£100 to sit together?

[sunchild77]

Kids first family holiday abroad... BA want £100 to sit us all together.. Kids first flight they are 4, 9 and 11yrs plus us mum and dad.
Would the airline really sit us all separately? Is paying out really a big waste of money?
Plus Im terrified of flying as it is... I need DH nearby!!
Thoughts please? thanks x

'Delta don't make you pay for meals or extras internationally. And I find their crew way nicer than BA or Virgin.'

I found their service shite. NEVER again. Their 'meals' were awful, skimpy. Shit service. Delays, delays, delays. I even thought they were terrible domestically when I flew last year to visit friends. I certainly won't fly another US airline just because I can sit next to my special snowflakes for 'free' (cost built into the ticket).

I also don't give much of a flying fuck what the FAA brings in as law with regards to seating other than if they make us fly naked and upside down because I live in the UK and fly to the US only to visit family once a year and then on my own internally to visit friends. So what? This is the UK. Most of us are going to be using British and European airlines, flying internally or to Europe. Duh.

Pay to sit together or don't expect people to move just because you have children.

Oh, yeah, Olenna, I keep getting a shock every time I fly domestically in the US. But hey, you can sit next to your brats for 'free'.

monte i'd ask why the commander and the airliner thought it was ok to move a disabled person who needed help to sit a family who hadn't booked their seats?
Then i'd put it everywhere
( and get and another flight)
So the rights of parents top my right as a person with disabilities who bothered to pay for their seat?
Nop, don't think so

i'd ask why the commander and the airliner thought it was ok

Is that the Supreme Commander? Do you think the otters prebooked

I got held back on a flight from Tel Aviv to London about 20 years ago, and had my seat swapped from next to my colleague to next to a girl of about 10 years old. As it was pre-DC, I did the usual business traveller thing and ignored the girl, who was chatting away to a man and his son in the row ahead - I assumed they were a family. It was only as we were coming into land that the stewardess came up to the girl and said "as you're travelling unaccompanied, I'll take you off the plane". They had never said a word about why I was being reseated (I was just happy to be able to get on the plane - I usually had problems leaving Israel). If they'd told me I would at least have been a bit more friendly to the poor girl.

Expat - you seem to have missed me saying about four times that I have paid to sit next to my kid.

And 'brat'? Wow, classy.

My point was that paying to book seats isn't a thing that has to be done and as deltas flights are usually cheaper than Ba or Virgin how is it built in to the higher ticket price?

You also don't need to be so goddam rude.

We're talking about air travel ffs.

It never ceases to amaze me how people on mumsnet can get so worked up about something and be so fucking unpleasant.

Because blasphemy is so 'classy', too.

Wind your neck in, Bummy (chortle). I didn't miss your 'point' at all, although it's entirely possible to lose your so-called point whilst wading through your diatribes extolling the virtues of US airlines (which I think, with several exceptions and certainly not Delta, suck royal dick) and FAA rules and regulations. I disagree with it entirely. Couldn't care less what the FAA rules (unless, again, it involves something along the lines of requiring us to fly naked and upside down).

'It never ceases to amaze me how people on mumsnet can get so worked up about something and be so fucking unpleasant.'

Pot.kettle.black.

Pot.kettle.black.
This

I would rather leave the flight, causing much longer delays, than leave my seat next to DH just to accommodate some cheapskate who wouldn't pay to sit next to their kid. Even if 'the commander' told me to move!

For the umpteenth time- my point is that it's not a necessity for cheap air fare to make people pay extra to book seats as many airlines let you choose at the point of booking and it doesn't affect their fares.

I was using the US airlines as a case in point not suggesting all US airlines are wonderful or that everyone all over the world should only fly on US airlines.

Stop taking a snippet of what someone says just to create an argument.

But the point is it does affect the fares. Each airline will have a business model that prices seats and if they know that they will earn income from allowing passengers to choose a seat then that will be factored in. If they don't have that revenue stream then the base price of the tickets will be higher as the costs are still the same. That's all everyone is saying - those who care where they sit pay more than those who don't. And if you don't charge for seat selection then those who don't care will pay more as the base price will increase. So an individual airline's decision will be based on their analysis of their customer base. You choose to fly with an airline that includes seat selection in the base price - that's fine. But others might prefer no choice and a cheaper flight - that's also fine. Neither is right or wrong, it depends on your own preferences. I don't see why this is such a difficult concept.

I propose ‘Fuck off' as the code words.

just i like those codewords

Yes i don't know how people can be so unpleasant either, trying to say people have 'moral responsibilty to children' and are arseholes for not moving seats for all and sundry.
So unpleasant

But on the same route delta are cheaper than Virgin and BA 9 times out of 10.

When I was 20, I 'backpacked' around the USA with a Delta airpass. If there were spare seats, you could get one as part of the airpass. Never had a problem - except going to Las Vegas - and plenty of spare seats. I like Delta but have been to Atlanta airport more times than I care to count.

Adds nothing to actual debate.

I wouldn't be moved from my seat for a glass of cheap fizz but if someone offered me cash I'd consider it. The airline aren't the only people who can make money out of the selling of seats and I'd take a dim view of a crew member's intervention into a private negotiation .

I'd rather pay more than ever use fucking Delta again. Or United. Or Continental. We usually use KLM or Lufthansa, but have also used Emirates, Singapore Air, Air France, Air Canada and Aer Lingus.

How could the code phrase be anything but 'have you been to Maui?'

Tallulah has it!!

No amount of cheap fizz would move me from my seat. If they tried to move my carer (DH) I would be less than happy.

I'd love to know how it's easier for a captain to make an already seated adult move than to tell one to sit down and shut up!