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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Airline just taking the piss now

105 replies

juststuckinthemiddlewithyou · 07/07/2017 14:16

Have flights booked with a well know budget airline. Lets call them RA.

There are 2 of us going and although we would like to sit together , if when we came to check in there were no seats together it isn't the end of the world. Don't worry we won't be asking for anyone to move for us!

However, went to check in today and there is a diagram showing us all the availble seats we can choose from, along with varying prices. or we can go for the free check in. Now i'd say about 75% of the aircraft is available at this point so there was a lovely selection of seats available. But we didn't really want to fork out another £14 (each way) and are not particulary bothered where in the plane we sit so just checked in using the free option.

So RA allocated us 2 seats. 10 rows apart! BOTH seats are in the MIDDLE of a row of 3, with 2 EMPTY seats either side of them. Confused

It just feels like they are taking the piss really. Its no longer a case of if you want to guantee you sit together you should pre-book your seats early. It is now a case of if you don't pay for seats you will definately be seperated.

Now, if there were hardly any seats left at check in and none together I wouldn't think anything of it, but there were LOADS of them and they deliberately sat us miles apart. I've now paid to move one of the seats to an empty one next to the other.

AIBU to think that if you check in and there are seats available together they should be allocated together as opposed to definately not allocated together? In the past we have always been lucky and sat together, so this is obviously a new thing they are doing to now to force people to pay extra for seats even when there are loads of available seats TOGETHER. Angry

OP posts:
Aridane · 07/07/2017 17:57

a special place in hell. Hmm

ForalltheSaints · 07/07/2017 17:58

We have had this type of thread before. If you choose to fly with Ryanair you get no sympathy from me about this.

sodablackcurrant · 07/07/2017 18:05

Aridane,

Read what I said again and get back to me. LOL.

It is just that no more, no less. And it is indefensible of people to moan if they don't just put their money where their mouths are and move to a different airline to get a free seat. Simple isn't it.

PossumInAPearTree · 07/07/2017 18:07

£20 a seat on my flight. So £160 for a family of four both ways. We paid over £200 a ticket to tenerife so not sure its budget. I mean its not expensive but its hardly a £30 ticket.

theymademejoin · 07/07/2017 18:13

I don't think it's any big conspiracy. If you pay, they will allow you to choose. If you don't pay, you get a random seat.

They state it is random allocation. They also state the aisle and window seats are reserved until nearer the flight time for those willing to pay.

If you think about it, random allocation from a pool of middle seats is unlikely to result in allocation of two middle seats close to one another. They are more likely to be scattered around the plane.

Ryanair and other low cost airlines are the reason we are no longer paying €250 (and that was in the 80's so god knows what the equivalent is today) to fly from Dublin to London return. Even if you pay for your seat, it's still way cheaper in actual cost, never mind making an allowance for inflation, than it was 30-35 years ago.

Oriunda · 07/07/2017 18:13

It's a new thing with Ryanair. I've done 8 flights with them so far this year and last trip was the first time it happened. You'll probably find there will be plenty of other couples in same situation- on our last flight people realised and just swapped amongst themselves.

They did offer us a deal whereby my son gets a free seat allocation if I paid for mine and I've taken this up for our next trip as it's in school holidays.

Trills · 07/07/2017 18:21

Just pay if you care, don't pay if you don't care.

I consider it a discount for people who don't care.

If the optional extras came pre-ticked and you had to untick the box, people would complain about that instead.

Oriunda · 07/07/2017 18:21

Btw anyone wanting to sort this out - don't call the number but do their live web chat. It's free and really good. They swapped my 5yr old son's seat back next to mine without charging.

Spartak · 07/07/2017 18:27

I flew out of Knock airport on Wednesday with Ryanair. Plane was a third full. Virtually every middle seat was taken with the aisle and window seats free. Seems a stupid way to randomly allocate to me.

The person behind me was part of a booking of 6 people who were all allocated middle seats throughout the plane.

The flight was £16.99 though so I can't really complain.

Didactylos · 07/07/2017 19:18

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170629101244.htm

it seems pretty clear its a deliberate policy

yourerubberimglue · 07/07/2017 19:20

If the seats were empty you've lucked out for a nap ... or could just move next to each other

Original poster
juststuckinthemiddlewithyou · 07/07/2017 19:22

I think a lot of you are missing the point. It isn't about paying for a particular seat or paying to guarantee you are together. It is about RA purposefully allocating seats on the same booking miles apart when there are LOADS of spare seats available TOGETHER. This is after check in has been open for a few weeks to allow those who want to choose a seat to do so.

And those saying choose another airline or its cheap for a reason etc. Often there are no other airline choices to certain airports and the seats are not always cheap.

OP posts:
WhatHaveIFound · 07/07/2017 21:53

MixALottle This is what i've booked seats for my Transatlantic sector of the flight with BA this summer but not the domestic sector. Although mu DC are older (15 & 12) i didn't want to risk being seperated from them on the long flight. The one hour hop to Heathrow i'll take a chance on!

juststuckinthemiddlewithyou you're right. I must have been one of the first to check in when it opened 4 days before the flight as i could that there were virtually no seats already booked. At the end of the day they're trying to make money and i'd rather they just include the seat cost with the flight in the first place.

Have booked internal flights in the States in the summer and for half the price that we paid to fly with Ryanair we're getting allocated seats and luggage (same flight time).

sodablackcurrant · 07/07/2017 22:09

Just so boring now.

Or I am better than you now, Transatlantic all around the world whatever, Good for you.

Ryanair doesn't care about you.

DontLookBackIntoTheSun · 07/07/2017 22:36

WhatHaveIFound "i'd rather they just include the seat cost with the flight in the first place."

I'd rather they didn't do that! I want to pay the lowest possible price, and don't care where I sit on the plane, it's only a flying bus. Why should I pay more because you are more fussy than me?

Trills · 07/07/2017 22:38

"i'd rather they just include the seat cost with the flight in the first place."

So you want to take away my choice? How would this benefit you?
Just pay the bloody fee, as you would have to in your ideal scenario, and let the rest of us have the choice.

NoChella · 07/07/2017 22:43

Haven't RTFT but totally agree with you OP!!!! We're in the exact same position on our flight tomorrow! We're not hugely bothered about being separated but it's wound us both up that at least half the aircraft is empty and yet we've been sat rows apart - it's ridiculous!

theymademejoin · 07/07/2017 22:50

Why would you expect them to give you a seat for free that other people are willing to pay for? People who pay tend to want aisle and window seats so they keep them for as long as possible in order to give those willing to pay the best choice of seats.

Their aim is to maximise profit. Fares have been deconstructed to attract customers. They now need to sell optional extras in order to make that profit. Therefore they will have policies that maximise sales of those.

A bit like paying for a set meal that doesn't include drinks really. If you want a nice drink, you pay. If you're not bothered, you take the tap water free.

PossumInAPearTree · 08/07/2017 16:37

I preferred it when it was just a free for all at the boarding gate with no pre allocated seats.

If last nights Ryanair flight was anything to go by I reckon the flight attendants hate it. Our flight was like a massive game of musical chairs before they'd even shut the door. Groups of friends were separated and soon worked out swaps. People were in and out of seats swapping. Flight attendant was going crazy telling people to sit in their allocated seats and that we needed to leave. Everyone ignored him, pilot refused to taxi, we were late leaving because it took ten mins of seat swapping before everyone settled. Flight attendant was checking people's boarding cards and telling them to move back to their allocated seat, was shouting about the plane being unbalanced which was obvious bollocks as plane was full. He gave up after a bit.

So people didn't pay, most got to sit with who they wanted and the plane was late leaving. Fab. I'd actually paid £9 to sit next to Dd (prices went down a few hours before check in). Don't think I'd bother again, swapping seems to be easy.

VulvalHeadMistress · 08/07/2017 16:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fortysix · 08/07/2017 16:59

Has anyone else noticed that once you have been in contact with one particular airline the amount of spam / junk/ traffic to your mobile and email accounts immediately increases. All four of us who flew on Thursday are being inundated...

eeniemeenieminiemoe2014 · 08/07/2017 17:14

In september im flying jet2 with a nearly 3 year old and a nearly 1 year old, i couldnt find a way to not be forced to pay because of toddler's age. -secretly hopimg for a nice kick free flight away from 3 year old-

Trills · 08/07/2017 19:49

swapping seems to be easy

Yoiu think this sounds easy...?

Flight attendant was going crazy telling people to sit in their allocated seats and that we needed to leave. Everyone ignored him, pilot refused to taxi, we were late leaving because it took ten mins of seat swapping before everyone settled.

sodablackcurrant · 08/07/2017 19:52

Those who pay for their seats need to complain vigorously about seat swapping shenanigans and consequent delays.

Those who don't pay for their seats will be totally ignored.

Trills · 08/07/2017 19:59

Also people who did not pay for their seats, who are happy to sit where they are put and don't want your making a fuss to delay the plane.

Just bloody sit down.

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