On plane and couple sat in our seats

[ivykaty44]

I just sat down on the aisle seat but my DP then didn't know where to sit. Cabin crew asked to see this couples boarding passes but the woman started shouting that she's nervous traveller and has to sit by the window & can't be apart from her do.

There were seats behind free so we said we were happy to sit elsewhere, then we find another couple had been split up unnecessarily - so they moved to sit together. And we sat together

But really, why had ground staff split these couples up when it wasn't necessary - isn't it UR to split people up on planes when they don't have to be? Surely this is just churlish

I wish the budget airlines would just start charging a proper inclusive ticket price instead of x (ticket price) plus y (seat price). It would stop a lot of this nonsense.

Years ago, I was flying longhaul on my own, and some horrid person sat in my seat, was ridiculously rude, and refused to move. I was all apologetic, even though it wasn't my fault, and I was upgraded to FIRST class!!! I'm sure the steward did that just to annoy the arrogant woman... which it did

Happened to me recently on a Ryanair flight. I'd booked 3 in a row and then 2 seats across the aisle. Couple who had a 16yo hadn't booked had the window seat and then 2 single seats elsewhere. They panicked and shouted at the crew that they'd have to find my DDs somewhere else to sit as the "had" to sit with their son.

Quite how she reasoned my 14yos should be shifted out of my sight when it "wasn't safe" for her 16yo to be sat alone amongst stag parties I'm not sure.

Thankfully the cabin crew didn't have a bar of it and told them to shift.

We were fucked over on our honeymoon by a couple who "accidentally' sat in our seats. We were all kind and let them sit there and it turned out they knew full well it was where they got a better view of the cinema screen (those were the days!)

I would not give my seat up in those circumstances or in yours. I might to accommodate a family with small children

Now I just stand there and wait for them to move. I have to bite my tongue to stop an apology coming out

'I wish the budget airlines would just start charging a proper inclusive ticket price instead of x (ticket price) plus y (seat price). It would stop a lot of this nonsense.'

Why the hell should a person who doesn't care where he/she sits have to pay more just because some cheap cunts don't want to pay to sit together and then try to take the piss?

Last week DH and were sat in aisle seat and middle seat of a row. DH was asked by chap next to the window if he would swap seats with him as he wanted to sit next to his wife who was sat across the aisle. DH had pre booked an aisle seat as he is a nervous flyer. Man was told no - you should have booked a seat like we had to!

I thought of my fellow MNetters as I said it

I did even ask at check in to be sat next to my dp, we just went to look for allocated seats - no extra payment.

So it would seem that the airline deliberately seperate people - though dp and I had been allocated seats together.

Incidentally we were forced to put luggage in hold for free, I didn't actually want to but they said I had to and it was free.

This was monarch

In the olden days, before all this pay to get your seat thing, I went to sit in my allocated seat only to be asked by the man in the seat next to me if I wouldn't mind swapping with his wife, who had been allocated elsewhere. I didn't care so went to where his wife was sitting and sat in her newly vacated seat. A few minutes later I was asked by cabin crew to Show My Boarding Card, as someone else was supposed to be sitting there. After a convoluted explanation as to why my card and seat number didn't match, turned out the wife was sat in the wrong bloody seat to start with! So I looked like the dickhead who just fancied sitting wherever she liked. Still riles me, that does. :o

I didn't ask to sit next to do - that should read

"I wish the budget airlines would just start charging a proper inclusive ticket price instead of x (ticket price) plus y (seat price). It would stop a lot of this nonsense."

Then there wouldn't be budget fares any more, @SerfTerf.

You can either have a much higher, all-inclusive price, or you can have low prices with optional add-ons. The low cost airlines have opened travel up to so many more people - do we want to go back to the bad old days when only the better off could afford foreign travel?

I have to disagree with you there @SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius.

Take the most recent flights I have booked, as an example; UK to Europe, EasyJet, "headline" cost £22 per person, but then you have to choose either £10 or £15 seats (or thereabouts) and hold baggage is pick and mix on top.

I'm not quibbling about the baggage being optional and other add ins, but why on earth not make the ticket inclusive of a seat and sell them on a "first come, first served" basis at a flat rate of £35?

£35 one way pp would still be a (very) "budget" fare. They do it for one reason only. To advertise rock-bottom, market-leading rates.

But the side effect is people penny-pinching then seat-squatting.

You raise your voice, and boom 'you're sitting in my/our seats' usually works as I'm 6 foot I'm a softy really

They should have waited until everyone boarded. If they jump in your seats, you jump into someone else's seat, and it becomes a domino effect.

If it was really that important, she should have paid to sit next to her dp.

I would have made them move. But then I am a bitch.

Yabu.
If you're a nervous flier you pay to sit next to your partner.

PenguinOfDoom me too! I pay extra though, as i'm a nervous flier!

Those who pay for their seats should be in a separate Q. First on.

Then everyone else is known to be a seat paying dodger and feck them.

'Take the most recent flights I have booked, as an example; UK to Europe, EasyJet, "headline" cost £22 per person, but then you have to choose either £10 or £15 seats (or thereabouts) and hold baggage is pick and mix on top.

I'm not quibbling about the baggage being optional and other add ins, but why on earth not make the ticket inclusive of a seat and sell them on a "first come, first served" basis at a flat rate of £35?

£35 one way pp would still be a (very) "budget" fare. They do it for one reason only. To advertise rock-bottom, market-leading rates.

But the side effect is people penny-pinching then seat-squatting.

So, that's their lookout and they'll need to move out of it if someone's booked it. '

I'd rather pay £22 than £35 if I don't care where I'm sitting. I'd like the option to pay extra rather than first-come, first-served. It's an airplane, not a bus.

I'm still baffled after my recent experience with Ryan Air. My seat was at the back of the plane, and the flight attendant distinctly told me to board from the front!
Okay, I'm an obedient passenger so I do as requested. Of course it was a massive struggle to fight my way to The Very Last seat on the plane.
I was travelling alone and couldn't give a shit where I sit. After all it's only an hour long flight.
I can't help thinking I was jerked about for not paying for a specific seat.
Surely all this chaotic shambles must be delaying take off and landings. I thought Ryan Air were committed to being " on time" and get to blow their bloody trumpet.
I'm fast losing patience with airports and flying, it's a blasted ball ache from start to finish, and I now opt to travel by train/boat/ car wherever possible.

I'd rather pay £22 than £35 if I don't care where I'm sitting. I'd like the option to pay extra rather than first-come, first-served. It's an airplane, not a bus.

But that's not the choice @expatinscotland

The choice is paying £22 +£10 = £32 or £22 + £15 = £37

So really, is £35 flat rate so very different?

On the subject of charging - the seat allocation doesn't actually cost the airline anything. It's not like with meals where the ingredients and preparation actually cost money. It's a totally arbitrary charge which riles me. They could seat families together for no extra cost to themselves and have much happier customers. Instead, you have this odd system where people either pay and are on occasion asked to move (without refund - doesn't leave anyone with a happy feeling) or you separate families which leads to panic. It seems an odd way to generate bad feeling. Why would you do that?

Where are you Mikey?

I don't care who I'm sat next to - I read a book and ignore my travelling companion anyway.
Ive been given the extra legroom seats twice because I checked in late or have just checked in at the desk rather than online.

It has never happened to me on a plane, the last time I flew my DD was in widow seat and I was in middle. A little boy was sat next to me and his mum and two sisters were sat across the aisle. He was lovely and very well behaved, he was only about 5 and was beautifully behaved and I did feel his mum had a handful with what looked like a 1 year old and 3 year old and him. Glad they managed to give her 4 seats together, this was RyanAir.

I did get bumped out of seats at a sport event I took my kids to. We were sitting in our seats and this family arrived, all shouty and demanded the seats as they had tickets issued by the venue and mine were from an agent. I moved as an attendant arrived and we ended up seated at the side of the pitch with the players families, my kids had photos with the players and were given team t shirts. I was just sorry I couldn't see the shouty family, I assume they were furious.

ChasedByBees They either raise the price for everyone or they have it more for some than others. Many posters have said they dont care where they sit and would rather have the cheaper seat. It's just differential pricing. It's not like they could afford to run the whole plane with free seat booking for the cheaper seat price.

Airlines are just plain odd. I selected seats when I booked our recent flight but when I checked a week before we flew they'd changed the type of plane & reallocated us completely different seats. Thankfully I could re-select ones but they weren't exactly what we'd wanted in the first place. DH rang them to find out what was going on & was told there weren't enough people booked on to warrant the bigger plane. The slightly smaller one we eventually got on was completely jam packed!

As if that weren't frustrating enough, the return trip was the same plane as the outbound was originally but was basically empty! Would've made much more sense to have kept the bigger plane for the outbound journey & used a smaller one for the return. I'm guessing it had more to do with wanting the planes in different places than filling them to capacity for those journeys.