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AIBU?

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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:
JanetBrown2015 · 25/05/2017 10:43

On packed trains where every seat is reserved lots of people just have to take those in the hope the real owner of the seat won't turn up and often that person does not turn up. It's a bit different on planes. I would always just take our allocated seat and then if we need to swap do that later. These days we tend to be the ones moving to get a parent and child sit together although I do like an aisle seat so I can get up and down. I moved on my last flight from a middle seat to window to let a mother and child sit next to each other as it would be ridiculous for me to be sitting between them in a set of 3 on a plane. They are happy with that.

expatinscotland · 25/05/2017 10:43

'But we wanted to sit together.' 'Yeah, so do we, that's why we booked these seats. These are our seats.' 'Oh, can't you sit somewhere else?' 'No, that's why we booked these seats. Please get out of our seats.' If they don't budge, I call staff over.

GaelicSiog · 25/05/2017 10:46

Oh gosh, I had that on a train once.

"Excuse me, I've booked these seats."
"Oh, I'm getting off in 5 stops, can't you wait?"
"Well, no, I booked these seats."
"Can't you just sit somewhere else until then?"

The train was packed. I assume this was why they were in my seats Hmm

ShotsFired · 25/05/2017 10:47

@expatinscotland Oh, I've had folks do that, refuse to move out of assigned seats on a plane or train. I guess they think the person whose seat it is won't show up, but when they do, and show their ticket, um, get out.

Not directly related this this thread, but I've had some assigned seating concert tickets go missing in the post. They would have been franked as coming from the venue and are probably quite obviously tickets.

I am looking forward to meeting my impostor at the venue when I pick up the replacements with my photo ID and get to the seats Grin

welshweasel · 25/05/2017 10:53

We are flying with thomas cook on Sunday. Me, DH, DSS(18), DSD(15) and DS(1). We've not prebooked. I suspect (going on extensive previous experience) that we will get at least two seats together, which me, DH and DS will have and more than likely will all get seated in the same row. Worst case scenario we all get separated and DH and I will take it in turns to have DS on our laps and drink wine. I think that scenario is unlikely but if it arises I won't be asking anyone to move. If I'd paid for seats, as I sometimes did on long flights pre DS, when I wanted to sit by DH) there's no way in hell I'd have moved for someone who hadn't considered the worst case scenario.

Maxandrubyrubyandmax · 25/05/2017 10:56

I'm always shocked at people surprise at this! A quick google search throws up lots of stories about families separated on planes. It's not fair you have to pay to prebook seats but that's the rules. Pay and guarantee your seat. Don't pay and take the chance. Why should others have to move? Factor in the costs at booking

expatinscotland · 25/05/2017 10:56

Yep, exactly, Gaelic. 'No, I can't just wait. That's why I booked this seat. Are you going to get out of it, or do I need to call staff over, because I need to sit in my seat.'

FrancisCrawford · 25/05/2017 11:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

welshweasel · 25/05/2017 11:06

The last time that happened to me on the train I went and found the guard, who found me a seat in first class. That was lovely, but it made me cross that the other people were just allowed to get away with it, such a sense of entitlement.

Maxandrubyrubyandmax · 25/05/2017 11:16

I once travelled on my own with my nearly two year old on a small plane with a 2x2 formation. I booked an aisle seat as my son was quite big and obviously had more room in the aisle seat. Cue mother arriving late with 2 kids carrying huge carry on bags (no way did they fit the limits) one child was sat next to me by the window and the mother and other daughter sat over the aisle. Huge melt down when I wouldn't swop my aisle seat and be squashed in with toddler on lap and their huge suit case on the floor. Whether you think it's fair pricing or not pay for a service (checked bags and preallocated seating) why should you get something for free others have paid for. If you can't afford all the services you need don't pick that holiday! You would rock up at a hotel and demand to upgraded to full board from self catering

Willow2017 · 25/05/2017 12:28

Last time I flew was years and years ago, it was a shock last year to find I had to book seats to sit beside my kids but I sucked it up. I may not like it but I get that airlines are trying to make money any way they can in a cut-throat business with astronomical costs.

This year I did the same. My kids my responsibility not anyone elses.

If I was flying alone and didnt mind what seat I sat in I would move to accomodate someone (unless I had a window seat muha ha) but I wouldnt expect someone else to do it for me and my kids. They have paid the same as me to fly, I am not their problem.

Astro55 · 25/05/2017 12:38

I think you'll find ticket pricing varies according to how close you are to travel - not every seat costs the same price

Andrewofgg · 25/05/2017 12:52

On trains it's always families who "need" a table and expect singleton travellers to free one up and sit with a seat-back in the face. Forget it. You can't need what's not gone had and it's the tables which go first when booking opens - because everyone prefers them.

expatinscotland · 25/05/2017 13:35

Oh, yeah, Andrew. I tell them to go get knotted. I booked a table for a reason. I once even had a chancer in such a seat when I'd booked first class, too. Person didn't even have a first class ticket. Fuck off, chancer.

JanetBrown2015 · 25/05/2017 13:42

I remember booking the quiet coach on a train on a work trip and a table seat as I had 2 hours of work to do my lap top near a plug (and aisle seat so I could get in and out). All looked fine (as there were 3 seats all empty around the table except for me) . Then at the last minute a mother father, toddler and baby got the other 3 seats. I think they probably booked them which is fine but why book the one quiet coach with 2 little children. So there I was business suit (too mean to pay first class) and then out come the toddler drinks, toddler food etc etc. I put the lap top away as too much chance it would get drink over it and I decided not to book the quiet coach again as I always annoys me how much noise there is in it. Another time I talked down the train (not rush hour) from my booked seat and saw loads as spare seats elsewhere not booked whereas everyone who had booked was in or near the quiet coach.

requestingsunshine · 25/05/2017 16:04

I've booked seats on a train before, but didn't get to choose the actual seats, we were just given reserved seats. There was no charge either, unlike the airlines.

However on my ticket I could have got any train that day, but seats were only reserved on the time I thought we would get. We actually got an earlier train as it happens but the reserved tickets would be on the later one but we wouldn't, so who cares if someone else sat in them?

2014newme · 25/05/2017 16:41

On a train you can get allocated seats in the quiet carriage without booking specifically for the carriage. There is a box you can tick to choose quiet carriage but there is no box to tick that says please
don't give me quiet carriage. That's how I've ended up with small kids in the quiet carriage.

@JanetBrown2015 I imagine that's what happened in your case. They likely didn't choose quiet carriage but were allocated it.

Andrewofgg · 25/05/2017 17:21

And if you end up in the qc with or without children you can still say No ipads, no electric toys, we're going to talk.

2014newme · 25/05/2017 18:27

My kids use headphones with ipad etc believe me it's a lot quieter than them talking!

Raggydolly3 · 25/05/2017 20:14

Last time we travelled on a train with 3 year old DS i actually rang and asked if I could request not to go in the quiet carriage and was told I could not.
So you can request the quiet carriage but not request not to be in the quiet carriage
Guess were we ended up Hmm

Raggydolly3 · 25/05/2017 20:25

as I said before you can be as demanding as you want but all you will end up achieving if people refuse to move is upsetting your kids. So pay and be sure or don't pay and risk it- up to you.

Or if you kick up a huge fuss you will be removed from the aircraft
Yep it's not fair but at that moment that won't help you.

2014newme · 25/05/2017 20:25

Exactly. that's the problem with quiet carriage you can't opt out of it.

Andylion · 25/05/2017 21:05

that's the problem with quiet carriage you can't opt out of it.

Now that's just ass-backwards. Confused

Astro55 · 25/05/2017 21:17

Maybe that's a good idea?

All those who wish to book seats can be in rows A-F so they can bicker over no isle seats or lack of leg room or whatever and leave everyone else to board in peace - take a seat and get to where they are going

Raggydolly3 · 25/05/2017 21:31

Yep because that is the only reason why two adults would book seats next to each other- lack of leg room hmm]
Or does reasons because of disability or a fear of flying come under your "whatever" Astro