Online Check In - seats together with children

[madmare77]

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

Just checked in for a flight to Dublin with my oh on Saturday they've allocated us 2 middle seats 23 rows apart unless we want to pay. Oh well iplayer and earphones it is then

What they should do is make it mandatory for any booking that includes children to have to pay extra for prebooked seats. It is obvious that they are not in a position to save the airlines time and money by not caring where they sit or who they sit with as single adult travellers can, so they should not be allowed to benefit from the cost saving.

Gaelicslog - I have been in that exact position, also with "well-known Irish budget airline".

Back in the days when seating was first-come-first-served, we were caught in traffic and almost missed the plane. So when DH, myself and DS (5), DD1 (3) and DD2 (1) got on board, there were precisely four seats left, dotted all over the plane. DS and DD1 sat together near the back, me on my own in the middle, and DH (with DD2 in a lap belt) at the front.

No member of the cabin crew attempted to seat us together, or showed any concern that we were separated, and no-one offered to move. And I was so embarrassed at being late on board that I didn't ask anyone to! Leaving DH with DD2, I spent most of the flight running up and down the aisle, or sitting on the floor in the aisle next to DS and DD1. Despite being 3 and 5 they were good as gold, although at one point, DD1 needed a wee, and I couldn't get past the drinks trolley, so the lady sitting next to her had to take her. DS also spilled yogurt all down himself. By the time we landed I was a sweating, frazzled wreck. Heaven knows what would have happened if they'd tried to get to me during takeoff or whatever.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't expect the cabin crew to care, don't expect people to move (although strangers can be kinder than you think), your children possibly will survive a flight without sitting next to you and, most of all, if it's important to sit with your children pre-book your seats, and don't be last to check in!

LittleBear, when I was 18 it cost about £200 to fly London-Paris return. 34 years later, it still costs about £200.

This has been explained time and again on this thread.

Not is showing just how charming she is on a flight and obviously in everyday life.

Agree with Astro55. I've never paid the extra and always got seats together.

I haven't read the full thread, but I'm really surprised at this, as I'm going on a Thomson holiday with dd next week, and checked in on-line yesterday with no problem (about 3pm, so not early), was automatically allocated seats together, and saw that if I'd wanted different seats there was an option to pay for my own selection. Wonder why Thomson's policies vary for different flights . I'd have been pretty annoyed if I hadnt been able to get a seat next to dd.

Fire on board where we would evacuate or oxygen masks needed to be put on. Listening to most people on here they would trample the kids in the selfish rush to get off

Two of my children are flight deck crew. Others are cabin crew. I think you need to take a more realistic approach to emergencies and stop hiding behind the possibility of one in order to save a few bob.

I'd pay to sit away from DH and DS

And seriously, if there was some idiot making an emergency situation even worse I'd hope some strong folk would restrain them

{grin]

Ida

This has been done to death. But I still don't get that someone who has paid is expected to give up what they've paid for to someone who hasn't paid. And if they don't they're selfish.

Well. Now I know. I am officially A Selfish Arse

Factor in the cost of your trip. Its what I do when I travel with mine

I think people who dont genuinely cannot conceive there are people who are at a stage in life where they can say - well just let me off then.

Its what I'd do based on the fact Ive managed to travel frequently with 5 children including one with profound special needs, and at one stage 3 under 4 years old. Then there are my grandchildren I take on holiday nowadays.

Get off the aircraft because I wont change seats just because ???? Thank you very much, Ill do exactly that and you can deal with all that comes with it.

The issue is that you are buying into believing your seat is now some how superior to anyone who has paid 'extra' or in some cases - getting a discount.

Some want isle - some prefer window - when actually they are just seats on a plane.

The problem is that airlines want headline prices to be cheap.

I think that the best bet would be for airlines to automatically add on all the extras and then make passengers deliberately remove options, with warnings along the way.

So seats £6.99 each. Do you want to upgrade to bulkhead seats? £3 more. If you deduct the seat prices up comes a warning that you will not be seated together. You can't deduct the seat prices if a member of your party is under 16.

Then you can choose to save but understand the consequences. Job done.

The issue is that you are buying into believing your seat is now some how superior to anyone who has paid 'extra' or in some cases - getting a discount

Whats this discount you've mentioned?

As for buying into believing your seat is superior? Nah, my only requirements for a seat are that I can have my right leg in the aisle if my arthritis is playing up and that Im no more than 4 rows away from the facilities.

I won't change seats with anyone but a pay to sit next to my husband so if I have a seizure he can deal with it. I don't put it to chance so I would certainly not swap with someone who did

Astro RTFT.

There are many many extremely valid reasons why people require specific seats. Disabilities, mental health issues, stomach problems, mobility issues.

I have RTFT thank you very much!

Previusly to seat allocation I'm assuming those with specific issues would have been the Ines to demand an isle seat or rear seat?

No different now only it's kids in the firing line - still creates an 'entitled' seating plan

We're away now in Turkey and flew with Thomson.
There is me, dp, ds 14 and dd 6.

We checked in online 7 days before and had been allocated our seats as three of us on a row and dp in the aisle seat next to us and same going home. We did not pay to pre book.

There were no issues with families being separated on our flight. Thomson are pretty good at sitting families together, we fly with them every year and never had a problem.

This thread is ridiculous!!

I've never paid for seats together and have always ended up with my dcs
Quite frankly even if I'm not it doesn't bother me, where can they go???
Even easyJet allocate seating free and keep those in one booking together.

It's a money maker by charter airlines, you can choose seats on scheduled airlines, never had an issue, budget airlines never had an issue

Thomson can kiss my ass if they think I'm paying £15 per person per trip to sit together (which they'll most likely do anyway money grabbing badtsrds)

Exactly Astro55