AIBU to think that a 3 year old sitting on own on 12 hour flight is not ok??

[Angela0413]

Having absolutely nightmare with Thomson airline as they apparently state in t&cs (in teeny tiny writing of course) that they class seats across the aisle or behind each other as "sitting together. So on a 12 hour flight myself (with 9 month baby on lap), husband, just turned 3 year old are on 3 aisle seats!! Need to be able to cuddle 3 year old as a nervous flier and God forbid if there was an emergency. Trying to speak to customer service is like banging head against brick wall - they just keep stating "it's in t&cs". We paid £360 for extra leg room and pre selected seats and this is what we get? AIBU? Eventually they said they might be able to move us t to standard seats so we can sit together but will not refund the £360...

I wish people didn't feel they had to be so unpleasant, OP is asking advice, not to be told what a terrible parent she is or how stupid she is! I agree that it's not Thomson's fault, but they really should have a system like most planes where you can choose the seats as you book them. If you pay loads extra to select a seat and then you don't actually get to select a seat then that doesn't make sense really, unless what you're paying for really is just an extra legroom seat. In that case they should probably just pre-allocate the seats then. I'm taking 2 (older) children to Canada and New York and on all 3 flights with 3 different airlines (nothing expensive) I got to pick my seats.

The OP had the opportunity to choose her seats but she chose not to.

Why that is anyone else's fault except for hers, god only knows.

never understand why people take babies/toddlers on expensive holidays they will never remember

because I take them with me, I can remember! It's not all about the kids..

I actually think you are wrong that complaining won't change anything. It might not, but it certainly wouldn't change anything, if OP didn't say anything. Yes it seemed like OP made a mistake, or misunderstood T&C's, but common sense suggests that the 3 year old should be next to a parent. At 3 they would require assistance with the bathroom, food and their seatbelt. Yes they have a parent near, but during take off / landing when the parent wouldn't be able to get out of a seat to keep the 3yo in his seat, why should it be the adult next to them who would have to ensure they do? 3yo is too young imo.

I also really don't understand why Mumsnet (a parenting site) is always so anti children on aeroplanes. So what if a parent wants to take a child on a nice holiday or a long flight. Yes some children do get upset, and yes some are badly behaved. The majority aren't, and certainly not for a full flight. On our recent long haul flights, the people causing disturbances were people who were drunk, complained about every minute thing very loudly, or had arguments with their partners. They weren't the toddlers or the babies. Give me a child who cries on take off over 8 hours of bickering, any day of the week.

Hi Angela.

Go in to a Thomson shop (all 4 of you), explain the seating doesn't work for you, and that you can't get any sense out of the call centre. I'm sure when they see your family unit, you will get some common sense out of them.

Failing this, take them to court for the £360, if you downgrade and don't get the refund.

Thomson are shit at sorting stuff out. Also their MD's don't reply to mail. Me and DH had a 9 hour flight delay. You're meant to get £700 compensation, but Thomson would not engage with us. I took them to small claims court. Cost £72. The day before the hearing, Thomson paid me the £772 (£700 plus my costs of filing the claim). They won't be arsed to go to the expense of sending an employee to your local court for £360, they really won't. Filing the claim is really easy.

www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-use-the-small-claims-court

Busybeez you said

I didn't take my child on a long haul flight at that age no. I didn't take him away abroad til he was 5 so he could appreciate it more. We holidayed in the UK and had some amazing holidays in Cornwall in cottages with days on the beach building sand castles

Why did you take him to the beach if you didn't think he would appreciate it? Or is it only holidays abroad small children can't appreciate.

Could just take the seats as booked and leave it to the airline staff to supervise 3 year old. If anyone says anything just blame it on the small print -- thought the aim nowadays was to simplify language and increase size of text
Good luck

Because a two hour drive in the car is not comparable with 12 hours on a plane and the extra time waiting at the airport and the time difference.

I think you absolutely should complain..

I do pay for my now 9 year old to sit by me...However I do have a friend who needed to change her seat before the plane would take off... Long story... no one would plane was delayed.. Don't assume everyone will.

Things never get resolved if people don't complain.. Any child under 5 should automatically be sat next to there accompanying adult IMO and that doesn't include across aisle or behind them.

Blame it on the small print? How embarrassing.

Could just take the seats as booked and leave it to the airline staff to supervise 3 year old

^^ They will be far too busy, serving food/drinks/duty free.

And you can't ask people to swap seats. Nobody is going to give up a seat they have paid to pre-select - for TWELVE hours.

This needs to be sorted before the flight.

You want to down grade on a 12 hour flight I would keep the leg room and juggle after. You still have to juggle if you down grade but at least you have the room to do it.

Sorry to ask but is DH sat with your 3 year old.

We paid £360 for extra leg room and pre selected seats

If you pay to pre select your seat you should have logged on and chosen your seats. Simply because YOU didn't do this your now expecting a company to refund you? As they've rightly told you it was in the T&C's.

You sound like the whining female in the premium cabin when we recently did a 10 hour flight. She hadn't logged on to pre select her seats when the cabin plan opened then made a song and dance once on the plane when their seats were all over the place. No-one moved for her and her family as we'd all had the sense to actually choose our seats. Jesus Christ it's not hard! YABU.

I think YANBU to ask Thomson for help, but if all the seats are taken I am not sure what they could have done? Would they have to contact another passenger and ask them to move?

But I also agree that Thomson should refund your upgrade payment if you are forced to downgrade to be together.

And for the people who don't think babies/children should go on long-haul holidays, WTAF? We don't all do everything for the sake of our children, sometimes parents like to have a holiday/visit people too. Most children are well behaved on flights, the most annoying people I've seen on flights have been drunk adults, leering men and people who talk too bloody much. Give me a child anytime, they normally just sleep for the duration....

HuskyLover1 if you don't think they don't go to court then you haven't seen their fb in last few months

As if the cabin crew would look after the child! What a joke. They do have jobs to do.
I wouldn't expect other passengers to move.
They pick their seats with their best interests in mind.
I wouldn't move from my dh. Wouldn't maytter who we were sat next too.

Could just take the seats as booked and leave it to the airline staff to supervise 3 year old.

That is not their job, and it's deeply disappointing you would think it is, especially when there will be at least one parent within arm's reach.

Last flight I had, there was a child with a toy that I could hear about 10 rows away. Idiot fucking parents. Shouldn't have been able to hear it in the next seat let alone a third of the plane away.

I agree op, an aisle seat is not a next to seat. It gets blocked off for example when the trolley stops there. It must cause the cabin crew endless problems. Bet they want it changed too!!

OP - I really appreciate your concerns but you did miss the email and didn't read T&C.

and this has been done to death here and on other forums.

not to say I have no sympathy but you can hardly complain for not being quick off the mark to select your seats or reading T&C.

i totally see what they have done and it is rubbish . when you check in at the airport try the check in staff , i'm sure they will help when they see your predicament . There really is no point arguing the toss with a call centre, you will just stress yourself out.

NeverNic

OK - so a plane has lots of seats - most of these are in blocks of 3 - one either side of an aisle... Not sure about OP's flight but either way say blocks of 4 accommodate x number of passengers.

so if you have say 20 couples of 2 x people each they will seat next to each other but the 3rd seat will be free.

if these customers also pre select their seats well in advance of course there are gaps. in some cases quite a lot of gaps!

it is the airline's business model - they do not look automatically at passengers and say oh yes it's Mr and Mrs MN and Baby MN, they see 1, 2 or 3 passengers.

Ryan Air had a good you tube video recently explaining that vast majority of their customers were business eg non parents with kids - but they aren't charging for seating anymore.

Jacqeuline if OP takes your advice eventually she and her DH will be the ones delaying the flight as they haven't chosen correct seats.

OP said she's sorted this now anyway.

To all those saying speak to the check in desk etc to get the seats moved, probably most of the other passengers will have paid to reserve seats. Very few people don't choose their seats flying long haul. Are you all suggesting people who actually logged on to choose their seats should be moved because the OP didn't?

I've been in the situation of being asked to move and refused as did the rest of the cabin. Why should people who have been organised, booked their seats and logged on to choose their seats move because someone like the OP never bothered their arse?

JustCallMeKate Love an assertive voice here!

like groundhog day on MN sometimes...