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

[doghelp123]

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

I don't think they could legally sit a 2 year old apart from a responsible adult, on safety grounds. I've been on a flight where a toddler went berserk presumably with ear pain and it took the mum and a member of the cabin staff to keep him in his seat.

Tbh I'd take the risk, or just pay for two seats. I hate this rip off add-on nonsense; by all means charge for seats up front but parents shouldn't have to pay to sit next to their toddler.

I’d not book the seats and hand their bag of crap to the man/woman they sit next to thanking them for the free babysitting and wishing them a happy flight. Then get back to my book

That's an unfair attitude. Why should you inflict your child on someone else who quite possibly has paid for their seat?

I wouldn't be entertaining your child. I'd have my silencing headphones on having a couple of glasses of wine.

Anecdata but we never or rarely pre-book, and have always ended up together (or in two groups of 2+2). I know collective Mumsnet wisdom usually says this is a terrible, selfish thing to do though. I suppose we're willing to take the risk that one time it might not work out (and if it was a disaster I accept this is my issue and wouldn't do again, I wouldn't kick up a fuss or expect people to move... Tbh I don't think I'd mind across the aisle anyway and I think my kids would be ok with it too, and capable of behaving). But it always has been fine for us, and I've never had issues. Just lucky perhaps but I'm tight! (and willing to accept my mistake if we ever do come unstuck)

It is amazing how many people are such CF’s and willfully ignorant about airline pricing structures, woefully misinformed about seat allocation and too damn cheap to pay for a seat to ensure they are sitting next to their children. It’s pathetic.

You care about your child (I would hope), I don’t. So I won’t be swapping and giving up the seat I have paid for or babysitting your children. Headphones were designed for situations like this. You must be providing a pretty shocking level or care for your child if you think a disinterested stranger who doesn’t know them is a good substitute for you.

It doesn’t matter if you check in as soon as it opens, seats can be reserved by those that pay in advance of check in opening. You may find there are no two seats together. I have heard directly from some airlines that they do in fact keep a percentage of seats back that can’t be pre-booked, but the budget airlines don’t do this and they are still not multiple seats together. I couldn’t imagine not paying to sit next to my chidren. Why in earth take the risk?

The last time we flew a family were sitting in the seats we paid for. The hostess came rushing over and said she had put them together as one of their dc was a very young baby. She promised us she would sit us together so I agreed.

She then proceeded to walk up and down the plane asking people if they would move for us to sit together. I was so annoyed as it was like we were the ones that hadn’t paid for our seats. I will never move for anyone again.

@Pretamum

My DH and I have never paid to book seats so that we can sit together with our DS. We check in with plenty of time, have always been sat 3 in a row, and we have never had someone approach us to say that we have been placed in their seats, so I can only assume that not as many people pay for seat selection as this thread would suggest.

This doesn't make any sense, Pret. Why would someone approach you to say you have been placed in their seats when you are sitting in your allocated seats?

Or are the three of you plopping yourselves in any random row of 3 seats?

but my DH is a frequent flyer for work and very casual about it all, so we don't pay

What does this have to do with the price of fish?

I feel like this is another one of these things that is a huge controversial issue on Mumsnet and is a total non issue in real life!

why should we have to shell out £100 more for seats?

Your flight includes seats.

The £100 is for if you want to choose your seats to ensure you are sat where you want, with the people you want.

Fair enough to not want to pay the money out. However, if you are split up you have no come back. You should not expect someone else to move to accommodate you and your family. Will you be happy to sit apart if it comes to it?

However, I suspect if that happens you will do exactly that - you will want other people to move. You will want others, who may have paid, to swap seats and be split up themselves - maybe a couple who'd rather sit together to chat, or a single person to swap for a rubbishy middle seat so you can sit next to your child....that's when it isn't fair.

If not paying at least don't leave it til the last minute. As soon as check in opens get on there and check in and get seats allocated if you can.

I;d also keep monitoring the flight seat map - if it looks like its filling up, pay out for your peace of mind.

@pretamum

• possibly because the airline decided to seat you together and they choose to move others. I have my boarding pass on my phone, so may not know my seat has been changed until I board.

@M4J4 He's casual about it because he has never seen seating be an issue on a flight. Hence why I mentioned it. If he was constantly seeing children sat apart from their parents or was always being asked to move himself to accommodate someone who hadn't booked a specific seat, then he might not be so casual about it and we would pay.

I say that no one approaches us, because according to this thread that is what some people would do if the airline moved them out of their seat. If people were being moved out of their pre paid seats constantly to accommodate families who hadn't paid to sit together, I'd imagine that the family would hear about it from the disgruntled passenger. As it happens, we either check in online 24 hrs before and have already been allocated 3 seats together, or we check in at the airport and without asking we are always allocated seats together. Obviously we don't plonk ourselves down wherever we like.

I thought nothing polarised mumsnetters like a shoes on/off thread (there’s one in active at the moment) but this must be a close second!

I regularly fly Jet2. Last time, family of three, young child, only separate seats left.
Stewards walked up and down the plane asking for passengers to move, none did. Mum of the child did too, initially really smily and friendly, then really cross and angry - "can't believe none of you will move for a young child" - a real scene and very awkward.

Family had to sit in three separate seats. 1 adult behind child.

Embarrassing for all on the plane.

( I pre book because I am terrified of flying)

@Aragog Then it is a major con on the part of the airline, saying that people can pay to choose their seat but then moving them anyway.

I was once sat beside someone's 8 yr old. The girl was at the window, I was in the middle, my ds who was 6 was in the aisle. The girls mum was in the row behind at the window. She was begging me to swap with her and making a right song and dance about it but I had paid to sit beside my 6 yr old so that was that. I had picked an aisle seat because ds had recently had a cast off his broken leg and I wanted him to have an extra bit of space. The couple in the mum's row we're on their 50th wedding anniversary trip and had also paid to reserve seats together. The woman wanted to sit on the aisle because she needed the toilet a lot. The mum and daughter just had to sit separately. The mum spent most of the flight standing up leaning over the seat talking to her dd who was quite upset. I suppose the nice thing would have been for us and the other couple to move and let them sit on the aisle at least but we both had reasons for wanting (and had paid for) the aisle. I wonder if she paid for a seat next time?

M4J4 He's casual about it because he has never seen seating be an issue on a flight. Hence why I mentioned it. If he was constantly seeing children sat apart from their parents or was always being asked to move himself to accommodate someone who hadn't booked a specific seat, then he might not be so casual about it and we would pay.

But surely you've flown before and can form a view yourself?

I say that no one approaches us, because according to this thread that is what some people would do if the airline moved them out of their seat. If people were being moved out of their pre paid seats constantly to accommodate families who hadn't paid to sit together, I'd imagine that the family would hear about it from the disgruntled passenger. As it happens, we either check in online 24 hrs before and have already been allocated 3 seats together, or we check in at the airport and without asking we are always allocated seats together. Obviously we don't plonk ourselves down wherever we like.

But the thing is you've been allocated your seats by the airline so that's fine. It's people who haven't been allocated seats together, turn up on the plane and then expect people to move to accommodate them that's a problem.

Basically it's a lottery. All the anecdotes from posters who have never had trouble being seated together have probably been lucky enough to fly on a plane where there have been a number of seats that have not been pre-booked and paid for.

We have flown with Jet2 before and been given seats next to each other. We have also had to book seats with Jet2 (see my earlier post). It just depends on your fellow passengers.

I would suggest that if you are flying to a holiday resort where there are likely to be families with young children on the flight you are less likely to find passengers who will swap seats with you.

I thought nothing polarised mumsnetters like a shoes on/off thread (there’s one in active at the moment) but this must be a close second!

You've never seen a thread about reclining seats on a plane?

Child free weddings anyone?

@M4J4 but why aren't people getting their seat numbers on their boarding pass when they check in? I'm going on the assumption that when you get your boarding pass, it has your seat number on it.

I am very capable of forming my own opinion thanks, but as I fly maybe once or twice a year and he travels away around twice a month, he has far more flying experience than I do. I don't see what the issue is with saying this.

Pretamum Mon 15-Apr-19 19:36:00
@Aragog Then it is a major con on the part of the airline, saying that people can pay to choose their seat but then moving them anyway.

Its caused by the issue of some families choosing not to prebook their seats and the rules sound young children having to be seated next to parent/carer. They are supposed to ask if people are willing to move.
Under the terms of prebooking seats there is a condition which states that you can be moved in some circumstances. Guess that covers them.

One of the budget airlines - can't remember if EasyJet or RyanAir - does free booking of seats for children, if parents pay. At least this helps a bit with the cost.

@TapasForTwo I'm having one next year!

I also would not move for someone who had not booked specific seating!

I am very capable of forming my own opinion thanks, but as I fly maybe once or twice a year and he travels away around twice a month, he has far more flying experience than I do. I don't see what the issue is with saying this.

I doubt very much a business traveller is flying on the planes full of families in peak holiday season to family friendly sunny destinations where this situation is likely to arise. I am pretty confident that the Wednesday morning flight to Frankfurt is generally free of such problems. The Saturday morning flight to Tenerife in August might prove a little more illuminating.

We are planning a trip to Orlando next year and my dd's will be 4 & 2.
I wouldn't dream of them risking being seated away from each, even if it's the row in front / behind. They'd be in bits. And all because I was too tight to pay the fee?? No chance.

I also fly for business, I don't book on short haul, but I do on long haul to ensure I sit on an aisle seat - I love the idea of the window but terrified I'll get the passenger mentioned above, G&T eye mask on, snoring and I'll need the loo, so I always book the aisle due to this. Plus as a single traveller, there is a higher chance of being placed in a middle seat, my idea of hell.

So, if someone asked me to move to another aisle seat, then I'll probably would. Anything else? Absolutely no chance. And that is why I pay to book my seat. So I can sit where I want

You'd be surprised where he travels to - he is not a businessman. People have to fly for work for lots of different professions. A lot of the places he travels to are beach destinations where there are a lot of families on the plane.