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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

prebooking flight seats?

93 replies

Beth2511 · 09/01/2017 10:11

im flying domestically to go see my very unwell grandma and flying alone with a 2 year old and 5 month old.

i can barely afford the flights but i dont have any other eay of getting there and unlike lastvtime i did it they want £28 for me to book seats which is 30% of the cost of the tickets and also £40 for luggage.

ultimately its going to be a choice between taking luggage or guaranteeing im sat with my 2 year old. i definitely cant afford both but i think because of the age of my two and going for 5 days that im going to have to take luggage.

if i didnt prebook seats would they really sit me apart from my 2 year old. she'd probably have a great time as she loves making friends but she is also mastering the terrible twos..

dont know whether to risk it!

OP posts:
LagunaBubbles · 09/01/2017 11:26

When you get onto the flight, if you are not sat next to your toddler then just tell the person next to your toddler that your toddler is sometimes airsick and here are some bags and wipes and 'good luck!', then go sit down. I would be amazed if they don't swap with you

I have children. I've also risked it. But I would NEVER EVER expect someone who has actually paid to reserve a seat on a plane where they want to sit to move for me. Your comment is infuriating and is disgustingly selfish if you truly would do that.

VintagePerfumista · 09/01/2017 11:27

otherside- that's where I got my info from too. Rip Off Britain and Wanted Down Under are my guilty pleasures!

ilovesooty · 09/01/2017 11:27

If anyone tried the tactic that chillie suggests that would absolutely ensure that I would stay put.

Lelloteddy · 09/01/2017 11:31

You need to find a way to be able to prebook for your own peace of mind OP. The last thing you need is to get onto a crowded plane with a potentially crying baby and a nervous toddler and expect people to start swapping seats to accommodate you whilst passengers are trying yo embark behind you and the ones in front are jumping back up to the overhead lockers to retrieve their Murray mints and IPads.
I always book an aisle seat as near to the front as I can get it because I'm a nervous flyer and I get horribly claustrophobic on landing and every idiot on the plane stands up ( despite being told to stay seated) I've been asked to move more than once when I've been flying solo. If there's another suitable seat free that's not an issue but I was given a mouthful of abuse by the family who rocked up with three children, no pre booked seats and caused the flight to miss it's slot because of their antics.

BadLad · 09/01/2017 11:37

Pay for the luggage. When you get onto the flight, if you are not sat next to your toddler then just tell the person next to your toddler that your toddler is sometimes airsick and here are some bags and wipes and 'good luck!', then go sit down. I would be amazed if they don't swap with you

I'd just stick the bags and wipes on the seat pocket in the seat pocket in front of your child, before settling down with my headphones.

aeginadad · 09/01/2017 11:38

I have to travel a lot with a child. I wouldnt book any luggage in - simply give each child a carry on. In terms of booking seating - I wouldnt bother. They will have to place your children next to you - this will get flagged up when you check in - its a question of whether you have to pay though.

TheFairyCaravan · 09/01/2017 11:40

I watched 'rip off Britain' on Friday. On there they stated that although the airlines try to get you to book and pay for your seats, they can't sit you apart from your child.
Apparantly it's law (civil aviation £ that children have to sit with an accompanying adult. However she did say that this might be the next row, or one behind.*

No it's not law its guidelines. The CAA guidelines, also, state that next too is across the aisles, or a couple of rows behind or in front.

Lovelybangers · 09/01/2017 11:41

I have never booked seats - yet have always been sat with my travelling partner - DS or DH or both.

However if you are anxious about this - and don't want to risk it then pay up and book the seats. Your journey may be difficult enough anyway without extra worries.

I would suggest not taking hold luggage though. If you are only going for 5 days then travel light - a suitcase is an awkward thing to move around - especially if you have a buggy too.

This sort of bag is good as you can get lots in, yet carry it on your back. Hands free for children and prams. DH bought one and it is very useful.

backpack

Some airlines show your seat allocations when you check in online anyway. I think the last one we did this with was Jet2 - so at least you can see if you ARE sat together or not - and then make the choice to pay to book seats together ?

girlelephant · 09/01/2017 11:43

I'm really shocked at the number of people giving terrible advice about just demanding others move or threatening other passengers with travel sickness etc.

I always book specific seats and don't like being asked to move for others to sit together. I have on rare occasions moved for others but only when travelling alone and they have been polite about asking.

I would call the airline and check their policy before booking. As others have said about the Aviation Legislation being seated together can be a row in front or behind which when on a short-haul flight could be

Best of luck to you Flowers

mummyof2pr · 09/01/2017 11:48

Usually when you fly with children (especially a lap child, not sure if this is case for you) they will let you book seats early for no fee! I would call the airline!

TheEmmaDilemma · 09/01/2017 11:50

If she can't afford the £28, then a backpack for £35 isn't going to be an option...

Original poster
Beth2511 · 09/01/2017 11:51

my 5 month old isnt entitled to a carry on bag and his milk etc i need for the flight and airport has to fit in with my allowance. plus it is a really tight squeeze financially and i really need to avoid needing to buy things i already own.

im just waiting for them to confirm that both kids are allowed two pieces of equipment in the hold so i can take 1 x pushchair, 1 x travel cot and 2 x car seats.

bloody nightmare.

i certainly wouldnt try that tactic if the worst happened.

am going to chance it and check in early as possible. not like the days of it being a mad scramble on the plane like when we were kids...

OP posts:
BusterTheBulldog · 09/01/2017 11:58

hummus the boys were on back row of plane in two seats row. I was in front on two seat row and had booked my window seat specifically to sleep, lady next to me has booked her aisle seat specifically as she had bad knee. Parents were both in middle of block of 4 seats but in rows miles away separately from one another. If I or lady next to me had swapped with parent we wouldn't have had our preffered seats as we would have been in middle of rows. As the parents were separate it also gets tricky with swapping.

Note no one actually asked or even hinted to us to swap at all, and after initial excitement / loudness from children and being shushed by air hostess, it all seeemd to be ok with parents just making occasional visits.

OldLibrary · 09/01/2017 12:01

Do you not check in online beforehand with them? And print/download boarding passes? Then you'd know where the seats are?

19lottie82 · 09/01/2017 12:01

You'll be fine. Just make sure you check in at the earliest chance you get.

Hersetta427 · 09/01/2017 12:05

its not law - its only guidance for airlines. They can and they do separate I am afraid.

Inthedistance · 09/01/2017 12:10

I am cabin crew and this happens a lot.
Just read that you are going to chance it, I'm sure you will be fine.
Maybe check how full the flight is? (See how many tickets the website lets you select before it says sold out)
Defo check in early-maybe set an alarm.
If you haven't been allocated seats together go to the ticket desk before you check your luggage in and see if they can help you, they will have a seat map of the flight and be able to see if they have any empty seats.
Just remember though the crew can't physically remove other passengers from their seats so you can sit together and nine times out of ten the crew aren't given a seat map so have no idea how they can help you until everyone else is onboard.
Hope your grandma recovers soon

mrsmortis · 09/01/2017 12:12

Which airline are you with? It may have changed, but when my current 5 year old was a lap child I wasn't allowed to check in online with her. I had to do it in person. That meant that it was impossible for DH, DD1 and I to get seats together if we didn't prebook them.

If I were you I'd check that that isn't still the case.

Birdsgottafly · 09/01/2017 12:17

""I do think you need to bear in mind that if the offer to book seats is there, and most people have taken it up, then they are not going to move for you. Why should they? ""

Because I'm a Mum, Grandmother and decent person, so if I could do something that would sto a two year old being in distress. Or to save another Mother, traveling with a baby, to see a old sick relative getting further stressed, then I would.

OP, I'm glad you've made that decision, you're going to need your luggage. Hopefully the plane won't be full of MNers! so you won't have an issue.

welshweasel · 09/01/2017 12:19

It's very likely that you'll get allocated seats next to one another anyway so I wouldn't worry. However, give some thought to how your going to manage juggling children/luggage etc around the airport. Presumably you'll take the baby in a sling and load up a trolley with the car seats, cot, pushchair, luggage etc and get the 2 year old to walk? Maybe consider reins as the last thing you need is a child making a run for it whilst you've got all that to grapple with! Take the absolute minimum that you need on to the flight with you as it can be a long walk either side. Personally I'd drive but I understand why you don't want to.

NK7995a1caX11eb0ed0bae · 09/01/2017 12:20

I'm assuming if it's a domestic flight it won't be very long? It'll be fine, even in the worst case scenario of you being separated. Have some of your 2 yr old's favourite activities in your carry on, plus a few treats. The hour or so will pass in a flash. My eldest DS travels often with flybe within the UK and he says it's really calm and hardly anyone seems to have booked a seat, everyone just works it out for themselves like on a bus.

Fingers crossed you're allowed to take all you need, it sounds an incredibly stressful situation for you. Good luck!

littlepeas · 09/01/2017 12:36

I agree with those saying it would be risky to hope others will move. I always book seats and am particular about where I sit - I used to be very afraid of flying and, although am much better now, I have rituals one of which is choosing my seat (control in a situation where I otherwise have none!). I would probably swop seats with you, as I couldn't be the reason a small child was away from their parent while flying, but it would make me very unhappy and probably nervous for the flight. Flying is an odd situation, many don't like it, many are particular about things to do with it - I would choose seats and take cabin bags only, you can get quite a bit into them if you're clever.

MovingOnUpMovingOnOut · 09/01/2017 12:41

Not related to this, but can you bring 2 year old's car seat on flight to sit in?

thatdearoctopus · 09/01/2017 12:42

Last time I flew with Easyjet, the stewardess came on the tannoy and said someone would need to swap with a mother so she could sit with her child, as they "were not allowed to take off" with an unaccompanied child.

eurochick · 09/01/2017 12:44

In these circumstances I would drive. I wouldn't be overly worried about the seating but getting through the airport with two little ones, luggage and baby equipment will be a nightmare how far is it by road? Could you do it overnight?