that airlines charge you extra to sit together!?!?

[Dollygirl2008]

I mean, after a totally shitty year, I have scraped the money together to take my DC away for a weeks holiday to Menorca- possible the last foreign holiday we will have for a long time. And now, the sodding, well reputable tour operator want more money for us to sit together!?!? I mean, do pepper early do this!? Are they really going to split us up (DC is 7)??

Interested in others views or experience, thanks

I would never give up my seat and I certainly wouldn't look after someone else's kid for them.

This Perhaps I should let you have the lunch i paid for on the flight? The one you didnt pay for sums it up for me.

It depends on what your definition of crap is. 20 plus years ago and before the advent of the likes of Easyjet etc, most people wouldn't have been able to afford to fly as air travel was excrutiatingly expensive. Now the world has opened it's doors with low cost carriers but they can't run on fresh air, they need to make a profit. Hence the "boutique" that is open for your enjoyment (in reality a wonky trolley with toy planes and perfume going up and down the aisle), the "bistro" (overpriced meals and drinks) and seat prices.

Take away that model of business and put it back how it was decades ago, and only the very well off will be flying

Crap, no!

As an aside, what does make me laugh is those who turn up with oversized cabin baggage and having to unpack and move it around at the departure gate. The guidelines are quite clear, the weight, the size of case etc but it doesn't stop some passengers thinking the rules don't apply to them!

It's like me driving a Mum and her 2 young DCs somewhere, and making it my responsibility to make sure they have their seatbelts on whilst Mum just sits there

But it IS your responsibility, legally, as the driver to make sure the children are wearing seatbelts, have the correct car seat, and are safe. Even if the mum says 'Don't worry, they don't need a car seat', it is still the drivers responsibility to see that they have one.

trains have the same problem- you have to pay to reserve seats

My elderly parents have always paid for selected seating as my mum is an extremely nervous flier. They didn't stop going on holidays until about 8 years ago, so were certainly paying at least 8 years ago.

It has always been possible to pay for selected seating.

The difference now is that airline marketing policies encourage all passengers to do so. A few years ago, except on low-costs where seating was mostly completely unallocated, seats were usually allocated by the airline and people travelling on a single booking were almost always allocated seats together - certainly it would have been unheard of for an airline to seat a very young child rows away from its parents, as I've heard described on here. Even Ryanair used to go out of its way to avoid this, by allowing parents to board first free of charge.

As EBear says above, the issue is that paying for seat allocation raises expectations that you will be able to sit in that seat (even though there is no guarantee of this). This makes passengers all the more likely to feel jealously protective of "their" seat, and less likely to behave in a rational and public-spirited way if there is a problem with seating allocation.

Are you saying it's rational and public spirited for the rest of is to pick up the slack for entitked, unreasonable and selfish parents of young children? LOL
As you can see by the consensus here, that's your delusion.

What other of strangers' paid-for reserved goods and services do you try to usurp for your own selfish purposes? Do you hijack their hair styling appts? Doctor apots? Restaurant reservations? Massage therapy? Child care bookings?

Personally I'd far rather change seats than have my flight delayed, or be sat next to a screaming toddler whose mum is sat several rows away.

Just booked our seats for Majorca in the emergency exit aisle to avoid this palava of swapping people about fingerscrossed! Worth the extra cost after last time.

It has always been possible to pay for selected seating
So not 'absolute bollocks' then?

Personally I'd far rather change seats than have my flight delayed, or be sat next to a screaming toddler whose mum is sat several rows away

I wouldn't, and I'm pretty sure that mum of screaming toddler will be far more upset at her distressed and screaming child than me (and of course once the seatbelt sign is off the child can be sent to their parent in any case).

I wouldn't, and I'm pretty sure that mum of screaming toddler will be far more upset at her distressed and screaming child than me (and of course once the seatbelt sign is off the child can be sent to their parent in any case)

You really wouldn't mind sitting next to a screaming child? The problem is that once a person has paid extra for a particular seat, then it is unreasonable to ask them to move (fine if they haven't paid extra). But I do think it's very unreasonable of airlines not to ensure that children are sat with a parent, whether they've paid for allocated seating or not. Surely it's in everyones interest that small children are sat with parents. Then parents don't get stressed, kids don't get stressed and other passengers don't get stressed by having to sit with unaccompanied kids. As soon as allocated seating is optional, this is the risk that is run.

Sometimes, if you book late, or check in late, you may not have a choice anyway, if there are only individual seats left.

You really wouldn't mind sitting next to a screaming child?

They'd only really be my problem on take off and landing. It would be shit, of course, and I'm not saying I'd enjoy it. But given the choice between that and being separated from my own family (that I have paid to ensure I was next to), I'll take the screamer

And I feel like I have to say - I don't think this is a good thing. I'm not raising a flag and shouting "Go for it Thomson, I LOVE paying extra" "Hang on Thomas Cook, I'll bend over so you can shaft me some more". I hate it, it annoys me and it feels like a tax on being a nervous flyer or a parent. BUT it isn't going to go away and the entitled types who refuse to pay but still want the service - by trying to take it away from me - well I hate them more. The airlines have 'profit' as their excuse. Entitled types have no excuse at all.

"Personally I'd far rather change seats than have my flight delayed, or be sat next to a screaming toddler whose mum is sat several rows away."

Shouldn't the toddler's mum have made sure she could sit with her child, mistigri?

Budgie - one could argue that the airlines do make sure parents can sit with their children, by offering them the option to pay for an allocated seat? And since they do offer that option, it's not the airlines who are running the risk of parents not sitting with their children - it's the parents who decide not to pay for allocated seating.

Going back to my restaurant analogy - the menu offers side dishes of vegetables and potatoes - but the customer decides not to order them to go with their meal or their child's meal - who is 'running the risk' of the child not having an adequate meal - the restaurant who offered it as an option but didn't include it with the main courses, or the parent who decided not to order the side dishes, in the full knowledge that they weren't included in the main meal?

And in that situation, who is responsible for ensuring that the child and the parent do get an adequate meal? Should the restaurant give this parent and child (for free) something that they are charging other patrons for? Should other patrons in the restaurant have to share their vegetables and potatoes with the parent and child who haven't ordered their own? Or should the parent order the side dishes that they and their child need/want?

Airlines expect parents, as well as other passengers, to purchase the seats and services they need rather than come aboard no-frills and then whine for special treatment

Beautifully put

Whenever asked to move by the entitled I've always suggested they refund me the cost of my seat reservation; it works every time when they quickly move on to bothering someone else. Surprising, really, as it would cost them no more than paying in the first place, and if their needs are so very great you wouldn't think they'd mind ... but no, apparently what they want is someone else's paid-for seat for free

BUT it isn't going to go away and the entitled types who refuse to pay but still want the service - by trying to take it away from me - well I hate them more. The airlines have 'profit' as their excuse. Entitled types have no excuse at all.

This with knobs on. No one yet has answered WHY the needs of parents with children trump the other needs that I've quoted endlessly on here. You're not more special than anyone else meaning you get it for free. There are other people with different needs too, so where does it stop? It makes a farce of the whole thing to think otherwise.

budgie I take on board what you say about my analogy of the Mum driving another Mum and her kids. I don't want you to think I'm ignoring what you say unlike others who are ignoring what I'm saying in the paragraph above

Add message | Report | Message poster Macauley Fri 29-Apr-16 11:52:19
Just booked our seats for Majorca in the emergency exit aisle to avoid this palava of swapping people about fingerscrossed! Worth the extra cost after last time.

But you can still be moved by the crew if they think that you're not the right person to have next to an emergency exit in an emergecy.

I'm flying to Italy this week. A budget airline but I booked business plus for me and my friend. We could have had the seats in the front row with loads of leg room but I knew that with her being 70 and me almost 60 us being right next to the emergency exit wasn't ideal in an emergency so I booked the second row instead.

I didn't mind doing it because my sons are pilots and my daughters in law are cabin crew and I listen to what they say which means always looking around me when I board the aircraft so I know just where I am, knowing who's around me and who might hinder me getting off the plane in a hurry, and always listening to and watching the in flight safety demo. I'm not really bothered about mid air/flight calamities as my number would probably be up anyway but any emergency that means we could get back on the ground safety but we'd then have to evacuate the aircraft I'm very serious about.

We are both fit, in our early 30s and no mobility issues so hopefully can stay where I've booked! I'm a nervous flyer so need to be with my DH (although think he'd love to be separated from me ) and no idea why but being near the door and seeing the wing irrationally makes me feel better.

ex yep i'd take the screamer too, i have headphones and several mp3 players. It certainly wouldn't bother me half as much as it would the parent.

I'd take the screamer, too. I'm used to autistic meltdowns, screaming toddlers don't phase me, especially once I get my headphones on. If it's long-haul, I'll also be doped up on diazepam and will soon fall into a very deep sleep (hence, why I book a window seat if I'm on my own).

I've done business class on occasion for work - lovely.

I've done economy class LOADS for work. I make work pay for a seat to suit me (usually such trips mean unsocial hours and no money to compensate). Usually it doesn't actually cost them anything. A colleague always checks in her bag - which does cost, but that is what she does when flying on personal trips and doesn't see why it should be different for work. (And that is how I feel about pre-booking my seat).

I've done mostly economy class when flying for pleasure. We always pre-book our seats where possible (depending on airline, either paying in advance or as soon as checkin, sometimes advance check-in for loyalty club members, opens).

We've done business class as a family once. And brought DD.

And we've done Ryanair loads - both before and since booking seats was possible. Before DD arrived, we got loads of flights with them and never pushed to be front of the queue - there were enough seats for everyone on board always. And I don't remember ever having to sit separately to DH.

I dream of the day when I get a window seat, and DH has DD in a different row!!

I've also had other passengers sitting in my seat on plenty of occasions when travelling solo (mostly plane, but sometimes train), and expecting that I will move (often that they can stay by the window and I will sit in the middle seat!!). Um, NO - that's booked for me.

one could argue that the airlines do make sure parents can sit with their children, by offering them the option to pay for an allocated seat

They make sure parents CAN sit with their children, they don't make sure they DO sit with them, as paying for allocated seats is optional, not compulsory.

BiddyPop When DS was seven and I was going to America on business and he and DW joined me for a holiday I was going business and I could squeeze enough points for one business class seat - he came with me on one line and DW went economy on another - so she got your wish and she was not entirely pleased!

'I've also had other passengers sitting in my seat on plenty of occasions when travelling solo (mostly plane, but sometimes train), and expecting that I will move (often that they can stay by the window and I will sit in the middle seat!!). Um, NO - that's booked for me.'

Yeah, and not even people travelling with children. Just randoms. 'Oh, but I wanted a window.' 'Oh, I like sitting in this row as there's more legroom' - yeah, that's why I pre-booked it and paid for it/used points. Now off you fuck outta of my seat, arsehole. 'But I like this one.' 'That's none of my concern, sir/ma'am, shall I call the cabin attendant, because I want to sit in my ticketed seat?' They always have a middle seat somewhere or the back aisle next to the galley and toilets. Like fuck I'm going to swap for that.

Ditto trains. Never fails if you're on a busy route and book a window at a table in the reserved carriages. 'Oh, but . . . ' But book your seat, you cheeky punk arse. Now fuck off out of my seat.'

It's ridiculous on trains sometimes. I refuse to engage. I just say "you are in my seat" and stand there with my ticket. Cue person looking at me like I'm a martian just landed from space. Lots of blustering and moaning. I just give them one of my icy stares and don't look away whilst stood very close! I'm not going to talk to them about it.

It works

Cover your child's face and hands in chocolate then any adult sitting next to them will be happy to move.

"They make sure parents CAN sit with their children, they don't make sure they DO sit with them, as paying for allocated seats is optional, not compulsory."

Then surely, if a parent has chosen not to take up that option, it is their own fault if they end up not able to sit with their children, budgie?? And they shouldn't get to demand someone else, who has taken the option to pay to choose their seat, gives up that seat for them.

If you had chosen not to pay the extra for hold baggage, would you expect me to let you use my hold baggage allowance that I had opted to pay for?

We could go back to the old model, where airfares were high, but included your hold baggage, allocated seat and meal - but then a lot of people would not be able to afford to fly - would that be better?