thinking I should have been seated next to my three-year-old on this flight?

[nappyrat]

Cheap (orange) airline. Normally v good when travelling with kids - speedy boarding, say they'll sit you with kid/s etc.

Flew out recently & they said a 'technical error' had mistakenly sat me in a different row(!!) to my 3 year old. They fixed it on board (after much grumbling by several passengers about not moving from seats they've paid extra to book to sit together (fair enough!)). But fixed, fairly stress free.

Return flight today, I was sat across the aisle from DS. Their handling agent told me that this is considered 'sat together'?! Erm...really?! Anyway, handling agent refused to seat us together. Cue quite a bit of 'discussing' with them why this was not on IMO. No budging. Decided to leave it & ask the flight crew when we boarded. Who eventually sorted it - v kind older couple agreed to move seats.

Before I let loose with said orange airline's customer services, AIBU to think that sorting across the aisle from a 3 yr old is not appropriate?! DS was wailing, I had to bend across aisle to comfort, there were good chunks of time during boarding when I couldn't see DS because ppl stood in between us in aisle. Just bloody stressful quite frankly. And not what I'd expect from this - or to be bloody honest - any - airline.

Opinions please mumsnet!

If you had booked your seats when you checked in online, it would have been free.

I don't know why you're still banging on about it being the airline's fault when it's patently yours.

Exactly. You need to be kind to the people who have checked in early and got their seats sorted.

Umm my father had just died! This is why the airline made room for us. Where's your empathy!! Honestly, what is wrong but with air travel that it brings out the worst in people!

And for the $10000 that the airline charged us, they had plenty of money to offer for volunteers to be bumped off. Which is what they did.

And yes, thank heavens there were kinder people than you who did move so that we could at least sit with our two year old.

I am with pilpiloni and have always offered to move when travelling solo if needed.

The way every penny is wrung from so called customers takes the piss.

Do you really not understand. They are not 'wringing money out of you' they are charging for the extras that have been removed to drop the headline rate.
You want the headline rate then don't pay for the extras.

Maybe if they dropped the 'fuel surcharge' now that oil is at its lowest price for decades id have more sympathy for that view point.

Pilp - totally agree. A little kindness in life goes a long way.

Scot - no. They did not seat me next to my child on either leg. On the outward flight they seated me several seats away.

I told them I thought it was inappropriate. They agreed. They admitted technical faults on one leg. They sorted it out after the issue was pointed out to them.

So to those saying 'why the fuss you did ultimately sit next to DS' - it was a load of hassle, EJ had not stuck to their side of the bargain (impression given would sit us together, and in most people's minds that means - erm actually together!), it was stressful, unpleasant for all involved. Unnecessarily!

I actually have real faith EJ will sort this issue. Not just for me now but more widely for families that travel with them.

Surprised to say after my bad recent experience that I actually do think they will give a shit & I think they will see my issue is reasonable.

I shall update in due course...!

I fly solo nearly all the time. I don't why I should have the base fare raised to accommodate someone sitting next to their child without charge, or why I should move out of a seat I've chosen and paid for.

Agree sooty! But I think that's just tough! This situation should never have been allowed to occur. It's a basic, common sense safety issue. The airlines were trying it on, the CAA have been slack, and the people (well some on mumsnet!) are revolting!

They could not take children, or they could insist parents with children pay more. They dont make either of these conditions of their policies because they want to make money from parents with children (who often are most in need of budget flights). This is not a poor easy jet situation. Small children need to sit with their parents. They should ensure this happens. (And perhaps usually do). To resent this is so strange imo and my child is way past that age.

Twisted - completely agree. Cannot understand the view of those who think it's sane to seat a 2 yr old (for example) anywhere BUT right next to parent.

Forget the 'you should pay / reserve etc', it just shouldn't be anything but!!

If you only wanted to garner opinion that fell in your favour you shouldn't have asked the question on this forum.

Exactly lillith. Pathetic.

You can name and shame EasyJet on here. Almost always the cabin crew will adjust the seating plan eg. able bodied passengers at the exit doors, people who are scared of flying in front of the wing etc.

I have flown with a cheap blue and yellow airline Ryanair and we have NEVER paid to reserve seats. Even checking in 2 days early we were still seated together.

Lil & dragon - not the case at all, but the whole thread & what I consider to be weak arguments from the YABU has reinforced my sense that this situation was just plain wrong.

We're all entitled to our own views however.

wow dragon...pathetic eh?! harsh! How can you can that worked up about this!!

We travelled with Easy jet last week. Paid for and booked seats ahead. No problem. Easyjet is not a charity it's a money making company. That's how they make money by charging for extras. IMO you can't moan if you don't pay, sorry.

Post number 517. How can I get that worked up. This is your thread. I'm not worked up. I just see this ridiculous attitude as more evidence of an entitled generation.

Go dragon - entitled generation drives me up the wall. Have taken my three abroad since they were little. Never any problem as I never took anything for granted. What we have I (single Mum but not something I wear as a badge of honour) work for, where and how we travel I pay for. Never expect anyone to take responsibility for my shortcomings and life is good.

The point is EJ state that they will seat children WITH parents. Most people reasonably understand that to mean together.

In the past I have chosen EJ over Ryanair due to that policy. Ryanair make no such promise and therefore I don't expect.

Op, I've also always found EJ to be responsive and helpful and clear about what is and isn't included. I'd definitely follow up. If together means across an aisle or a row behind then this needs to be made clear so parents can make an informed choice about whether or not to pay for seating.

I read on the Thomson holiday Facebook page that they refused to depart until someone moved to allow a father and son, who hadn't booked seats, to sit together. In the end they gave an upgrade to Premimum economy to the mover. I'm not sure holding a plane full of people to ransom like that is the right thing to do

Me neitehr. You sit down. If you havent' sat down by the time the plane is ready to go, they tell you to get off.

However, it is ludicrous that airlines think that I should look after someone else's child if they are sat next to me. Erm no. Put the child next to their parent. When the booking is made, allocate the seats. As I said above, BA already do this if kids are 11 or under. It is not hard. At the very least, kids under about 8 should always sit with an adult. And "with" means the same row. I don't really have a problem with two aisle seats as you might have that anyway if you are a family of 4 and have a rows of 3 - ie row of 3 and one person across aisle. But it obviously shouldn't mean two window seats in same row - the seats have to be next to each other!

ncayley - no, clearly EJ is not a charity but that is completely irrelevant! They say they'll do something, they didn't. What they did instead was bonkers & unsafe.

End of.

Lilla - Irrelevant! What I do - funnily enough - I also work hard for & pay for.

¥ lilly not Lilla

Ncayley - your argument is bizarre. It's like saying you can book to scale down the O2 but a harness is extra!! But essential.