Leaving odd seats empty on planes

[FawnFrenchieMum]

I actually didn’t think it allowed you to do this (leave a single window seat of the middle seat of three)
Am I being unreasonable to this leaving single seats like this all over the plane shouldn't be allowed?

With cilkdren though, espe cially when they are young, the answer is to book seat and take what you want.
The issue of moving passeners etc... happens becayse people don't want to pay for the £10 to book their seats and then know other pasengers will be forced to move for them so they can be sat with the child.....

(Obvioulsy if the airline doesn't allow you to book ahead, its a different issue)

@JustLyra

He’s only 10 so I didn’t want him in at the window

Why??

He's not going to fall out!

Most kids love window seats!! Thus big kid still does!!

@ShadowPuppets.

It's not something you want to think about when booking seats!

@Nsky

Nearly always travel alone, priority boarding , for extra baggage, and nearly always window seat

Same here.

The issue of moving passeners etc... happens becayse people don't want to pay for the £10 to book their seats and then know other pasengers will be forced to move for them so they can be sat with the child.....

And I would deeply resent being asked to move from the seats I’d chosen, booked and paid for to allow someone else who didn’t want to pay to book to sit together.

@FantasticFebruary, it wasn’t my post but I assume because she didn’t want him sat alone past two adults, having to shout past them to ask an adult for something etc.

I really don’t understand what you are on about. I traveled with a baby and an older child. I book aisle and middle seat so I can get out and change or walk baby or let my DC go to the toilet. Someone else sits in the window seat. I really don’t see an issue here - I am paying so I can choose and have convenient seats for traveling with small children.

I wouldn’t swap seats unless it was to another aisle seat, in a comparable position

@BarbaraGordon I get the not leaving a seat empty, but we just want to be able to get up and move about if we need to with the baby. A 2 minute trip to the loo might be all the distraction he needs 🤷🏻‍♀️
It’s not like we are booking aisle and window! Such a strange system

@AdriannaP agree with this but TUI do not let you do this 🤷🏻‍♀️🤯 crazy system and the best part. You STILL have to pay the seats

TUI don’t allow it! I was convinced I’d seen it somewhere!

@daimbarsatemydogsbone
“We have offered to swap if people prefer - and we don't pass hundreds of objects across or have long conversations.”

I’m not sure why you offer to swap then. Anyway, I still feel that for maximum utility the booking system would force you to either sit together or have seats in different rows.

My husband is 6’5 and a nervous flyer. We always book an aisle seat for him and me beside him and would never think anything of it. If people want to sit together they pay for the seats otherwise they know there’s a risk they’ll be split

I still don't quite understand the OP's confusion with this. Of course you can choose any seat you want!

Also, just because there is an aisle seat and a window seat taken, doesn't mean they are people traveling together. I prefer the aisle seat and if I'm traveling alone I will pick a seat where the window seat is already taken, hoping that the middle seat will stay empty, rather than pick an aisle seat in an empty row.

My husband prefers a window seat. (He will usually sleep through the whole flight!) If it's just the two of us and the plane looks pretty empty when we're selecting seats, we will pick a window seat and an aisle seat in the same row, hoping it stays empty. If someone does end up sitting there then we will always offer them a choice of window or aisle if they would prefer, although I know we're not obliged to. If the plane looks full we'll just take any two seats together if they are available.

Someone expressed surprise that a passenger would want to be able to get off the plane as soon as possible once they'd landed. I'm the same way, and it's nothing to do with whether I have an important business meeting to get to. I just want the journey to be over as soon as possible at that point. I'll wait my turn, but I'm going to move as soon as I can.

@FawnFrenchieMum

TUI don’t allow it! I was convinced I’d seen it somewhere!

Another reason not to fly with TUI then.

I never book seats, I travel with my children and we have always been sat together.

No idea why people fall for the booking seat scam.

Travelling this summer and if they split us up, that's fine, as mine are 12 plus now. A few hours without a 12 year old would be bliss 😂

In our case it might be that the aisle person hasn't paid for it and has just been put there, so isn't bothered.

wow. That's really good to know about Tui. With my bladder and genetic blood clotting condition, I have to get up on flights as regularly as possible (not loads, but once an hour I'd say). I always book an aisle seat for this reason. Insane that you can't have an aisle unless you're in a large party.

@cakewench

wow. That's really good to know about Tui. With my bladder and genetic blood clotting condition, I have to get up on flights as regularly as possible (not loads, but once an hour I'd say). I always book an aisle seat for this reason. Insane that you can't have an aisle unless you're in a large party.

I would think this would come under special assistance, if you call them they will pre book your seats near the loo free of charge

Fully agree with tui on this. If you are travelling as a pair then it’s window and middle or adjacent aisles. Only fair. I sat on a flight with the most selfish couple once in between them. They were constantly leaning over me to talk and pass food etc. When the person in the aisle got up I sat in his seat and refused to move when he got back only to let him in the middle. The arsehole called cabin crew and I stood laughing when they agreed with me that he was too sit in the middle. How face was a picture and I’ve not forgotten it. Some people are beyond selfish.

It's more about moving (re the blood clotting, I've had DVTs before and have been diagnosed with a rare condition) than the bladder (which I think I'm probably not the only one!) but I can think of other reasons why I'd want an aisle seat. Windows are for those who can sleep/ have iron bladders and don't want to be disturbed. People should have the option hence my not liking that policy.

It doesn't matter much; I like Jet2 well enough. I have to fly frequently to visit family (both sets of our extended families are overseas) so I think about this sort of thing a lot!

oh I should add, I do agree that it's selfish to book an aisle and a window in the hopes you get a free seat between you. But I am reading this as you can't book an aisle and a middle, either? If I'm wrong, I apologise!

@cakewench
It’s badly written but I read it that you can book middle and window. It doesn’t prohibit leaving an aisle seat empty. Maybe it’s written to also cover rows of four. Do they exist?

@CharlotteRose90

Fully agree with tui on this. If you are travelling as a pair then it’s window and middle or adjacent aisles. Only fair. I sat on a flight with the most selfish couple once in between them. They were constantly leaning over me to talk and pass food etc. When the person in the aisle got up I sat in his seat and refused to move when he got back only to let him in the middle. The arsehole called cabin crew and I stood laughing when they agreed with me that he was too sit in the middle. How face was a picture and I’ve not forgotten it. Some people are beyond selfish.

Absolutely nothing wrong with a pair booking aisle and middle.

Single travellers can have a window just as much as they can have an aisle.

I know a couple who buy all three seats - that’s what you should do if you want a whole row.

they will then be very pissed off when the no-show seat is sold on.

It's all a con to get money from you. Plane travel isn't like it usedto be. One price would get you a seat and your case and a meal