Single mum. Do I need to prebook flight seats ?

[Blinkyblink]

Trying to get through to Monarch. The less said about that the better.

I'm travelling alone with my 6 and 4 year old. Our first holiday as a new family of 3. I'm on a careful budget and would rather not have to pay the £30 to prebook us. However the thought of my 4 year old (not a chance my 6 year old would be ok on his own) could be separately seated from me is somewhat concerning! Surely single adults travelling with children are seated with the children??

In the absence of Monarch customer service actually providing any customer service, please could someone clarify.

Thanks very much

Aviation law . I think most parents would be happy with one seat away if that was the only option.

Martin Lewis hey? Well here is his thread about it www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/travel/2015/04/mse-calls-for-airlines-to-scrap-family-tax-and-guarantee-parents-are-seated-next-to-children-for-free

And here is the paragraph where it says no LAW has been broken: Are airlines breaking any rules? The airlines aren't technically breaking any rules set out by the regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Its guidelines only state that airlines should aim to sit parents close to children or if this isn't possible, they should not be separated by more than one aisle and by no more than one seat row

Oh and here is a quote from the CAA stating that they don't intend to change the rules: We asked the CAA whether it plans to tighten the guidelines to guarantee parents are seated next to their children for free. It says it has no plans to change the rules

So uh, yeah, that was bollocks then.

Lots of "shoulds", no "musts".

That's interesting Dallas, you've just found an article that quotes the same CAA rules as me. Doesn't change them does it!?!
You can read on the website what is expected and if not the child HAS to be seated only one row away. Its there in black and white. I think most parents would think one row is reasonable for a short haul flight.
I fly a lot with my children. Only once have an airline tried to seat us separately. I knew my rights so they sat us next to each other. I never pay extra. I'm sure that will annoy some of you lot

The CAA doesn't have RULES. It has guidelines.

No airline would be fined/in trouble etc for not following a GUIDELINE.

They have tried to pass it as a law in the US. It passed congress last year and this year should come into effect (unless congress backs down). If that happens then the CAA might follow the FAA and request a law change, but until then the airlines can do as they wish.

Being a dick on a flight "I know my rights" doesn't make you right, it just makes you someone who is being a dick.

Oh and "one seat away" still means that your child will be the last person wearing an oxygen mask if it comes to it. Or sitting with strangers when the plane plummets. For some that would be fine. For me? not so much. So I pay. My child, my responsibility.

Any "should" or "should not" means it's not a rule.

On a crowded flight with many other kids, it may just be a fond hope.
It also depends on the attitude of the particular cabin crew.

I travel alone, don't care where I sit, so I'd always move if someone asks politely, even if it's just to allow a couple of adults to sit together.
Those who do care - especially if they have paid - may refuse and the cabin crew may / may not try to force them.

I've never taken my dc's on holiday but I wouldn't risk this. I'd pay upfront.

Good heavens. What a storm in a tea cup!

I already confirmed upthread that monarch had confirmed seating would be together as I am a single parent travelling with two young children.

I asked whether there was a possibility of someone being bumped off their seat.

The response, from a manager, after waiting 22 minutes to spoke with her!, was that my three seats has already been allocated. She even gave me my frickin' seat numbers.

So, Relax.

Apparently very important seated together as evacuation procedure in event of emergency likely held up by parents tying to get to their children so aviation authorities strongly guides airlines to ensure seated together.

That's great OP, although in the link upthread Monarch were one of the worst offenders for not seating parents and children together, and told MSE direct they wouldn't guarantee it without a charge. Strange, but great for you

Threads about booking plane seats always go this way blinky. In fact there's something about air travel altogether that gets MNetters riled up. You should have seen the one where I asked if others would just take hand luggiage for a two week trip as I was hoping to do - laundry facilities at other end. That descended into a Free for all with posters being attacked and called selfish for even having hand luggage in the first place as it was "selfish" apparently

Perhaps new for 2017?

Not sure

Either way, it's sensible. not thought about evacuation procedure being disrupted

They need a holiday MsGame!

MsGameandWatch I think it's more about the arrogance of some people expecting others to subsidise them £30 or so.

It's not a basic right in life to fly abroad. It reminds me of the type of person too tight to pay 5p for a carrier bag and either trying to nick one from the self service or they stand mosning at the checkout while everyone else gets on with it.

Or if you are on such a strict budget, stay in a cottage in the U.K. that's what we did for years.

No thanks wist
I've been allocated my seat
So that money now going on slap up brekkie at the airport

I've just checked in for an easyjet flight and got our family sat together without paying extra so that's all good.

However once most of the seats have been pre-booked and there's simply not enough seats left to sit families together them surely there's going to be grumbles either by the families or by the others who've been told to move from their pre-booked seats.

Ryanair has the right idea IMO and lets face it they are the cheapest so noone can complain too much about paying a little extra to get it sorted.

On the easyjet site you can see how many seats are taken before committing to pre-booking one, on our flight very few were taken which I suspect helps a lot. I think you can do this with monarch too, it helps if the airline says its accommodating but I still don't understand how it can all work out nicely IF everyone has pre-booked seats already on that particular flight.

Anyway, check-in as soon as it's available I would.

Selfish taking hand luggage? Er, what were the ones complaining hoping to do, stick a child up in the luggage compartment to save buying a seat? ;-) (actually.....)

They'd love us, we are going away at half term hand luggage only, so taking 4 cabin sized wheelies and 4 small rucksacks....(all entirely allowed on EasyJet if you pay for the front few rows of seats, plus being up the front means you are first in line for the bacon sarnies, essential to keep the 11 year old human on a 6am flight...!)

Francis
Exactly my point. How can an airline promise to sit families together when in fact everyone else has prebooked seats and there's no groups of seats left.

They can do their best, but not promise surely.

No thanks wist
I've been allocated my seat
So that money now going on slap up brekkie at the airport wink

Not that tight a budget then if you can blow it on the finest processed meat an airport can provide

Er, what were the ones complaining hoping to do, stick a child up in the luggage compartment to save buying a seat?

No, no, no. Children should fly Cargo Class!

Another one here who will readily get up and move if asked politely.

Anyone else find that if you book a table seat on a long-distance train a family will ask you to move because they "need" a table and you can sit with a seatback in your face? No, you don't need a table and you won't find one that has not been booked. You need doubles and each adult looks after a child.