Do I REALLY need to pre book seats on the plane?

[StephenKatz]

Flying to Spain in a couple of months, Thomson have told me I now have the option to pre book my seats on the plane. The last time I went it was just allocated from the very beginning (different airline and quite a while ago to be fair!) It's going to cost £28 for the four of us, something I wasn't really anticipating and I kind of resent paying it. But if I don't, would they seriously sit DC away from us? They are 4 and 6.

Whilst I don't really mind having a couple of hours peace from them sipping wine , I fear I'll be one of those people that Mumsnet whinge about! I won't demand rudely that a stranger give up their allocated seat or anything! But I'm trying to decide if it's worth paying, or trusting that they'll sit us together? I don't mind DH and I aren't sat together, as long as we have a child each to look after? AIBU not to pay?

And any couple who swapped would be in the same position as tricky would have been if she'd picked XX00 in the first place!

Well, Maid, we will see if it works tonight. It has done so for the last few times.

As far as EasyJet priority boarding is concerned, coming back from Madrid in October, I had my old lady's folding stick/seat for use in art galleries and museums with me and was perching on it while waiting in the security queue. I was spotted by the staff and taken to the front. (Black looks from other passengers).

Then in the boarding queue an Easyjet man saw me , took me to some seats right at the front of the queue, changed our assigned tickets from the back of the plane to the front, and when boarding started ushered us onto the plane ahead of everyone. I felt a bit of a fraud but was very grateful and impressed with the Spanish Easyjetters.

But Barefoot, why not try for the better arrangement even if we did end up back where we started? In any case, the seat on the left OOXX had been taken already presumably by someone on their own or who wants to sit across the aisle from a companion. (Possibly confusion here as to whether we are Xs or Os, I am using X for us). I had a choice of any 2 out of the remaining 3.

It's not really a big enough deal to warrant so many posts!

Could be one of a group of three, a person on their own or else a couple split by several rows
Sure. But it's fairly unlikely that such a person is particularly invested in the middle seat towards the left or the middle seat towards the right.

I would pay as when I went away with my husband we were sat apart on the way! However, we realised that you can check in on line so we did that on the way back and were together.

Hi tricky

Not criticising, just interested! Yes, I was using the X for you too.

The main reason for me not to do it (unless I was pretty sure the flight was not full) would be the risk of the person in the space not wanting to swap then having to talk across them/not be next to my DH.

If I was the person, I might not swap as I would then have my bag in the wrong overhead locker.

But I hope you have a pleasant and safe flight and get the extra space!

Thanks, Barefoot I will let you know how I get on, dodgy WIFI permitting.

OK.. So I fly .. A lot... (mainly for business purposes so not necessarily with kids). I am also Dad to two under 10's.

Whilst i totally GET the supply and demand argument, I think that there are two things that the conversation should be focussed on.

The airlines have a duty of care to ALL passsengers. Having unnacompanied children is a big safety issue for a number fo reasons.

IATA guidelines state that ALL unaccompanied children should have an ABP (Able bodied Passenger) assigined to them in the even of an emergency. (www.iata.org/publications/Documents/cabin-operations-safety-bp-guide-2015.pdf)

IN addition, CAA guidelines (not laws unfortunately, just guidelines) state that
"Young children and infants who are accompanied by adults, should ideally be seated in the same seat row as the adult. Children and accompanying adults should not be separated by more than one aisle. Where this is not possible, children should be separated by no more than one seat row from accompanying adults. This is because the speed of an emergency evacuation may be affected by adults trying to reach their children."

(From www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/On-board/Seating-allocation/)

Question for all those people who pull the "Well, I'm not moving" and "You should have paid" etc.. How would you feel when YOUR exit was hampered by a small child attempting to get back to its parents ?

Although I fully agree that this onus should be on the cabin crew (and indeed, the captain in charge), there are bigger isssues than who paid for which seat, that affect EVERYONE on board.

And yes, I would be happy to move to allow this to happen. (Would not move DOWN a cabin, obvs !)

The other issue is a safeguarding one. Would any parent here be happy for theory child (of any age) to sit next to a total stranger, out of their sight, for what could be a number of hours ?

I think a lot of you on this thread are looking down the wrong end of the telescope (Not all, but a lot)

If i get on Board and find my 5 year old sitting 10 rows away from anyone he knows , I want the captain to be informed and a commercial decision taking

(And I am not evening mentioning the "who will make sure he uses oxygen properly, who will ensure he has seatbelt on, who is taking the parental responsibilty on, now that I have been prevented from doing it ?)

tiggy I think on Ryanair people who've paid priority boarding are guaranteed to keep their luggage with them.

The captain is there to fly the fucking plane, not mediate for a parent who was too fucking cheap to pony up to sit with their kid and now wants someone else's fucking seat to satisfy their own whims.

Expat sometimes I think I want to marry you.

Oh and dukesy68 - I'm fairly sure we established about 200 posts ago that most of us would be prepared to do the unselfish and noble act of moving to allow the doting tightwad parent to sit beside their delightful infant, if we were to be upgraded for free.

Or given a similar seat elsewhere in the aircraft. Window for window seat, aisle for aisle seat. Again, it's never a middle seat in a middle row anyone wants to swap for. Why is that? Let me guess.

Rookie : Where are you expecting to be upgraded to on Ryanair/Easyjet/Thomas cook or any other airline with a single cabin class ?

Don't get it dukes... are you telling me that if you were a frequent flyer you would always be happy to move from the seat you have booked and paid for, for those who refuse to pay? That's the wrong end of the telescope to me!

OK yes on the very odd occasion, I would move, but not as a general rule. Why should I? Their seat could be paid for like mine, they have that facility as much as I do, and if they utilised it the problem wouldn't arise in the first place!

I want to marry expat too, never heard anything so ridiculous as a captain sorting out seats!

Dukesy68 I'm just paraphrasing what you said Would not move DOWN a cabin, obvs !.

I'd be happy to move if I was on Ryanair etc. and on my own to accommodate a family, provided I was still in an aisle seat and not obviously disadvantaged like being beside a huge or smelly person or something like that.

I'm not sure from your post what you're advocating - pay or don't pay.

As many people have explained they have valid reasons why they wouldn't want to move seats and have perhaps paid themselves for them.

Rousette :I AM a frequent flyer, and i would always be happy to move form my seat TO ANOTHER LIKE FOR LIKE seat (window for window, aisle for aisle etc). I woud NOT move from Biz to Econ, nor from Window to Mid.

BUT what I am trying to get at is, (Young) children sitting apart from parents is much more than a convenience issue. It COULD be a serious potential safety risk to OTHER PEOPLE (like me!!!).

If little Johnny gets sat 3 rows in front of me, but between me and the Emergency Exit, I don't want him running to find mummy or daddy the wrong way up the Aisle in the event of a fire.

By the same token, If little Johnny is NEXT to someone, and there is a sudden depressurisation at 35000ft, they have approx 30 seconds to don their own mask AND any childrens. THat is NOT a fair burden for any other passenger.

And it has been known (although i have never seen it) for the PIC to come into cabin to sort safety related issues such as pax refusing to carry out cabin crews instructions. (Many instances on Flyertalk). What would you have them do ??

Some one has to have the ultimate responsibility !

'Some one has to have the ultimate responsibility !'

The parents do! LOL at like for like seats. Has anyone ever been asked to move and offered a like for like seat? It's usually a shittier seat. Hence, why people who have paid for their seat won't move.

dukesy68 no the onus is on the parent for not paying for the seat! Nothing to do with the captain.

I can't think why people think other people should sort out seats- and it seems bizarre that the pilot would!
It is very simple- if you want to be by your child then you book the seats. What you don't do is refuse to pay and then assume that everyone will falicitate you in getting the seats you wanted- it is quite clear from this thread that they won't.

Little Johnny, sat next to me but away from his parents, will not have to put his own mask on, nor block the aisle trying to reach his parents (I will be escorting him, kicking and screaming under my arm if necessary, towards the exit).

Many people pay for their seating these days. A pain I know and it really annoys me. But yes, my daughter would freak and panic if not seated with me. Less so now she's 7. When she's older, we will chance it and for now, I'd rather save the money from another pot than put her in such a vulnerable situation. So bottom line is - it depends on the personality of your children.