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

Is there no last minute selection? It was £40 to prebook early at ba, but free 24 hours before, we risked it checking in the minute it opened online (24 hours prior)

I hate that airlines do this, you have paid for a seat so shouldnt need to pay again to sit with your family. It’s a money making exercise. But 100% would do it and have this year - the first year our dc will have his own seat - as last year a mum was a row behind her 3yo!

We fly in 4 and 7 weeks we prepaid and there no way we would move. We are a family of five and have paid £100 to sit together so that would be no way we would move for you. It’s part of the holiday cost.

If you find you are not seated together you can remind them of these regulations.

What exactly do you expect the airline to do if there are no more free seats and nobody is willing to swop seats?

You really do need to book the seats, it would be really stressful if you turn up and your children are not sat with you especially at their age. It wouldn’t be fair to ask other people to move after they have paid for their seats. It’s £100 but just think of the look your two year old would give you if he’s sat in between two strangers, it would break your heart.

It's a con don't do it! They have to sit children of that age with parents - ask anyone who works on a check in desk - the seats are pre allocated at the time of booking don't fall for the scam!

I thought next to you could mean in the row in front of or behind or the aisle seat opposite yours.

Why do these split families up though? I remember back in the day you'd book your tickets and you'd all be sat together. What changed ?

If you want to sit next to your kids then yes, you need to prebook.

They can and will split you up. Guidance (and it’s only guidance at that) means ‘next to’ can be the row in front or behind or across the aisle.

So if you’re not happy with that, you have to prebook your seats.

The guidelines are that ideally children should be sat next to their parent but this can be in the same row but not next to, separated by an isle or in the row in front or behind. You may be able to check in and get seats together but there may not be pairs free if other travelers have already booked and paid for their seats.

god I'm glad I read this - I assumed the airline had to sit young children with parents 🙈🙈 im taking DD7 on her first ever abroad holiday next week and I know she'd be beside herself if she was split from me!

Have just booked and paid for seats together 🙂

If you aren't bothered about the 4 of you being together, I imagine that it's pretty unlikely that they wouldn't be able to seat you with one DC and your DH with the other? That you would all have to sit separately?

Bwatchwatcher. The CAA link you posted says this

Young children and infants who are accompanied by adults should ideally be seated in the same seat row as the adult. Where this is not possible, children should be separated by no more than one seat row from accompanying adults.

So OP can quite legally end up with the 2 year old in front of her and the 3 year old behind and the airline have done their duty. My DC would not have liked that.

Sorry OP if you can't afford the seats you can't afford the holiday.

It changed when flying became so much cheaper with the growth of budget airlines. You pay a base fee to board the plane and secure a seat - an available seat. If you want any further level of choice you pay for it.

@chickywoo - it isn’t a scam. Seats are not allocated at the booking stage as you can go online, choose and pay for your chosen seats. If they were allocated at booking, you wouldn’t then be able to pick your seats.

We travel as a group of 8 and always pay for seats together, none of us will move for someone who hasn't paid either! I've been on flights where stewards have asked if anyone will move but when everyone else has paid, why would they?
To us it's a just another cost of the holiday and not something we'd risk not paying for.

I said this on the other recent thread about this, but some airlines have been found to be deliberately splitting up families to force people to pay. It’s shit, but it’s how they make money.

It will depend on how busy the flight is, and if people are willing to move. I am flying jet2 and paid 340 for seats, bags and insurance for 4 people. Personally I don't mind paying to pick my seats.

And what about the people around you who have paid for their seats? Will you expect them to move so you can sit together?
If I pay to reserve my seat there is zero chance I am changing for anyone.

Just pay. I still do for myself and my daughter aged 9.

Yup like Blackcat said, Ryanair (iirc) have been found guilty of purposefully sitting groups as far apart as possible, so wouldn't surprise me if the 'best' option they can offer is having your child behind/in front/across an aisle. They will do anything to make sure you pay next time.
Like others have said people will be unwilling to move, I have seen it before where another customer moved but made the family pay her back for what she'd spent to sit there which was fair enough.

If you're happy to take that risk then don't book. If however things don't pan out you may find you're in difficulty especially if you're essentially wanting someone that might have pre-paid to move.

People want cheap flights, so now many aspects which were free in the past are now paid extras.

Hold luggage? £30 please.
Seat selection? £10 each please.
Cup of tea? £3

So you simply need to consider the extra seat fee as part of the cost of your trip.

And the pp who says it’s a scam and seats are allocated at booking is completely wrong.

I know someone who never pre-books seats with young children. She's always managed to sit next to them. (I imagine the person who was sat next to an unaccompanied 2 year old would be pretty keen to switch). Personally I do always pay to book them though as I'd feel bad forcing someone to move who has paid to book a particular seat.

We always pre book and pay. And sorry but we wouldnt move for someone who hasnt.