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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

542 replies

Dollygirl2008 · 26/04/2016 23:20

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

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 29/04/2016 19:57

I have a friend from childhood whose parents became very rich. If she offers to pay for our dinner when she and I go out back home, is it waving 'fancy' money round, or just money? We've been invited to her parents' 'house', which is a big mansion now. I used to go to their old house, too, when we were teenagers. Her mum laid on lunch for us, but we had to cook the meat ourselves on the BBQ, does that mean the money that bought all that is less fancy?

SpringHasNearlySprung · 29/04/2016 20:02

I now have a vision in my head of everyone that pre books seats waving fancy money above their heads when they take their seats on the plane. I can hear the announcement now "can all fancy money wavers please board from gate x,y,z"

Roussette · 29/04/2016 20:03

Deffo "unfancy" expat. That's DIY, us people who've had a sniff of fancy money have standards y'know Grin

exLtEveDallas · 29/04/2016 20:18

Ha! My holiday this year was paid for out of saving my war pension (extra benefit for a life changing injury). £72 of that paid for our selected seating (and we are off to Egypt, not long haul). Is that fancy money? (Probably is as I didn't earn it as such).

ZedWoman · 29/04/2016 20:22

I pay to pre-book seats because I need my husband to assist me due to my disability.

I consider that the sort of thing the care component of my DLA should be for.

Sunshowercap · 29/04/2016 21:11

My money is dead fancy Grin Oh dear, I've got to move when I fly haven't I...

Rousette, clearly any of us who have enough money to actually pay for the whole of our holiday should just get off the plane, and et those who can't afford to fly on. Because we are just entitled people who live to split up those much much more deserving families.

Clearly, the only people who should be allowed to fly are those who can't afford to fly.

Andrewofgg · 29/04/2016 22:02

Shades of Monty Python. This is getting silly Grin

EBearhug · 29/04/2016 22:37

My fancy money is edged with glitter and scented with rare unguents. When I wave it around, there's a waft of something mysterious and a shower of glitter which will still be around 6 months later to remind you. I have standards.

Macauley · 30/04/2016 00:02

Feeling extra fancy today. I really enjoyed waving my credit cardfancy money about earlier to pre-book seats in order to split those pesky families up Hmm

cruikshank · 30/04/2016 02:30

I betcha budgie with your business model, there'd be a helluva lot of nervous flyers

Except there wasn't. People just got on with it. And it was a lot less nonsensical than people getting all precious about 'MY SEAT' which is just the same as every other seat on the plane BUT I MUST HAVE MY VERY OWN SPECIAL SEAT.

Boolovessulley · 30/04/2016 06:36

Bloody hell.

I'm so glad I didnt meet half the people on this thread on my last flight.

If someone's child started kicking my seat they sure as hell wouldn't be kicking it by the end of the flight.
Neither would they be leaning over me to look out the window. How very rude you sound.

DingbatsFur · 30/04/2016 07:38

www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/british-columbia/air-canada-child-seat-fares-1.3560027
If anyone flies on Air Canada, it appears you won't have to pay. Airlines are indeed holding people to ransom, more passengers should complain.

ilovesooty · 30/04/2016 08:59

I hope I never meet Starlight and her family on a flight.

Roussette · 30/04/2016 09:06

cruikshank perhaps you need to write to the airlines then and suggest they go back to the previous way, prices will increase for everyone and you'll be paying more than the measly £3 plus airfare on a low cost carrier to sit where you want, because prices will go up.

Much like driving, air travel brings out the worst in people in the way of entitlement and bad behaviour.. Isn't it strange. I, for one, just want to get where I am going, minding my own business and getting what I paid for.

Sallyingforth · 30/04/2016 09:14

Just interested, for those who agree with the current system, do you also agree with this for long haul, where the price is much higher, (ie £500 for a family of five)?

Why ever not? Long haul flights cost more because they take you further. Long haul seat reservations cost more because you get the pleasure of reserved seats for longer. Simples.

Trills · 30/04/2016 10:14

This thread has made me decide to spend extra not just to reserve a seat ahead of time but also to pay for extra legroom.

Off to throw my fancy money at Virgin Atlantic now...

Rollinginthevalley · 30/04/2016 10:25

oooo you family-splitter-upperer you, Trills You are an entitled fucker, clearly.

Trills · 30/04/2016 10:36

I may get "entitled fucker" printed onto a badge and wear it onto the plane.

Rollinginthevalley · 30/04/2016 10:50

And also have a T-shirt saying "waving my fancy money about"

BummyMummy77 · 30/04/2016 10:52

Does BA and Virgin do this coming to the States? Because they don't if you book to the UK coming FROM the States.

Or is it just cheap flights?

notonyurjellybellynelly · 30/04/2016 11:05

You buggers all throwing your fancy money about!

Just how many of you actually have knickers to your name? Eh? Go on. Tell me!

budgiegirl · 30/04/2016 11:14

Or is it just cheap flights?

They do, but this is from their website If you are travelling with children (between two and 11 years), we'll allocate your seats five days before departure. If you can't be seated together, we'll make sure each child is seated with an adult from your group

We booked with BA for travel to Florida over Easter. We have 2 teens and a ten year old, and on all of the three flights we took, we were allocated seats together. I guess you could be separated from a child by a row or aisle though.

budgiegirl · 30/04/2016 11:17

Sorry, should have said that quote is from the BA website, and applies to the 'One World' group, so AA, BA, Iberia etc. I don't know what Virgin do

Noodledoodledoo · 30/04/2016 11:18

I booked with First Choice last night for a trip to the med next May. Cost for pre booking seats for 2 adults, 1 child and 1 infant cost £38. Seemed fairly reasonable to me to book 3 seats £6.33 per person each way. Hardly a dent in the holiday budget - which I do appreciate as we aren't going away this year as we can't afford it hence the booking a year away.

Oh and as for badly behaved kids next to me - I am not adverse to telling others peoples children off - do it day in day out in my job so if your child tried to jump all over me they would get very short shrift - I would also intervene (in a way you may not approve of) if they tried to remove their seatbelt and then tell cabin crew when possible. If you wished to complain about how I dealt with the issue I would pass the buck back to you!

Puzzledandpissedoff · 30/04/2016 11:33

You buggers all throwing your fancy money about! Just how many of you actually have knickers to your name? Eh? Go on. Tell me!

Nah - I had to sell 'em to afford my BA business class flight to Phoenix this summer Wink

After all it's about appearances, isn't it, dahlink? The mere bagatelle of splitting up a family is just an added little frisson, though admittedly one does have plenty of time on a long flight to relish one's brutishness Grin