Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Ryan Air - What the hell??

200 replies

FlioFlopsAndIceCream · 22/08/2019 20:25

Just checked in for our flights on Monday and Ryan Air have allocated 3 seats next to each (me, and 2 DCs), then husband has to pay extra for his seat (apparantly this is a thing now, that one parent in every family has to pay for a seat(??wtf?) - except there aren't any seats near the rest of us???

What is this Ryan Air??? Surely you can seat families together?

A complete joke. I'm fuming.... we've been looking forward to this trip for ages.

Ryan Air - thanks a million for getting our holiday off to a shit start Angry

(I can almost let them off making DH pay, but surely they can at least allocate families to sit together??? CRAZY times)

(Sorry, I know we r lucky to be going on holiday! first world problem.)

OP posts:
FenellaMaxwell · 22/08/2019 20:26

If you want seats together then you need to pay for them at the time of booking. Everyone else has to. So do you.

toomuchfaster · 22/08/2019 20:28

There are enough threads on here to have alerted you to this issue before now.

Superlooper · 22/08/2019 20:29

Ryanair give free seat allocation for 1 parent + children. Better than some airlines! Some charge for every seat

Invisimamma · 22/08/2019 20:29

You need to check in earlier if you want to sit together. Like when check in opens, not a few days before.

littlepeaegg · 22/08/2019 20:30

I go away with Ryanair on Monday, I checked in ages ago and managed to get us all together. So maybe for future bookings, check in as soon as you can.

ContinuityError · 22/08/2019 20:31

You have one adult sat with the children and one adult sat elsewhere. So the adults swap over part way through. It’s a bargain bucket airline.

Flavabobble · 22/08/2019 20:31

Ryanair will allocate random seats however early you check in.

MaybeitsMaybelline · 22/08/2019 20:31

Lol.you aren’t seriously expecting Ryan Air to give you Emirates service? You are sat with the kids, got a problem? Sit DH with them and you sit alone.

Laquila · 22/08/2019 20:32

I’m amazed that there’s anyone left on Mumsnet who doesn’t know this. What were you expecting to happen, seat-wise?

FredaFrogspawn · 22/08/2019 20:33

It’s such a scam. Pay for your seat or we’ll seat you randomly on purpose. Passengers should revolt and re-seat themselves as they want in groups.

Celebelly · 22/08/2019 20:34

Ryanair are shit but I actually think YABU here. When DP and I fly budget airlines, we often don't sit together as I refuse to pay to sit next to him for an hour or two when we see each other all the time anyway. You're beside your two kids - I've seen people on here turn up to find they have been separated from their children before!

Timetobookaholiday · 22/08/2019 20:34

I didn't know Ryan air gave a parent free seats to sit next to kids.. they have gone up in my estimation.
Cost me £64 to sit with my son for return flights last holiday.

Original poster
FlioFlopsAndIceCream · 22/08/2019 20:34

Yes Superloofer - except if we all want to sit together, then we have to pay for ALL of us, as there isn't a 4th seat anywhere near where they've put us, so we'd all have to move seats which will cost loads.

There's loads of rows of 4 seats next to each other, so wouldnt have been hard for RyanAir to allocate the three of us to seats where the 4th was vacant and DH could book and pay for it. As it stands, if we want to sit next to each other, we all have to pay to move seats, which is an added cost we can't afford

OP posts:
YorkshirePuddingsGreatestFan · 22/08/2019 20:35

Most airlines do this now. There's an option to pay to book seats together.

I'm disabled and need to sit in specific seats. I have to pay extra to book a seat that meets my needs.

Isithometimeyet0987 · 22/08/2019 20:35

All airlines only have to ensure one parent is sat with their children they do t have to seat full families together if they didn’t pay when booking. If you all wanted seated right next to each other you should have paid or checked in earlier.

HairyFloppins · 22/08/2019 20:35

You have to pay for seats now or they will separate you on purpose. It's crap I know but they all do it now.

Celebelly · 22/08/2019 20:35

That's precisely why they do it, though. It's why all the budget airlines do it: to convince people to pay ridiculous amounts to sit next to each other for an hour.

euro23451277 · 22/08/2019 20:36

Unfortunately if you don’t pay for seats in advance that is what you are left with.... if you’d paid at the offset then you would all be sitting together

HeyMonkey · 22/08/2019 20:36

If you pay peanuts you get monkeys.

With RA you get the flight and that's all, hence the super low cost.

If you want to choose seating and get good service you pay and fly BA or Emirates. It's like going to Greggs and expecting gourmet.

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 22/08/2019 20:36

Where have you been for the last 5 years Confused

Cheeserton · 22/08/2019 20:38

They're called Ryanair. One word, one capital letter. Every possible variation on this thread...

Yes you need to pay to sit together, like everyone else knows you have to. It's hardly new. You don't expect anything for free on Ryanair, that way you won't be disappointed.

amylou8 · 22/08/2019 20:38

Yep they're banking on you paying the extra, the exactly why they've not put you where there's room all of you. Sit DH with the kids and have a nice relaxing flight 😁

RainOrSun · 22/08/2019 20:39

MaybeitsMaybelline even Emirates let you pay to select your seats now. If you dont, they assign them when checkin opens 48 hrs before departure. They have always sat me with the kids tho.

GreenTulips · 22/08/2019 20:39

Why do you need to sit together? I’d put DH next to the kids and get a book out. Now that’s worth paying for.

Original poster
FlioFlopsAndIceCream · 22/08/2019 20:40

I just think it's mean! I can't afford to pay for the fancy airlines! I just think it's mean that there's loads of rows of 4 available and they've sat us where there is no 4th seat anywhere near! I know it's super cheap, but it would harm then to think about families and accommodate where there is room.

Anyway, we've learnt our lesson. The rich get richer, the rest get shafted! (though like I say, we r very very lucky to be going on holiday so I really shouldn't complain!!)

OP posts: