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Original poster

Online Check In - seats together with children

354 replies

madmare77 · 23/05/2017 11:09

I'm going on holiday next week. Thomson package holiday with DH, DS (12) and DD (9). Online check in opened today. Logged on at 6.30am and could not check in. I left it until after 9am and still not able to check in.
I called Thompson to query and was told they only allow 70% on people to check in online (God knows what time they got up to do this!).
I told the lady I was concerned as I had children (especially my 9 year old) could I pay to pre book seats and was told no. I'm concerned as it's a 4.5 hour flight and I don't want my kids sat next to any Tom, Dick or Harry.
Are there any airline industry people who can tell me if they will try to seat us together or are we screwed?
Thanks

OP posts:
Roussette · 24/05/2017 16:53

Cakescoffer Totally agree. As soon as I leave home, the holiday starts for me and I wouldn't be shifting for some entitled arse because they haven't paid for seats.

Walrus Michael O'leary certainly hasn't hypnotised me... I never travel Ryanair and I make a choice to buy my seat for all sorts of reasons which I can't be bothered to go into. I LIKE the way it is done now. Flights are cheaper because of the splitting up of luggage, meals, seats etc.

Bottom line is... you get what you pay for. If you don't pay you might not get it. Creating a fuss on a plane won't work, I remember reading a DailyFail article about someone who did and got chucked off the flight. At this point, I would be chatting to my husband about our upcoming holiday oblivious... because our paid seats are secure.

All those worked up about it, complain to the airlines if it worries you so much.

Barbara agree with pp... you know all this. And I've been there and done it myself and just sucked it up because that's the way it was.

JanetBrown2015 · 24/05/2017 17:05

The second on line check in opens I always start clicking to book and have never had a problem but not often gone with Thomson so don't really know about them. I never pay in advance extra to be next to people as I am far too mean.

One of my children actively asked to be apart from the family on one flight as a teenager so don't assume all children actually want to be next to their family on the flight!

JigglyTuff · 24/05/2017 17:16

You didn't really pay for your seat did you Walrus? You stood in the aisle and swore and shouted in front of your poor 4 year old disabled child until someone was embarrassed enough for you to swap seats.

FrancisCrawford · 24/05/2017 17:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MaidOfStars · 24/05/2017 17:32

Maybe someone has mentioned it but most airlines will offer free seating choices when travelling with disabled people?

ememem84 · 24/05/2017 17:38

I honestly think the airlines should either just allocate seats (no booking available at all for anyone you just take what you're given) or go back to seats being included in the (higher) price which you can pre-book.

Everyone should be on the same even keel. Yes if they all hiked prices some may not be able to afford the flights, but that's no different to now. You either can or you can't.

My trick with a lot of airlines is to prebook within 2 rows of emergency exits if I can. Depending on the airline they are Unlikely to allow a child on that row therefore unlikely to be asked to move by parent who hasn't realised that "seating near your child" means anything from the seat next door to the one three rows behind.

ShotsFired · 24/05/2017 17:40

S'funny all those people saying how angry the seat-booking non-movers on this thread are; and how they are pleased to have wound them up so much etc.

All I can summon up in my mind's eye about each group of travellers is one load of people calmly in their seats, reading books, or happily chatting to their spouses or own families; while the other group are blocking the aisle, blowing steam out their ears and furiously demanding the cabin crew "do something" about their lack of seat reservations at this point.

I know which group I'd rather be in as I begin my lovely holiday...

Roussette · 24/05/2017 18:09

Absolutely Shots. It totally goes over my head to be honest, holidays are important to me and I'm buggered if I'm going to get into a spat with other passengers or airline staff when it's nothing to do with me.

Pay me and my party's seat booking fees and I'll consider moving if it's to a better seat. If not, I won't.

Having said that, someone I know had buggered up their booking on a flight I was on, and I did move to make it easier for them but that was because it was a genuine mistake.

MaidOfStars · 24/05/2017 18:09

Yes if they all hiked prices some may not be able to afford the flights, but that's no different to now
Yes it is.

Some people who could have afforded the flight were they willing to sacrifice their right to choose a seat for a small discount on the ticket price may now not be able to afford the flight.

ememem84 · 24/05/2017 18:23

maid ok I get that. But surely then we're back to that "you want piece of mind you're sat next to your child pay for the privilidge" thing. Those who do will. Those who either can't afford or want to chance it won't.

It's usually those who want to chance it in my eyes who get stroppy when they can't.

In my view it's easy. Pay to sit with your child/group/whoever. Don't moan if you don't and then can't. Or maybe that should be don't moan and then expect others to move.

ivykaty44 · 24/05/2017 19:05

When I go on holiday I am happy to sit wherever on a flight, if you want me to move seats - fine then I'll move to another seat. TBH I can't actually tell the difference between all the seats and they all seem pretty comfy to me.

Perhaps I should travel with a sign saying...happy to move or swap seats

I just can't get hung up on which seat I'm in

kali110 · 24/05/2017 19:08

ivy some people don't care where, it's WHO they're sitting next too.
I wouldn't be separated from my dh, so i wouldn't move for another person whether that's another adult or child.

ivykaty44 · 24/05/2017 19:10

What even if it meant you got moved to first class or business class?

Astro55 · 24/05/2017 19:36

What if you are sat next to DH and sweaty sweaty stranger?

What if you are next to dH and a truck load of excited teens or worse a stag party?

rightwhine · 24/05/2017 19:58

Can't you see that the airlines are cashing in on this? They are not offering 'discounts' to those who don't care where they sit, they are charging extra to those who NEED to sit either together or in a certain type of seat

No, they're not. Airline travel is far far cheaper than it used to be but there is choice to add prebooked seats. They aren't cashing in, they are giving choice. I pay for that choice even though my DCs are older. I paid for it when they were little - through the extortionate ticket price

Like any business they will want to make a certain profit. If they don't make it from the "extras" they'll just increase the ticket price anyway. They aren't cashing in. They are just giving choice whilst maintaining an acceptable to them profit margin.

rightwhine · 24/05/2017 20:02

and walrus If you already know how important it is to sit with your child due to her needs, then that is even more reason why you need to prebook those seats - just as everybody else has to if it is important to them to have specific seats for whatever reason they want

rightwhine · 24/05/2017 20:08

It doesn't cost airlines time or money to allocate seats, it's a money making scam. They have to allocate a seat anyway and it's all automated.
They could but they won't make so much profit so they''ll increase the prices. They'll get their money one way or the other.
Personally I prefer the choice and cheaper flights. Sometimes I win and save money by not prebooking and other times I suck it up and pay to be seated next to my kids. I'd rather that than pay increased ticket prices all the time.

NotISaidTheWalrus · 24/05/2017 20:09

I do prebook my seats. That doesn't mean it isn't a cunty charge for a cunty reason.

rightwhine · 24/05/2017 20:11

Then it will be overall increased prices for that cunty business reason - profit margin. That's life. Do you moan about prices in shops? They want decent profit margins too.

Andrewofgg · 24/05/2017 20:12

It seems to me that even in the case of a passenger with a disability the airlines cannot make another passenger who has prebooked and paid move. It's not a reasonable adjsutment to behave unlawfully. Anyone disagree?

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 24/05/2017 20:12

I do prebook my seats. That doesn't mean it isn't a cunty charge for a cunty reason.

If they didn't charge to prebook seats, it would be nearly impossible to seat everyone with their partners/friends/family due to seat configurations.

By charging, they're allowing the people who deem it important enough to pay to sit together, to actually guarantee sitting together. Then slot everyone in who doesn't pay afterwards. Makes it easier.

If they took tha charge away, we wouldn't have that option, and that would be exceptionally unfair.

It's not a "cunty charge" for a "cunty reason" at all. Far from it.

choli · 24/05/2017 20:15

Pay me and my party's seat booking fees and I'll consider moving if it's to a better seat. If not, I won't.

I'd only move if they paid double my party's seat booking fee for the inconvenience.

NotISaidTheWalrus · 24/05/2017 20:17

If they didn't charge to prebook seats, it would be nearly impossible to seat everyone with their partners/friends/family due to seat configurations

Bullshit. Airlines do it all the time.

ShotsFired · 24/05/2017 20:17

I would pay good money to watch a planeload of non-seat-bookers like the indignant families in this thread all get on the same flight and then demand that cabin crew sort them all out in one go, all to their own perfect seating specifications.

I wonder if they will be calling other parents who also want to sit next to their own children cunts as well?

McTufty · 24/05/2017 20:18

andrewofgg

I agree in principle - but is it unlawful to make someone move? Whenever I have booked a seat it has always said that I may be required to move for operational reasons.

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