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AIBU?

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Original poster

Pre booked flight seats for 2 & 3 y/o's?

585 replies

doghelp123 · 14/04/2019 20:22

Not really AIBU, posting for traffic. Apologies for long post.

We are due to go on holiday in 7 weeks time and we have not paid for pre booked seats, the reason i have not paid is because our DCs are 2 & 3 y/o and the travel agent has advised its a £25 fee per seat, so looking at £100 all in for me, DH and DC's to be together - we have saved a long time to get this holiday and if I'm being honest it seems like a very large amount to be shelling out for seats. Me and DH are not fussed about being seated together obviously, but we would need the DCs to be next to either one of us so we did ask the travel agent if me and DH booked our two seats for the £50 would kids be guaranteed to be next to us but we were told me would need to pay the £25 for each of them as well, I then called jet 2 and they have advised that they would not split young children up from parents even if we had not paid for the seats but I have now been seeing things online stating that the DCs wouldn't necessarily be in the same row as either of us, but they could be put in the row in front or behind.

Can anyone who has flew before with Jet2 advise us? I would really rather not be paying the £100 for seats as IMO it is to much and it seems silly to be paying the money for kids that age if the airlines aren't actually allowed to split us?

So any frequent jet2 flyers, it would be much appreciated if anyone in similar circumstances could advise Grin

OP posts:
Groovee · 14/04/2019 20:26

I always book my seats with Jet2. When I was on a Thomas Cook flight to Florida a family of 5 were 1 behind each other for 5 rows. The guidance is across the aisle or row in front can be classed as sat together. I see booking seats as part of my holiday cost.

UncomfortableSilence · 14/04/2019 20:29

We without fail book seats together, they do split families even with young children, we always factor it into the holiday cost it's just not worth the risk with children at that age, even my teen DC like to sit next to us on flights.

Although £25 per seat does seem rather steep.

Notthisnotthat · 14/04/2019 20:32

We booked our seats with Jet 2, there is no guarantee that they will sit your children right next to you and they can be across the aisle or behind/in front. We now budget the cost when saving up.

bourbonbiccy · 14/04/2019 20:32

Yes I would always book seats. I booked seats for our 11 month old when we flew and have done again this time (he will be 2). The extra space is well worth it and I really couldn't have had him (squished) sat on our knee all the way as he would have just wanted to be walking up and down the aisles for 4 hours first time, and goodness knows what this time.

Well worth the £100 in my book and as PP has said its just part of the holiday cost.

Shoxfordian · 14/04/2019 20:34

Yeah you should book seats together, they won't necessarily seat you all in one row

Theonewiththecat · 14/04/2019 20:34

My mum and dd have just come back off holiday with jet2 and they were across an aisle.
I would always book seats.

notacooldad · 14/04/2019 20:35

I was on a jet2 flight during half term. I had a window seat. A family were kicking off because they wanted to sit together but hadn't pre booked. The child was about 5 and was sat in the middle on the opposite row to me mum was in the middle on the row in front. Mum blamed everyone but herself for the seating arrangement.
Nobody would move which was fair enough.

TapasForTwo · 14/04/2019 20:38

Jet2 can't make any guarantees that you will be placed together. I have flown with them a few times and sat in random places away from my family with them. I hate that airlines do this, but other people will have pre-booked seats and won't move for you. You will just have to suck it up and pay for seats together if you want to sit with your children.

Pieceofpurplesky · 14/04/2019 20:38

Always prebook seats. We were told we didn't have to by someone at Delta Airlines and luckily I kept the email. DS, who was 5, was sat miles away. Only because I had the email did they do something

Fundays12 · 14/04/2019 20:39

I flew with Jet2 last year and they are a great airline but we still prebooked seats. The thing is even if they don’t want to split you up they may have no choice but to put your kids in different aisles around you as all the other seats are pre booked already.

rosesandcashmere · 14/04/2019 20:40

You should include the cost of booking seats as part of your holiday costs.
If I had paid for my seats - and I always do - I wouldn't be moving for someone that hadn't. It's just part of the cost of flying.

PineapplePatty · 14/04/2019 20:41

Book them.

Ellie56 · 14/04/2019 20:42

Yes you also need to factor in that other people won't necessarily move (why should they when they have paid for their seats?)so you can sit together.

You could book 3 seats together if one of you doesn't mind having both children.

Booboostwo · 14/04/2019 20:42

Not booking seats with young DCs is just a recipe for stress. A 2 or 3yo might not settle if sat in the seat in front of you or across the aisle from you, why take the risk of a very unpleasant journey and why inflict that on other passengers?

babysharkah · 14/04/2019 20:43

Just book them. Seated together can be behind or across an aisle if you have kids.

hartof · 14/04/2019 20:43

I pay it every time I book a holiday and will not move for anyone who doesn't pay. We have a child and take the responsibility of paying for us all to be together rather than take the chance

PotteringAlong · 14/04/2019 20:44

Prebook them

whiteroseredrose · 14/04/2019 20:44

Too risky not to pay. Think of it as the cost of the flight. If you deduct the seating cost you're saying that you don't mind being split up. People that want to sit together pay. If you're not bothered, don't pay.

daisypond · 14/04/2019 20:44

You need to book the seats.

iolaus · 14/04/2019 20:44

We risked it with Flybe - figuring 1 of us would be by the 8 year old and the teens could sit seperately. We were all 6 of us sat together

Ryanair I had to pay for 1 reservation (then child free next to me) - all the others were sat seperately - and what was even more annoying was the other 4 had to board from a different door which was a pain with online boarding cards

I'll be honest at that age I wouldn't risk it - I figured at 8 if it was across an aisle or in front we'd cope

HollyBollyBooBoo · 14/04/2019 20:44

So to be clear, you want a service that has to be paid for, for free?

Klopptimist · 14/04/2019 20:45

It doesn't matter how old the bum is, if you want a guaranteed specific seat for it, you need to cough up.

Nnnnnineteen · 14/04/2019 20:46

Your choice, but no fucking chance would I volunteer my pre paid seat because you are too tight to do so yourself.

Pinklady1982 · 14/04/2019 20:49

Sorry Op but unless you want to risk being split up then you should always prebook specific seats. No they won't intentionly split up a family with young children, but even paying for pbs they count being in the row in front or behind or across the aisle as being seated together, so if you don't book specific seats, you could end up not being next to your child. Most airlines work the same way I'm afraid, and then there is still always a risk of an airline change and the seating plan being completely messed up! That's the travel industry for you though...

BWatchWatcher · 14/04/2019 20:50

Here are the civil aviation authority guidelines. The airline has a responsibility to seat parents and children together:
www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/On-board/Seating-allocation/
If you find you are not seated together you can remind them of these regulations.

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