Asking someone to move seats on a flight? Aibu ?

[wearejustfriends]

Last week I was travelling to Gran Canaria with TUI.
I had booked mine and boyfriends seats when we booked and paid £22 for both.
I had the window and he had the middle.

A lady sat on the end and her daughter was in front.
She asked could they have our two seats and we have hers /daughters or my boyfriend switch with her daughter.
I politely said no.
Which she wasn't happy about.
We got "what difference does it make"
"Your adults,my daughter is sacred of flying and is a minor"

Anyway we wouldn't move.

Was I in the wrong ?
Surely if she was that bothered she could have paid like us.

Are you suggesting under 12s don’t pay? Yes

Because if you lose that price of the tickets will rise Lots of people don’t pay - ilovesooty and me for a start - are people like us causing a rise in ticket prices? No is the answer. The money you pay for seat selection is pure profit, especially when you can get adjacent seats for nothing.

YANBU. When I’ve flown with young children (my youngest was always anxious on a flight) I’ve always paid to ensure we have seats together, so she should have done that if her daughter was truly scared.

The fact you think a young child should be left of their own because a parent doesn't have an extra £20pp or doesn't even know there's a seat-choosing service available is weird AF. Train companies manage to allocate everyone a seat when they book all by themselves.

One presumes that when they reached their destination they weren't sleeping on the beach, so a bit extra to ensure seats together is hardly rocket science. Now is it.

People value different seats differently... aisle vs window vs middle. Front vs back. Near emergency exits. Others just want to sit next to their companions. For some just across an aisle is completely acceptable as together (I've flown on smaller planes where its two seats either side of aisle with my two children. I had to sit across the aisle from one or both of them... I was a foot further away. It wasn't a big deal really!)

You either have prebooking or they let a computer decide with no one expressing a preference to get the best algorithm. Or go back to seats being allocated as you check in and the last few groups being scattered, even if its toddler triplets and a single mother or a group of 80yos.

I didn't pay for seat allocation with a companion on those Jet2 flights.

I usually choose and pay extra for my preferred seat from an almost empty flight as soon as the flight is available. I don't want to book my preferred seat later on after the airline has allocated family blocks. If parents want to sit next to their children and be assured of that then they should pay.

@wearejustfriends

Also I told her I had paid for seats. Her response was "what difference does it make"

If it made no difference why didn't she pay so she could sit next to her kid? She didn't pay because she was stingy and thought she'd be able to shame someone into moving seats with her. YANBU and even if you weren't a nervous flyer you wouldn't be

@Blossomtoes

Are you suggesting under 12s don’t pay? Yes

Because if you lose that price of the tickets will rise Lots of people don’t pay - ilovesooty and me for a start - are people like us causing a rise in ticket prices? No is the answer. The money you pay for seat selection is pure profit, especially when you can get adjacent seats for nothing.

No that’s not correct

A proportion of people currently do pay and that is reflected in overall price of the tickets

Have you noticed how much ticket prices have decreased over the last number of years?

This is due to the selection model - ie base rate is very low with extras on top

The airline industry is now very price sensitive - ie people use sites to get the cheapest

You could change it back to the old model and include it but prices will go up for everyone.

Exactly. The extras are clear. I don't want the requirements of families absorbed into the base cost which would undoubtedly rise for single travellers like me.

I already have to pay single supplement for all sorts of things or have my choices restricted by things only being available to couples or families. I'm not keen on subsidising or being inconvenienced by family seating requirements on planes as well.

Well I’m going to get on my flights feeling insufferably smug as we settle into our seats side by side and contemplate all those people who have paid for something I got for nothing. 😉

I actually told my travelling companion at the time I'd have paid not to be sitting next to them!

@Blossomtoes

Well I’m going to get on my flights feeling insufferably smug as we settle into our seats side by side and contemplate all those people who have paid for something I got for nothing. 😉

That won’t happen on every flight you are on. Not sure how often you fly, but certain routes, you would need to pre-book to guarantee.

I don’t bother for short local ones, but for long haul I always do.

What is the flight never gets full?
What if the day before flying there are still 20 seats left? Do you not allow people to pay for their chosen seat allocation, in case three families book?

Don’t be ridiculous re allocating families first.

Airlines are businesses and there to make money.

@Blossomtoes

Well I’m going to get on my flights feeling insufferably smug as we settle into our seats side by side and contemplate all those people who have paid for something I got for nothing. 😉

Up to you but yes people can always get this if they take a chance

Others will want to be sure they get seats together

I’d still keep it as it is so people opting out get lower ticket price

I had this. Paid for two seats - when i got there someone else was sat in them. She said ive got young kids and i said i understand that but i have paid for these seats because i want to sit it them. She called me a cunt

Just doesn’t seem that much of an inconvenience or that much expense

So you can afford to throw away £44 and have no issues doing so, as it’s only a minor inconvenience to you.
Why presume everyone can be as profligate?

@mrsmolks

I had this. Paid for two seats - when i got there someone else was sat in them. She said ive got young kids and i said i understand that but i have paid for these seats because i want to sit it them. She called me a cunt

Suggested response - You have kids but I’ve got a seat reservation. Move.

@mrsmolks

I had this. Paid for two seats - when i got there someone else was sat in them. She said ive got young kids and i said i understand that but i have paid for these seats because i want to sit it them. She called me a cunt

I would have replied that at least I was a cunt with these two seats rather than a cunt without them.

YANBU. If I'm flying with my kids I book seats together. She should have done so too.

@DialSquare

Yea a child being scared and your more concerned about paying more you aren't a better human I don't care who agrees with you or not. Not one person should pay more to be seated with family very rude and not human caring it was child who was scared you didn't care that is disgusting behiavor

that is an assumption she didn't try your making an assumption you adults are not good humans

thats on them paying more for seats than whining about them paying extra for those seats

@umpire171

Yea a child being scared and your more concerned about paying more you aren't a better human I don't care who agrees with you or not. Not one person should pay more to be seated with family very rude and not human caring it was child who was scared you didn't care that is disgusting behiavor

Oh grow up.

Why was the child’s mother not concerned about a scared child? She was the one who knew she was getting on a flight with a scared child who she wouldn’t be sitting beside. It’s nothing to do with the OP.

I haven’t read OP say that after she declined to move, the vocal Mum raised this with the cabin crew to see where else was available or to at least alert them her DC was nervous. Total chancer.