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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not book seats for my kids To Florida

59 replies

tinklykitty · 02/05/2019 12:14

Booking our Flights to Disney

Will be an extra 450 pounds to reserve seats together for me DH and our 3dc (one of which is classed as a young adult 12 yrs)

DH thinks booking seats together is unnecessary but DS12 would be devastated if he was placed away from us on the flight as would I.

They do allocate a seat for parents with children but as Ds is being classed as a young adult I'm concerned that he will be moved away from us

OP posts:

PianoTuner567 · 02/05/2019 12:15

Can you just book for one parent and DS and leave the rest to chance?

Nesssie · 02/05/2019 12:16

Just book 2 seats together so at least one parent can sit with the 12 year old. Then the others can sit separately. Or are all the children young?

If you don't book seats together you are likely to be seated apart and you can't complain.

Damntheman · 02/05/2019 12:17

Oooh you're brave posting a plane seat booking thread here :D You'll get absolutely lamped for the suggestion that you think airlines should automatically seat kids with adult (I'm with you though). I agree with PP, to be safe just pay for one adult and your 12 year old to sit together, take your chances with the others if they're not bothered.

WalkAwaySugarbear · 02/05/2019 12:17

It's a dice throw risk and not one I was willing to make although I despised having to pay to ensure my kids weren't sat with strangers for 8 hours.

RomanyQueen1 · 02/05/2019 12:19

If you don't book the seats that's fine, but you can't expect others to give up seats for your family, especially if they have paid to sit together.

Justmuddlingalong · 02/05/2019 12:20

I think you have to either take the chance and see what happens, or pay to have total piece of mind. I always pre-book.

zucchinicourgette · 02/05/2019 12:22

Which airline? We usually fly BA, I have never paid for reserved seats and never been seated separately from my children. I know others have very different experiences though.

We live overseas so we fly a lot and if they did end up seated apart it wouldn’t be that big a deal for us, so not a worthwhile expense for me.

NerrSnerr · 02/05/2019 12:23

If you'd be devastated not to sit near your children then you have to reserve the seats.

Original poster

tinklykitty · 02/05/2019 12:25

@Damntheman I was saying the opposite because I know with jet2 they don't automatically sit parents with kids but according to BA website they do automatically sit 0-11 with a parent.

Thanks for the replies, We are going to book all seats together for the way out so I've got peace of mind, as others have said I would rather my kids aren't sitting with strangers for 8 hours. then on the way back I'll go in and add them to the booking when DH isn't looking or book 2 together just so 12yr old won't be by himself.

OP posts:

fedup2017 · 02/05/2019 12:26

I have been through a similar issue in the last few weeks.
I haven't flown long haul in ages.....so was surprised when BA wanted £££ to seat us all together. I also have a 12 year old who was really worried about it ( and a 15 year old who wasn't in the slightest bit bothered. Our youngest is 5 so I was pretty sure he'd be with a grown up but 12 year old wasn't guaranteed. I also had a look on here and generally people think you are a CF if you don't pay in advance.

So I coughed up the extra 400£ ISH. Bit gutted about it but there you go.

Fwiw I think Ryanair is actually better than BA with this.... If I remember correctly if you pay to reserve an adult seat you don't pay extra to reserve a child seat next to you.

SpeckofStardust · 02/05/2019 12:26

I don’t see the problem, if they allocate 4 seats together and one away then you or DH sits away and lets 12 yr old sit with family. I’m guessing DH thinking it unnecessary means you get there and hassle the cabin crew to guilt trip some passenger who did pay the extra to book their seat into moving so you can all sit together. Your 12 year old doesn’t have a say really does he? You and DH should pay the extra or one of you two be prepared to move so your 12 yr old won’t be devastated.

Yesicancancan · 02/05/2019 12:31

If sitting together is important, book it and pay for the privilege of knowing you can arrive later and sit together. If you don’t mind not sitting together take the risk. Some people will happily move seats and accommodate you, expecting more than two people to because you didn’t want to pay is taking the piss if the person you want to move has paid.

reluctantbrit · 02/05/2019 12:32

Be careful, seating together can also mean across the aisle or in front/behind the child. It does not mean automatically next to each other.

I hate the attitude that parents do not. Ok and then just assume everyone is happy to swap seats.

fruitbrewhaha · 02/05/2019 12:32

I'd pay £400 to not sit with my family.

worldwandering · 02/05/2019 12:33

This is us later this year. 2 adults 2 DC 10&12. One adult and the 10 yr old will get allocated seats together but technically the other adult and the 12 year old could be anywhere.
You can’t just book 2 seats, it’s all 4 seats or none. The cost to book is crazy.
We’ve had a good chat about it and won’t be paying to book (or expecting people to move!). We’ll check in as soon as we can 24 hrs before and see what we can get.
Read a good article in a recent Which travel magazine about prebooking seats and our carrier seems to have a high % of automatically allocating family seats together where possible so I’m happy to save the £ and take the chance.
DS12 will just sit and watch TV for hours wearing headphones and eating anything they bring him...he’ll be fine wherever he ends up!

fruitbrewhaha · 02/05/2019 12:33

Just checkin online, it open 24 hours before your flight departs, so be prompt and get in and get the seats together for free.

Lifecraft · 02/05/2019 12:35

I'd pay £400 to not sit with my family.

Damn...beaten to it.

AlexaAmbidextra · 02/05/2019 12:35

Not this again? It’s like bloody Groundhog Day.

bestbefore · 02/05/2019 12:36

Do it at check in - I had 7 adults going to new york with BA and we didn't to pay to reserve seats (more money for cocktails!) and when I went to check in we were all sitting together anyway...

PazRaz10 · 02/05/2019 12:38

In the last year I have flown Lufthanza, Easyjet, BA and Flybe - not once booked seats and not once been sat apart!

AlexaAmbidextra · 02/05/2019 12:39

Just checkin online, it open 24 hours before your flight departs, so be prompt and get in and get the seats together for free.

And if everyone booked on the flight does this?

choli · 02/05/2019 12:39

Most 12 yr old I know would be delighted rather than devastated to be seated apart from their parents

BossAssBitch · 02/05/2019 12:40

Pay to reserve the seats.

I won't move for people who haven't done so.

EvilDog · 02/05/2019 12:41

I'd pay £400 to not sit with my family

Me too! Especially as a 12 year old!

Original poster

tinklykitty · 02/05/2019 12:41

@fruitbrewhaha that's what my DH thinks! Ha! And for the previous poster who said about 12 yr old sitting with family of course he would and then I know I'll be lumbered on my own with 3 anxious kids who have never flown before while DH Has a peaceful 8 hours at the other end of the plane... only because my DC will 'want to sit with mummy' ha

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