To expect Easyjet to help me?

[amprev]

We fly on a 4hour 15 min flight on Sat with our two dc's aged 11 and 8. The holiday was a last minute decision, and I booked it last Sat with Tui. I was aware at the time that the flights were actually with Easy jet and not Tui. I wasn't particularly bothered by this either way. Reading through all the booking details in full this evening I learned that it is online only check in for EJ flights so I checked us all in.

Turns out we have been allocated seats randomly all over the plane - there are ten rows separating two of the seats from another two, but no two seats are in the same row. I realise this is because many people have obviously checked in before me. I would pay the extra for seats together if I could but this isn't an option, the plane is just full.

I'm gutted and I know the Dc's will be when I tell them. We are downloading films to an iPad for them and they watch it together using a headphone splitter. This obviously can't happen if we are all separated. I'm not expecting they can magic us all together but do you think they could at least have the dc's together with either me or DH less than 10 rows away from them? My eldest suffers with bad ear pain on flights and I normally have to do some soothing at take off and landing because she gets upset.

Any tips from anyone who has been in this situation? We only booked it so late because we didn't think we would get away this year but decided we would last minute.

I'll ring customer services when they open but I'm expecting them to tell me that I'll just have to persuade someone to move when we board. According to the civil aviation authority, airlines have to take reasonable actions to ensure a child is near to their adult so that it is less disruptive in the event of an evacuation. Not sure what EJ can do if there are no seats though? I realise some people will have paid extra for their preferred seats.

I would get some gift cards, maybe iTunes or boots that you can use if you don’t need them. Ask nicely and offer them as a thank you. Good luck.

I’ve been on Easyjet flights where they’ve asked people to move to allow children with their parents. They have always found people to move- people are basically decent. I reckon there’s no way they will allow the 8 year old to sit separated from a parent.

Hope you have a lovely holiday.

This just happened to us, on a non budget airline, that doesn’t charge for seat reservation.

Went to check in online as soon as it opened and seats were allocated with no option to change, and we were randomly dotted about.

When we got to the airport we went to the check in desk and she changed it and issued new boarding passes.

I think I’m packed flights they pre-allocate.

It happened to me with DD on a budget airline. I called and they moved us.

It'll be fine, someone will likely move for you. I flew EJ with family recently and my dad moved to let 3 teenage friends sit together who then sat on their phones ignoring each other for the entire flight.

I'm decent but if I've paid in advance to sit in a particular seat for a reason, I don't want to move. It's nothing to do with decency.

As for the sick bag stunt... no, just no.

If you can't get easyjet to do anything, someone will probably move for you, but please try and let them offer rather than asking once one the plane.

I always get asked and feel like I can't say no, so end up bullied out of my nicely chosen seat, whether I've paid for it or not.

It's easy to say people don't have to move if they don't want to, but in practice it's pretty uncomfortable sitting on a flight being shot daggers by someone's family/ total strangers because you said no to a panicked parent!

There’s a petition on this surprised it’s not doing better petition.parliament.uk/petitions/217286

I should've said in my original post - they were trying to sort the situation out for the family on our flight at the gate as we saw the family waiting there. They obviously didn't manage it at that point but once on the plane it was all sorted.

When you book with Tui there’s usually a ‘select your seat’ option before you check out. We’ve done that when we’ve booked as little as 3 days before so we don’t get split up.

I wouldn’t move. You might get lucky at check it’s unfair to expect people who have paid or checked in early to move imo

I don't think you'd get dirty looks from other passengers, I think it would only be from the family concerned. I would be reading my magazine not noticing!

I'd probably just say no and put my headphones in

Pretty sure we selected our seats when we booked with EasyJet but didn't pay any extra. 5 together,a 3 and a2.They were fab in every way,was really impressed with EasyJet. Had been a bit nervous as never flown budget before, would def do it again. Staff very approachable.Not sure I'd swap though,my 3 are teens and 2 can get high spirited( they had a farting competition last time). For the sake of everybody else I need to at least be in front to glare and hiss if needed.That said there weren't many kids on our city flights,where are you going?

I am flying with Easyjet this afternoon [excited much!?] I am sitting by my friend and I didnt pay to do that; it was random. I would move for that reason as I didnt pay. I hope you get a resolution this morning.

Some people will have just been allocated their seats. I've booked a holiday with Tui flying with them and all four of us have random seats, all adults. So potentially any four of us could be sat next to any four of your family and able to swap.

We are not on the same flight though 😀I would gladly swap a middle seat for you but would be loathe to give up an aisle.

You might be lucky op.

I'm sure someone will move for you. Not everyone will have paid for a seat reservation. We don't pay but always check in as soon as the online check in is open and have only once not got seats together.

We just flew with easyjet, we were all together but once we were on the plane I saw a few people swapping so families could all sit together.

Also I meant to say that when we didn't get seats together they were still I in rows behind each other

I flew with Easyjey yesterday, randomly allocated seat, I got a window & empty seat next to me!
You may be in luck OP.
If not, I'd always offer to move to help out a family like yours.

When I last flew with EJ in May, the stewardess was asking people to move to accommodate a woman with 3 kids of similar age to yours. She came on the tannoy asking for volunteers, and said they were not allowed to take off with children separated from their adults.
I'm sure it will work out. Get the stewardesses to sort it for you.
And to the poster who said they would never move, they can actually insist you do, and remove you from the plane if you don't cooperate. Not sure how often it actually comes to that, or whether usually some kind soul steps in to help, but the airlines do have the right to.

We found it recently coming back from Italy with BA. We'd checked in as soon as check in opened but when we printed the boarding passes the plane type had changed and every child had been separated from its parents and each other (including apparently the baby which was given to a total stranger!!)

When we got to the plane it was reasonably easy to sort out as in check every single child on the plane had been separated from its parents do swaps were easy. It delayed take off by half an hour though.

This can happen on any airline. I've found this a few times on long haul flights. Booked well ahead but checked in 24 hours before flying and no seats left together. The only solution is to do things well in advance.

Your children will be fine they aren't that young. Children fly unaccompanied at younger ages all the time. Can you get another tablet so they can both watch films (if not they can watch for half each and bring a book for the other half)

We had this on the way back from Cyprus the other day. Children are 9 and 5 and it was a middle of the night flight. I checked in over 2 weeks before and our seats were all over the place. No one at Tui could do anything about it but check in staff sorted it so that we had three seats together and one far away. Very grateful for their help!

not allowed to take off with children separated from their adults

My 14 year old flew alone this week. I’m fairly certain this isn’t set in stone.

TheFairyCaravan

Not if TUI are buying seats on scheduled flights you can't. Select your seat only comes up where they've hired the whole plane

Same with some other holiday firms. My mum always goes on a package and has a seat on a plan randomly allocated at check on for say BA. As her contract isn't directly with BA there is no facility to check in online and book a seat