prebooking flight seats?

[Beth2511]

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!

I would go for seats over luggage and just take a backpack of clothing etc, but if that's not an option, I think you'd be likely to be totally fine without pre-booking your seats. Not everyone will do it, and as soon as online check-in opens, you should be able to log on and get your seats at that point. Or get to the airport early, as soon as check in opens. Many times I've flown with DH having not booked in advance (just selected when check in opened etc) and have always managed to be sat together.

This was on Rip off Britain last week. A family of five (youngest child about 2yrs old) paid for seats and still werent given them. The airline did not have to seat the children next to the parents. The dad asked the passengers if anyone would move, the airline staff werent interested. They did get a refund but i dont think thats the point.

I think you'll be fine and they'll make sure you are together. I've flown with Flybe before and they are generally a nice airline.

I've also stopped paying for seating on any flights when we go with DS as he's 10 and I figure he'd be ok without us for a few hours, and we've always been put in together.

I do feel duty bound to point out though that if £28 is 1/3 of the cost of your flights, then the total cost (without luggage) is around £85, which is pretty cheap for 3 people to travel return.
The airlines can afford to offer these cheap fares because they charge for the extras. I know that you can't really class sitting beside your 2 year old ( presumably 5mth old on lap) as an extra, but luggage certainly is and that why it's priced fairly highly.

I had this situation when flying with three SN adults - I was their carer. This was a budget airline. I had to ask the flight attendant when we boarded the plane to move us as we were sitting in completely different areas. Was told there was nothing we could do until we boarded the plane which was very stressful. They did move us to sit together but split up some family/friends who were very disgruntled and let us know it. This was a flight of maybe an hour and a half and the others concerned were adults with no obvious disabilities...
It had a happy ending but I can't believe - well I can but don't want to - that they are charging so much for seat reservations!

I'd risk it. I've been on plenty of flights where people have been asked to and agreed to swap.

" I've been on plenty of flights where people have been asked to and agreed to swap."

Equally, there are plenty of people who won't.

I hate the way airlines treat passengers this way these days.

I hate these bloody threads.

So quite a few posters think that it's perfectly fine for me to pay a premium to choose a seat, and to get turfed out of said seat to accommodate someone who didn't pay.

I had this happen to me.. middle aged woman and friend in window and middle wanted me to move from my aisle seat row 5 to swap with her hubby in middle at back of plane. This for a whole hour long flight and was quite put out when I refused.

I sympathise with the OP but you cannot expect people to move these days when they've paid extra and you haven't

Try calling the airline and explaining your requirement for the flight and dilemma. I remember when my grandparent was dying, the airline kept the plane on the tarmac while my mother raced to the airport to catch the flight; they weren't bothered about paying for the flight - they said it could be sorted later. A phone call to explain your scenario to a real person can go a great distance.... Failing that sobbing in the departure lounge helps too.

We've flown london - Glasgow with budget airlines and children lots of times. Have never paid extra to book seats and it's been fine. I was also surprised at the generous allowance for baby kit. Hint from me is to buy/make bags for your car seats to go in. Will protect them but they can also be stuffed with a few hidden coats/jumpers/nappies to save having to carry them on.

I wouldn't bother pre booking if money is tight . I've done lots of similar regional flights with a 2yr old and a baby and never had an issue.

The flight absolutely won't be full. Even if it were lots of people will be solo travellers and happy to help/move and check-in staff are usually v accommodating. I usually ask to have a whole row if it is possible, it always has been. People on short regional flights are usually frequent travellers and wouldn't get stroppy about moving if they had to (which they won't)

Seriously, take luggage. Hope all is ok

Also, again from experience, you'll struggle to have carry on luggage. You won't have enough hands. I found it challenging as I chose to take the pram to the gate. But even with the baby in a sling that only leaves one hand for any bags

I have risked it on ryanair. I just set an alarm on my phone for when the online check in opened and did it asap. It has never failed, thoughi dont know how flybe checkin works.

I've flown on my own with my two dds a lot and it is v hard with all the stuff, but my top tips are:
At the ariport: Put luggage on the pram, bring a couple of bungees if you have any and bungee it all on. Put baby in a sling on your front. Have your carry on luggage with what you need on flight in a backpack and if possible your 2 y o's carry on with stuff you don't need as if flight is full you may well be able to check this in free of charge, and you will have to check in anyway to get your carseats on and your buggy tagged etc. So when you do this ask if they are checking in carry-ons for free.
Then when you get to the other end and have to walk miles before you can collect buggy you can have baby in sling, backpack on back, one hand for other piece of luggage if not in hold, and other hand for 2 y o.
Oh, and wear something tunic-y over leggings or jeggings as it's easier to go the loo with a baby and luggage on while supervising a toddler. I second the advice to check in online as soon as it opens - you should be fine like this.

I'm sure you'll be fine and will be allocated seats next to each other. Especially if it's during term time. Single business travelers will be happy to swop seats.

Having flown with just the one small child alone, I'd absolutely drive if it was possible. But that's just me. Make yourself known to the cabin crew and they will help you lots.

Oh and I flew as recently as New Years Eve. You are only looking a two seats together, the children are very young and it's a non-peak time. If they are not allocated seats together I'll eat my hat. Plus OP says money is tight so no sense in wasting it. Also politely asking a single person who probably hasn't booked and doesn't really mind where they sit if mind swapping is also a perfectly reasonable thing to do. If they say no someone else won't mind offering.

On an Air Canada flight (I was told at booking that they would seat 5yo DS next to me) On check in he was the opposite end of the plane. When I asked for the details of the passengers next to him (as I would need to speak to them about giving him his medication if I was unable to get to him) they bumped us up to premium class!

I really like Flybe. There's a sort of joy in being flung across the country in a plane that's no bigger than our caravan. Also, they have planes that have propellers - you never get that these days!

I was a bit when we walked across the runway to see the pilot kicking the tyres and then saying to one of the grounds people "Yeah, they should be alright, I'll take it easy on them"

You should of course prioritise your toddler & pay