSSDNCOP · 06/04/2015 12:19

Pay it or don't.

But if you don't, don't be the arse insisting other people move, holding up the flight and causing a scene because you're not together.

OP you'll have a happier flight having done so. Have a nice holiday.

expatinscotland · 06/04/2015 12:19

Yy, an upgrade or a like for like seat in a better area of the plane or I won't move.

You always get mums who say their child will vomit on the passenger who didn't move or the passenger will have to wait on them. Nope. I put a blanket round me, puke away on that. If the child needs help they can ring the bell for the steward. If you're too tight to pre-book it's not my problem and I will in no way accommodate you.

Golferman · 06/04/2015 12:19

I fly a lot internationally due to work and never swap seats out of principle. If I am feeling particularly arsenal, or the person asking is being a twat I'll quote a price to swap, €100 /$whatever.

AlpacaMyBag · 06/04/2015 12:20

Why was the mum outraged that you were asked to move to business class? Surely she would have been happy that she and her kids got to sit together? Confused

Golferman · 06/04/2015 12:20

Haha I mean arsey not arsenal Grin

StillLostAtTheStation · 06/04/2015 12:39

Presumably this is budget airlines only?

I think so, can't remember if last BA flight in November tried to charge. Virgin Atlantic Heathrow to Edinburgh didn't.

I've never asked anyone to move and I'm quite happy to move . I'm a bit surprised at all this refusing to move out of principle stuff.

SoupDreggon · 06/04/2015 12:46

I fly regularly on a variety of airlines and have never been asked to pay to pre book seats. Presumably this is budget airlines only?

No. I always pay when I fly BA longhaul. For me I find it better than the stress of trying to check in early.

EveDallas · 06/04/2015 13:13

I suppose we can expect at least one a month of these threads now we've reached holiday season? They always go the same way don't they?

It's really quite simple and I really don't understand why posters need to ask.

If it is important that you sit with your child - pay for selected seating and don't move from it.

If you don't care if you sit with your child or not - don't pay for selected seating and don't complain of the airline seperates you from your child.

If you have paid for selected seating and the airline doesn't stick to that part of their contract with you - kick up a fuss.

If you haven't paid for selected seating, don't complain if you aren't sat with your child, don't try to get other passengers to move, don't kick up a fuss or use passive Agressive tactics to try to get your own way.

Why is that so hard? Confused

Nksw · 06/04/2015 13:29

If you ask ground staff very nicely they will try and help you out, but it's all to do with balancing the plane on take off.

I work for an airline and we can't move allocated seats unless all parties are happy with the swap. There will always be miserable sod who says no. And no one moves until after take off for safety.

I don't like it and think it's ridiculous, but the low cost airlines are on such a tight profit margin that they rely on these sort of charges. Not that that's any comfort to the people actually having to pay the bloody costs. Angry

But IME - definitely safer to pay in advance. Sorry.

SoupDreggon · 06/04/2015 13:32

I think I might take a can of red bull on any future flights so that, on landing, I can give it to any stray small children whose parents have tried PA tactics in order to get me to move.

PastPerfect · 06/04/2015 13:37

soup I've flown BA long haul 6 times in past two years and never been given the option to pay for seats Confused

Years ago with two DC aged 2 & 3 I was checked in as a two and a single three rows back - no option to pre book seats.

Check in agent said sort it out on plane. Air hostess was unhelpful and said should have been sorted at checkin. Attitude quickly changed once I nonchalantly accepted this and started settling three year old into her seat telling her row companion that if he wouldn't mind helping her with her water etc I'd be terribly grateful.

EveDallas · 06/04/2015 13:40

There will always be miserable sod who says no

Miserable sod? Really?

What about "There will always be the sensible person that pre-paid who says no"

Or "There will always be the phobic flyer that says no"

or "There will always be the person that doesn't want to move away from their family member that says no.

Or "There will always be the person who doesn't want to move who says no.

Why "miserable sod"?

SoupDreggon · 06/04/2015 13:41

Well, it was there last summer, and two summers before that and two summers before that... :) I know because the one in 2010 was when I thought "I'm not paying" and found they'd allocated us seats in separate rows and I was as far from my children a it was possible to be without being in a different cabin. I sorted that out before departure and paid every time thereafter to avoid the stress!

It is under "manage my booking" where you can also choose special meals.

Binkybix · 06/04/2015 13:52

I freak out if I don't have a window seat so I wouldn't swap a window for an aisle or (shudder) window seat but would swap like for like.

Nksw · 06/04/2015 13:53

Apologies for the generalisation - but we can see who has paid for a seat and who hasn't. We can also see who flies regularly.

Frankly, if I saw a parent separated from a child and had not paid for my seat, and had no special attributes to my seat (i.e extra leg room) and was travelling alone, then I would prefer that child to be sat with someone they were comfortable with, whether their parent had paid for the privelege or not...

Again - sorry to generalise. Yes, I recognise that some people have requested a seat and I would never expect them to move. I recognise some people are nervous flyers.

I just see it in the same way as giving up my seat to a small
child on the underground...

SeekingJesus · 06/04/2015 13:58

EveDallas - exactly! :)

soverylucky · 06/04/2015 14:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hissy · 06/04/2015 14:03

BA have online check in, if you are travelling with a child, they allow you to reserve seats 24 hours before. Free. That's what I do.

We ended up with Dh and Dd sat together near the back, and me and 4 year old Ds at the front with seats across the aisle. It was awful.

What is awful about this? Please? One parent, one child. Perfectly acceptable and manageable. Unless your Dh is one of those "men" who think parenting is what the one with tits does..

On my way back from holiday last year there was a twat sat next to me sleeping/oblivious/ignoring the hours of racket his 2 kids were making sat next to his wife 2 rows back. Mind you, she did bugger all to stop it either.

I only realised he was related to them when we landed and he got the luggage down.

Why do women put up with that? He'd never get laid again if he was anything to do with me/my dc.

Murphy29 · 06/04/2015 14:04

I book as I'm terrified of flying (think diazepam but still crying at take off) so need to be beside DH and at a window. DS will be on my knee so that's not an issue but there's no chance I'd move and can assure you most people would prefer a screaming or chatty child to me beside them Grin

Hissy · 06/04/2015 14:09

And no, I'd not move for anyone either.

Actually, same trip on the outbound, some American woman tried to tell me she was supposed to sit in my seat. I think she wanted to sit next to her friend but they were either side of the aisle.

I said no, I think you have the wrong row, or have misread your ticket, I'm in my correct seat and I'm staying. She got some other poor woman to move in the end.

People are ridiculously entitled!

PastPerfect · 06/04/2015 14:27

soup maybe it's on selected routes only. I have a BA flight later this week and no option to pay for a selected seat.

As hissy says you can check in online and select seats without charge (those traveling with DC get priority - as do BA cardholders- but the online system makes it very clear that those may be subject to change.

SoupDreggon · 06/04/2015 15:02

Why do women put up with that?

Personally it was because I preferred my XH to have had some kind of rest before he drove at either end of the journey. We weren't ever split across rows but I did take on the lions share of child care on a flight.

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