Aibu re booking sets on the plane

[Yeaididthat]

We (2 adults and 3 kids) are due to travel with jet2 for the first time for a family holiday in just over 3 weeks. When I tried to reserve seating this morning it appears as though all seat except exit seats are already booked, and these can only be booked by 14 years+. DC are 10, 8 and 3. As cheeky as it is, surely Jet2 aren't going to turn us away over this? I'm aware that this is expecting others to take seats they didn't chose and have paid for but it is the front row etc which is still available. Aibu? Do airlines provisionally allocate children seats and this doesn't appear?

No, you should have paid to sit together if you wanted to sit together.

Right, I’ve just realised the issue is you can’t book seats for the children online. I’d ring customer service and ask rather than risk it when you arrive at the airport.

It will be fine. It’s very unlikely you’ll all be sat together but you’ll be on the plane (assuming you get there early and they haven’t overbooked too much!).

Do there are no seats you can actually book for the children?

I’d be in touch with the airline as soon as I can.

Sounds like you need to get on the phone to them. If you can't book seats as you can't use the unallocated ones due to their restrictions I guess they are going to have to sort somethig - either release other seats if they're holding any, move other passengers, or rebook you. If you had the option to book easier then I could see why it might be awkward but if it is a case of not allowed in the unallocated seats as not 14+ rather than can get seats together then there has to be a solution....

When we flew recently and had MASSIVE issues over seats (basically they wouldn’t let us book seats even though we told them we’d pay anything they wanted for it, then after we’d had a terrible flight they answered my complaint saying if we wanted to have chosen our seats we should have told them as we could have done but there was a charge 🙄), a very nice airport worker told us that in fact, until we were physically at the airport and had checked in luggage etc., all seat ‘booking’ were a REQUEST not a booking. And therefore all airport staff had the ability to override those requests in certain circumstances.

You’ve paid for a seat for your children on that flight, therefore they will have to have a seat. Just means some lucky people will be bumped up to the exit row (extra leg room!) for free! I wouldn’t think it’d be a massive issue, but you could call and warn them beforehand if you wanted.

I've had this on a long haul flight. I called the airline and they checked us in then and sat us all together.

I wouldn't just expect it for any of your dc other than the 3 yo. Just sort it today.

If you paid to book seats then ring the airline ASAP .

Thanks. It's not as though it's now last minute. I wont mind at all if we don't all sit together, as long as the toddler and an adult are together we'll manage (and even then if we weren't as long as we're all on the plane!)

I pay for my seats, I won't move for anyone. Good luck.

I've certainly found that until check in, no seats are guaranteed even if you've paid to select them so it's worth giving the airline a call. It's their issue if you can't reserve the children's seats, so they need to sort it and take the flack from other passengers if need be.

I never pay for seats. They have to sit the children with one of you at leased, they can't sit them with strangers

Should have added, I thought my 15 year old would end up sitting on their own this year but no it's 16 when the airlines can sit them on their own

The airline doesn't release all seats for prebooking, or at least they don't usually. Get to the airport early. I imagine they'll put you together.

This seat prebooking thing really irks me.

Annoyingly the airline's definition of "together" is very different to my own, ie they can sit a 3 year old on the row directly in front of you which is obviously no good when there's turbulence and the child won't sit still.

I imagine it's rare to be apart from a little child like that though. I'd gladly give up my seat and sit behind my DH rather than have someone else's toddler next to me.

The same thing happened to me before. I was monitoring how many seats were being taken before deciding to pay or not for guaranteed seats (long hall flight). There were plenty of seats available each week until suddenly, all seemed taken but a few all across.

I did nothing, just went to the airport early, checked in and all seating next to each other on seats that had been marked as already booked!

I think they can sit children with strangers. We had a random five year old sitting with us on a flight once, with the rest of her family spread over the plane. She was lovely, got on brilliantly with my DD and by the time we landed they were firm friends. We’ve kept in touch and planned holidays at the same time and same place this year so our flight buddies can catch up. We’ll have to deliberately get them seated together this time!

The bastard! Once I checked in I was allocated 5 seats together! For free! What a scam buying seats is.

I’d definitely expect the three year old to be with one of the adults. But the other two should be fine on their own with activities to play with (iPad, colouring books etc?).

But agree with chicken, there’s bound to be an adult who hasn’t got a fear of flying who would be happy to swap seats -anything rather than having to sit with someone else’s three year old-.

I’d also try and sort it out beforehand though.

Have a lovely holiday OP.

We had the same issue with jet2 last week but we didn’t realise you can scroll down in the little box thing and there are lots more seats. We were only viewing one section of the plane at a time. Felt rather silly!

Could you be making the same mistake?

IME people will move swiftly to avoid sitting near a toddler or excited squealy child

Give them a call if you're worried. I really really hate this daft seat booking thing it just serves as a compulsory additional cost for families. My dc are now old enough so probably they would be sat away from us but aren't really old enough to so we end up stumping up for it. On top of the inflated prices for school holidays etc . Adults travelling have a choice, it's so bloody unfair and then they smugly post about 'I've paid for miiiiy seat and will move for no one'

FWIW though OP we'd shift along if it helped (we are on one about the same time) but would want to sit together like you. There wasn't that much choice when I booked it 6 weeks ago either.

They don't let children sit in aisle exit seats due to safety. Anyone sat in those seats has to be physically capable of opening the plane doors in an emergency. If you book those seats its part of the t&c's.

Also, just because you pay to reserve a seat doesn't mean you definitely get the seat you paid for. The airline reserve the right to move you if they deem it necessary for any reason of their choosing.

Every time DH and I fly we always have to book the exit aisle seats for the extra leg room. He's so tall he physically doesn't fit in a regular seat. So not being snippy with you, I'm just well versed in paid for seating wars due to previous experience.

Phone the air line or your travel agent and see what they an do for you. I'm sure if you remain polite and calm they'll be helpful

Spot in teatea

I’ve always found jet2 to be really helpful. Since DS 12 turned 10 we’ve not paid for seats together as I know he would be fine on his own ( probably much more level headed than myself in an emergency situation) and we’ve always been sat together as a family.

Definitely contact them and see what you can do.