Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

438 replies

StephenKatz · 03/03/2016 16:05

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 Wink , 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?

OP posts:
CottonSock · 04/03/2016 12:50

I always chance it. They probably check to sit kids with adults. Then the day online check in opens, set a reminder and do it that morning. Then, you can still pay to switch seats at this point. I've only ended up having to pay once

BlueEyesAndDarkChocolate · 04/03/2016 12:58

It's only £28! Wouldn't you just rather pay it, and then not have any worries on the day? I really couldn't be arsed with having to be first in the queue for the plane and then possibly sitting apart. For the sake of £28. Nah.

LagunaBubbles · 04/03/2016 13:14

Luckily BA say on their website that they will do their best to sit families together and what actually happens is that they allocate our seats 48 hours before check-in

Yes they do allocate seats for you before online check-in opens if you have a child under 12 but not necessarily all together. Last year they split our 4 seats into a 2 twos a few days before online check-in. You can of course change it if other seats are available but it wouldnt work for us.

I liked flying with United to America a few years ago - you could choose your own seats for free the minute the flight was booked, even if it wasnt fully paid for. And then change it around if need be. Seemed to work.

expatinscotland · 04/03/2016 13:49

'I've lost count of the times I've got on a train to find people plonked in my seats with huge picnics spread out in front of them only to be told they have to move because I really don't fancy traipsing up and down a crowded train from Edinburgh to London and back trying to find a seat just because you fancied mine.'

This. Had it on the train from Glasgow to London. We were 3 women travelling together and had booked two window seats and one aisle seat at a table so we could have our picnic and wine.

Found two women in our seats and they were most put out when we actually wanted to sit in our allocated seats. Then they asked if we could move so they could all sit together. Um, we booked these seats so we could sit together. There are two unreserved carriages up the way. Off you go.

Chancers.

Andrewofgg · 04/03/2016 15:47

I'm a regular on the Euston to Manchester run and because I book early I can always reserve a window and table seat. And yes, I get asked to move by family groups who insist that they "need" a table.

No. You need to go looking for double seats where each adult can sit with one child. If you don't book you won't get a table. And the seats and tables in the unreserved coach get snaffled by the people with no bags and no children who can run for them.

Your problem.

expatinscotland · 04/03/2016 15:52

My sentiments exactly, Andrew. 'Could you please move so we can all sit together?' 'Nope. I booked this seat so I could have a window and a table. The unreserved carriages are D &E.' 'But all the tables are taken in there.' 'That's a pity,' and then back I'd go to my headphones and book.

Asked to move seats on a plane, only if it's to a like for like seat or some type of upgrade.

LogicalThinking · 04/03/2016 17:26

Luckily BA say on their website that they will do their best to sit families together and what actually happens is that they allocate our seats 48 hours before check-in
"Do their best", not guarantee.
And their definition of together could be across the aisle and/or a row apart.

kali110 · 04/03/2016 21:47

BitOutOfPractice why are they arseholes for not swapping seats? Hmm
Why is it not the parents fault for prebooking seats?
I wouldn't change seats ever.
I'm not an arsehole, i am however an extremely nervous flier and have invisible disabilities.

Dollymixtureyumyum · 04/03/2016 22:08

Bitoutofpractice I have payed extra to book my seat next to my husband so why the hell should I move for someone who hasn't. People can have invisible disabilities (like me) or have a fear of flying. You can't always judge

23jumpstreet · 04/03/2016 22:12

No way will they seat kids on their own at that age don't pay it

kali110 · 05/03/2016 01:22

23 op has already booked, and yes they do, you only have to see the numerous fb complaints to see it's true Grin

onlywhenyouleave · 05/03/2016 09:33

23jump if you read the thread, you will see numerous occasions where, actually, the airlines have sat children away from their parents so yes, they will.

Bunbaker · 05/03/2016 09:35

"No way will they seat kids on their own at that age don't pay it"

Clearly some airlines do, otherwise this thread wouldn't be so long.

BitOutOfPractice · 05/03/2016 16:05

Dolly If you read the thread I have said repeatedly that anyone who has paid shouldn't be asked to move. The vast majority of people haven't paid though.

Dollymixtureyumyum · 05/03/2016 19:27

My apologies bitoutofpractice Cake

ProudAS · 05/03/2016 20:20

I'm another one who needs to sit with DH for good but not obvious reasons and can't deal with being shifted around. Please don't just assume people will move for you.

Airlines are not required to sit conjoined twins together AFAIK

dulcefarniente · 05/03/2016 20:44

I always pay to reserve seats people are very reluctant to move from seats whether they've booked or not. A few years ago on a flight where you couldn't prebook seats my dh and I couldn't get seats together and no one would move even though the cabin crew kindly pointed out we were on our honeymoon. A wedding guest had arranged for us to be given a bottle of champagne on the flight and we had to drink it separately!

expatinscotland · 05/03/2016 20:56

'no one would move even though the cabin crew kindly pointed out we were on our honeymoon. '

Sadly, a lot of people lie and say that. Or they say it's one or the other's first flight.

I don't move because now the only time I fly is with my children, usually longhaul, prebook and DS has ASD.

I wouldn't move even if it were shorthaul if I were with my children and alone only if there was a like for like seat or an upgrade.

dulcefarniente · 05/03/2016 21:06

expat we had our marriage certificate to prove it.

expatinscotland · 05/03/2016 21:43

I'm just saying, a lot of folks do lie about that and about it's being a first flight for one or the other. The cabin should have said there'd be an upgrade for whoever moved. Lots of folks don't want to move because the crew move them to a shitty middle seat.

HortonWho · 05/03/2016 21:53

oh yes, but X airlines lets us sit together as a family so other passengers who weren't too cheap to pay to reserve their seats now must move. Because we HAVE TO sit together and don't want to pay. No you don't and no I won't move because you were too cheap to do so.

zad716 · 06/03/2016 08:17

HortonWho Airlines reserve the right to change seats. So if the airline choose they could move you and notify you of the change at the check-in desk or even at the gate. You won't have a say.

Last we flew with an airline and though you could reserve seats and check-in online in advance it wasn't actually available to us due to the way we booked through a third party. If when we checked in there wasn't two seats available to allow our 5 year old to sit with one of us there would have had to be some moves as the airline (Monarch) state " we will always seat children with an accompanying adult".

For the sake of £28 on a family holiday I'd probably pay it, but I'm pretty certain that the airline will if at all possible ensure young children are with a parent as an upset child on their own isn't great for anyone involved including the strangers sitting next to them and the cabin crew.

expatinscotland · 06/03/2016 11:46

'So if the airline choose they could move you and notify you of the change at the check-in desk or even at the gate. You won't have a say.'

So make sure you reserve a seat in the emergency exit row, Horton Wink

If I'm travelling alone, that's what I always aim for.

Effendi · 06/03/2016 11:58

I used to be a rep and lost count of how many folks kicked off at check in about not being sat together. It wasn't just those with kids, many, many adults getting shouty and aggressive. Not nice.

rookiemere · 06/03/2016 12:07

I was at friends last night - two sets of couples that have DCs and brought this up.

They genuinely didn't know what the legislation was - one of the fathers thought that the airlines were legally obliged to sit you all together until DCs were 16.

I think the airlines make this all very obtuse as it's a very grey area, package companies are worse as when we went on our "luxury" package holiday it included air lounge entry and spa access, but not the one thing that I deemed a necessity with a 5 year old child - seats together. Not only that, but they didn't specifically state that anywhere until it came to closer to the time and they offered it as a special paid for treat.

Bottom line is I'm afraid if you want to guarantee as much as you can that you are sitting beside your family, be that elderly DM, frightened flyer, young DC then you pay.

This year when we fly DS will be 10 and I've not paid to book seats. They are all short haul flights so whilst it would be nice to be together, I'm genuinely ok and so is DS to be separated. Next year we're planning to fly long haul - DS will be 11, but even so for a longer trip it's more important to me that we're together so on that occasion we will pay for seats.