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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

682 replies

nappyrat · 10/09/2016 21:41

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?! Confused 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!

OP posts:
Mummyoflittledragon · 14/09/2016 18:33

CoteDAzur. My DD is far lighter than you. I'm not obese or anything but heavier than you -I'm tall. I've never thought of doing it this way. To say I find that viewpoint distasteful is understating. And I was speaking perfect English. "Meuf zarbi" clearly is not.

DesolateWaist · 14/09/2016 19:07

It wouldn't necessarily work if everyone could book their seats
Last time I flew it was with Delta. You can prebook your seats with them for no charge. Therefore everyone had booked their seats.
The plane was full and no one was asked to change seats.
Imagine!!

arranged · 14/09/2016 19:23

What the fuck are they going to do in an emergency situation where a young child needs help to get an oxygen mask on?

Would I fuck be staying in my seat - I'd be climbing over people to get to my DC.

CrohnicallyAspie · 14/09/2016 19:53

arranged hence why sitting across the aisle is considered together, you don't need to climb over anyone to do your DC's oxygen mask. Neither do you if the seat is in front/behind. So long as there is no person sitting between you, you are 'together'. Of course, if you have 2 kids and sit kid-kid-adult, I hope you don't trample the child in the middle.

desolate I've no doubt that in some instances it could work. But I think overall, allowing everyone to book their seats will lead to more planes not filled to capacity, as families/groups leave 'odd' seats in rows, and people get fussier over wanting a window/not near the toilet/over the wing or whatever as they've paid to have the choice (how does delta compare, price wise, to the airlines mentioned on here?)

Whereas with a budget airline and not paying extra to book seats, I think people will be more willing to take what they're given, and fill in more of the odd seats.

PunkrockerGirl · 14/09/2016 19:53

All the more reason to ensure you're sat next to them, arranged.
Pay to book seats together. No climbing over people required. Job done.

itsbetterthanabox · 14/09/2016 20:31

They don't have to sit you with your child. They will try to but if people won't move then you won't be sat with them.
Book seats together if you want to sit with someone else.
Customer services will only say this to you.

DesolateWaist · 14/09/2016 21:36

I've no doubt that in some instances it could work. But I think overall, allowing everyone to book their seats will lead to more planes not filled to capacity, as families/groups leave 'odd' seats in rows, and people get fussier over wanting a window/not near the toilet/over the wing or whatever as they've paid to have the choice (how does delta compare, price wise, to the airlines mentioned on here?)

Well you don't get to see the seating plan until after you've booked the ticket so it won't leave you with empty seats as groups and families don't know what spaces are left until after they have bought the flight. This is how it used to work years ago. But then no one got a say you just got assigned a seat by the airline when they posted you your paper ticket. (I'm talking 30 or so years ago here)

Delta are in partnership with Virgin so they cost the same as them. Same kind of price as BA. Interestingly my flight out was with Delta with free seat booking and back was with Virgin who charged to book a seat.

totalrecall1 · 14/09/2016 22:22

desolate - how am I using my children as a threat? As I said if it had been a reasonable amount then I would have paid it but one thousand pounds just to book seats together is utterly ridiculous, so I took the chance that people would move if the seats weren't together. Obviously you would have paid the money, but then you must have a lot more money than me

DesolateWaist · 14/09/2016 22:45

How was it £1000 to book seats together?

PunkrockerGirl · 14/09/2016 22:58

So totalrecall you took the chance that people would move Hmm
How about those of us who save for holidays each year and actually factor in the cost of paying to book seats together into the total cost of the holiday every damn year. No way will I feel guilty and pressurised into moving, everyone has the same choice. Book seats or don't book seats, but if you choose not to, don't whine, whinge or create a scene. You will have (unreserved) seats. Either sit in them and shut up or be offloaded from the plane I really wish airlines would enforce this

kali110 · 15/09/2016 01:27

total because you knew the option was the other passengers would be stuck next to your unsuperised child. Some would probably move so they weren't.
I think you got lucky.
I wouldn't move. HeAdphones, drink, heavy metal and loads of crime dramas and i'm set Grin

BummyMummy77 · 15/09/2016 01:35

I always fly delta now as I'm sick of Ba and Virgin charging the piss takers.

Delta never charge and I've never seen any problems because of it.

In fact the states is about to pass a law meaning airlines can't charge.

totalrecall1 · 15/09/2016 06:00

As I said it was 95 quid each way per passenger which is near on 1000 quid for 5 of us. That's why I didn't pay it. I didn't factor an extra grand into the cost of my holiday. Silly me

MapleandPear · 15/09/2016 06:15

Lots of good little capitalists on this thread. "Just pay up!" Don't question it!

CrohnicallyAspie · 15/09/2016 06:29

desolate I didn't know you didn't see the plan until after you booked the tickets.

Anyway, for me it would be important enough to cancel the booking if I couldn't book seats together.

MoreCoffeeNow · 15/09/2016 07:19

Lots of good little capitalists on this thread. "Just pay up!" Don't question it!

Nothing to do with capitalism. If people don't want to pay that's up to them. But to demand other people move for them is arrogant. And no way would I move from a seat I'd paid for for selfish people.

Rattusn · 15/09/2016 07:33

This is a really unpleasant thread. It really shows mumsnet at its worst.

Instead of criticising parents for not paying for pre-booked seats, why not criticise airlines for sitting children and adults separately? This is clearly neither practical, nor safe, but they continue to do so because they are allowed to get away with it, while families are forced to pay a premium for flying.

stripesstpots · 15/09/2016 07:34

For me it's nothing to do with capitalism. One of my dc has disabilities and would need help in an emergency. Therefore in order to make sure I am near enough to assist I book seats rather than piss other passengers off by expecting them to play musical chairs to accommodate me and potentially delay take off.

Because I am not someone entitled who thinks the world should resolve round my needs.

I have also seen the seating plan on booking but admit not to have travelled by ops airline.

My dc have been seated across the aisle and that's fine as I can get to them to help if needed.

MidniteScribbler · 15/09/2016 07:39

I took the risk that no one in BC would want to be sat next to any of my under 10's alone.

So you essentially held a cabin full of people hostage, using your children as threats?

Do you think that most adults aren't completely capable of ignoring a child next to them? "Go ask your parent" is all I would say to them for the duration of the flight. I wouldn't interact with an adult stranger sitting in the seat next to me, so why would I need to do it just because that person is a child?

DesolateWaist · 15/09/2016 07:46

As I said it was 95 quid each way per passenger

Which airline was that? I've never seen a charge that high. It's normally around the £10 mark.

Catsize · 15/09/2016 07:51

I don't think children should be in business class.

Rattusn · 15/09/2016 07:54

capsize surely that is a decision for the airline, not for you?

MidniteScribbler · 15/09/2016 07:58

I don't think children should be in business class.

I don't have a problem with it. I always fly business class when going long haul, and DS is probably less conspicuous there than he would be in economy. The seats are bigger, and he sits by the window next to me, so there's no one else in the row, and if he wriggles around a bit, then no one can even notice. He's not allowed to run up and down the aisles or make noise, nor would he if we were in economy.

DesolateWaist · 15/09/2016 08:01

Lots of good little capitalists on this thread

I'm guessing that you read about this thread in a free newspaper and then wrote to MN towers (on paper that you made yourself) asking them to put your reply on here.

It's got nothing to do with capitalism.

DesolateWaist · 15/09/2016 08:04

We were in Business Class. I took the risk that no one in BC would want to be sat next to any of my under 10's alone. I was right, they didn't.

This reads as:
I figured people would soon shift as no one wants to sit next to children so I didn't bother booking seats and glared at people with my annoying child by my side until they moved.

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