to not want to pay £100 to guarantee that our kids can sit next to us on the plane

[mumsnit]

DH wants us to pay £25 each to guarantee that we can all get seats together when we go on holiday next month. Aibu to think it's a ridiculous cost to pay out

But I have heard that one airline refused to seat a family together as they hadn't paid the premium and tried to seat a 3 year old alone on the other side of the plane from the parents. We don't go on holiday very often - especially abroad and I'm already nervous about flying so don't want this added to the stress of travelling.

WWYD/WDYD - do you pay the extra cost?

I don't think that it is necessarily that people are mean spirited in general, just that if I have paid to sit with my DC, why should I be expected to move away from them so that you can sit next to yours?

Personally I wouldn't chance it tbh, whilst you can get to the gate in plenty of time, it only takes a last minute dash to the toilet and you are at the back of the queue.

Invariably, people pile on the plane, and grab two of the three seats in a row leaving one seat empty on the end, so the last on the plane end up filling up the odd seats.

I wouldn't be very happy if I had paid extra for a seat and ended up with someone's lone 2 year old plonked next to me.

I thought that was only for tall people or slightly unhinged people, or for those speedy boarding weirdos who then have to sit on the plane for hours whilst everyone else boards.

I would pay not to sit next to you with that nasty attitude.

Unhinged? Weirdos? Seriously??

Itbis absolutely ridiculous that airlines do this, it is effectively a tax on families.

Years ago it was always free. But flights cost more.
Now the headline rates have gone down but you have to pay extra.

The way I see it is this. Let's say a flight to Paris costs £150. You can either fly with airline A where is it £150 including one checked bag and a reserved seat. Or you can fly with airline B where the flight is £100 but it's £25 to check in a bag and £25 to reserve a seat.
If you can get away with cabin luggage and are willing to take a risk with the seating then happy days, you've saved money.
Reserved seating is not an extra - it's something the airlines have stripped out to give a low headline rate.
Also, it's not just families. I want to sit next to DH so I reserve a seat.

I have just paid for my family and I hate it however after flying before the allocated tickets came in is far less stressful. We went on a coach trip on holiday and a unpleasant young bitch woman would not allow my children to sit together and proceeded to tease my son when he sat next to her. I would never put my kids through that again. Pay the money.

I really hate this charge & never want to pay it. I dont care where we sit on the plane but at least put 1 adult with dc. I'd like all families not to pay it as a protest.

Grrrr

if I went on a plane with my dh I would pay to make sure I sat next to him.
I would not move for anyone else, why should I . I have paid to sit nest to dh.
nor would i play with someone else's kid

I've travelled Jet 2 and we were able to choose our seats online for no extra charge before we flew.

Ryanair and easyjet seem to have a sensible attitude now for families and people who need special assistance.
And I do mean children aged under 10 -older kids are perfectly capable of looking after themselves but not little ones, especially night/long haul flights.

I think Speedyboarders are odd too

my Mum & Dad paid to for guaranteed seats together and where not seated together on a long haul flight. They were not impressed and I don't pay as the 'guarantee' is not iron clad

And RYANAIR DO BUSINESS CLASS?

You are joking.
What do you get? A free glass of water?

Personally I wouldn't chance it tbh, whilst you can get to the gate in plenty of time, it only takes a last minute dash to the toilet and you are at the back of the queue.

Are there any "scrum boarding" airlines left operating out of UK airports? Easy and Ryan pre-allocate at checkin now. You're paying for choice, not for a pre-allocated seat at checkin.

It's the fault of the airlines, grabby policies. Pay or don't pay, entirely up to the individual but I pay so we can sit together as a family (older kids, me and dh) so under no circumstances will any of us be moving. Don't blame me or mine for that blame yourself or the airline.

Misty Am flying with Thomson very soon. We didn't pay extra for seats together as didn't think for a minute many people would bother.

When I checked if standard online check in was open (it wasn't), I was shocked to find so many seats already reserved. .

Cue much setting of alarms for very early in the morning to ensure I checked in as soon as it opened up - exactly seven days to the minute before I was due to fly.
Luckily we've been allocated a 3 together and the next seat across the aisle both ways. Phew!!!

Not sure I would take the chance again.

Still greedy grabby behaviour on the part of the airline though.

Also a bit that grown adults who didn't have a dependent child would refuse to swap to allow a parent and small child to sit together. Can they not entertain themselves away from their partner/spouse for a few hours?? Yeah it's nice for adults to sit together on a flight but not essential for most people surely? Vulnerable children should be with an adult they know and feel safe with. That's life and they shouldn't have to pay for the privilege.

But they do if that is the agreed protocol. Believe me I will happily sit away from DH for a while but not if we - he - has paid for us to sit together.

but why should 2 adults who want to spend the flight together and pay together,move for someone who refused too?

That's life, and people do have to pay for the privilege though - it's a business.

I get that adults choose to pay money to sit together (although can't think why two capable adults couldn't cope for a few hours apart - magazines, tablets, books anyone??), but can't get my head round the mentality of grown ups seated together who would refuse to move to accommodate a parent and young child.

I could never ever see a child put in a distressing situation whether it was down to a parent deliberately not paying extra, not being aware of the likliehood of being separated or simply not being able to budget for this additional cost, and would offer to swap as a matter of course.

It kind of sums up the way people are these days IMHO. Put yourself out for others. It's nice to be nice.

I didn't refuse to pay just didn't realise this was the new way of the world that you are expected to pay to sit next to a toddler (I thought people would be paying to sit away from a toddler!!). It wasn't about the money just not even considered it an option. Obvs very brhind the times in low cost travel these days.

Booking seats tomorrow - but mainly because I don't want to be left on my own dealing with out 20 month old for 4hrs either & DH to now be having a relaxing flight with a 3yo who we can plug into an iPad for a couple of hours.

Still shocked at people attitude that it is better to get your moneys worth and sit next to a scared vulnerable screaming 2 yo & ignore them for 4hrs - I bet you are speedy boarders too.

I didn't prebook seats when using one of the budget airlines last year , we were on a very tight budget and I naively assumed that since they don't allow under 13's to travel alone and that airline advice about under 5 's is that they have "priority boarding/ that they need to know ages of child to ensure safe seating, that they would seat our 3 year old with at least one other from our family of 5.

I also stupidly didn't check how early online check in started ( 7 days before ) so when I checked in 48 hours before there were only single seats left.

Thankfully a truly kind ( unAIBU type ) passenger offered to swap her seat ( they were sat seperately so hadn't paid priority seating either).
Our older children are cool with sitting alone , have to say never considered the idea of the flight coming down
but for peace of mind I'd definitely begrudgingly pay to sit next to a little one again either that or make sure you check in as soon as it opens. I do think it's an unfair way of taking more money from us all .

It isn't about your 2 year old Ruperta. No one wants to be sat next to him.

To put it another way - you pay extra to sit next to your children and DH. So then when a parent and toddler come on, would you and one of your children move to let those two sit together? Or would you think 'why should I!'

Yes speedy boarders kind of sums up society today. Will never forget a speedy adult in the airport apoplectic with rage when he thought that a few babies were going to get on before him. Nice man.

elder I'm not referring to adults with children who have paid more being asked to move for another adult with a dependent child.
It's the independent adults refusing to be separated from a spouse to accommodate an adult and small child when they're perfectly capable of managing alone. That bamboozles me.

No elderflower I'm a nice person if I had paid the money to sit next to my husband who I see every sodding day and a two year old was sat next to me away from his family I would of course offer my seat. I wouldn't hesitate.
I certainly wouldn't put my headphones on and ignore them because hubby had paid a few quid.

I bet you get on the plane & recline your seat straight away too!