AIBU to offer cash to other passengers for their seats on flight

[Blewitagain]

I am going on holiday and have discovered I haven't pre booked seats on our flights. I'm traveling with two children. This was an oversight. I can get two seats which would leave eldest sat alone.

Would it be weird to take cash to compensate anyone willing to move seat? No one might be willing to move but I'm hoping.

I once travelled last minute in an emergency and no one was willing to move seats.

If you are on your own with them and they are under twelve they will both be sat next to you anyway. Children under 12 have to be seated with at least one parent or guardian. The only reason to book and pay for seats is if you are a larger family group and all want to sit together.

I don't know what the rules are for children aged 12 and over who have a disability and need to be sat next to a parent. You really shouldn't have to pay extra for a measure resulting from a disability. Ryanair were hauled over the coals for something similar.

I flew Ryanair last week and sat apart from my partner...I quite enjoyed the chat i had with the stranger sat next to me.
On another note...who in their right mind pays for priority boarding...what an utter waste of money.

I'd move because it doesn't bother me where I sit, DP probably would as well, and only one of us needs to sit with DS. I'd do it for free but if you offered me a glass of wine as a thank you I'd be chuffed.

If you are polite when asking, and gracious to anyone who refuses due to their own personal reasons then no harm done really.

MrsJorahMormont
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Interesting engagement if my post!🤣🤣
Is it a case of shutting me down having the last word over me or do you prefer the old way of flying where it was more expensive but you paid for things you didnt need or care about?

"With" is defined as per CAA guidelines and can include across aisle, or in row in front or behind. It doesn't necessarily mean "next to". The only way to guarantee next to is to pay for it.

Just asked my teen and he'd move for cash and so would I. The cash offered needs to be at least the charge for allocated seating

I understand it is a money making exercise for the airline, however I do not understand what benefit is for the airline to have young children away from their parents. Seems a gamble to me that the parent will pay to sit with them. I wouldn't want to sit next to an unaccompanied child, even if traveling with my own children (so where I couldn't offer to move). What if the child is abused? Surely the airline has a responsibility?

"With" is defined as per CAA guidelines and can include across aisle, or in row in front or behind. It doesn't necessarily mean "next to". The only way to guarantee next to is to pay for it

Probably fine for most people. Other than those sitting next to a baby - but then that's the airline's problem. They have made it their problem.

I don't know what is wrong with people on mumsnet. While there have been some valid reasons mentioned for not swapping, such as being neurodiverse and needing a particular seat, most people just seem to be trying to competitively out arsehole each other.

...More a case that some people who invest time on-line and money on getting a seat that meets their specification (and there doesn't need to be a medical reason behind the choice) are getting a bit hacked off when some seemingly expect they should shift, gratis.....

Like others I've moved seats to help out on occasions but even I might end up a bit arseholey if I was travelling on a flight where for whatever reason I'd paid for an aisle seat up front and was being pressurised to move towards the back of the aircraft to make life more convenient for another passenger.

How long is the flight? At 12 yes sure your eldest might want to sit with you but if the flight is only an hour or so I dont really see the problem.

There are ways round this though. An automatically allocated seat, next to the others in your booking. Some people can then pay to choose a specific seat to their liking. There will be several single passengers who don't pay to choose their seat (like me) who can be moved around the cabin to accommodate the automatic grouping of seats and that wouldn't show as occupied in the paid-seat selection section. This isn't an idea - this is a functioning, working program in use by some airlines.

I can almost get over with cheap airlines, but when the more 'luxury' airlines (virgin, I'm looking at you) and supposed all inclusive package deals (first choice) I think it is simply criminal.

Actually it's a good point that you couldn't pick your seat back in the day. I remember a long haul flight late 90s where DH was one end of the plane with DS1 and I was at the other end with DS2. Much better to be able to pay to pick your seat if it's important to you or not if you aren't bothered. But you should acknowledge that it's largely the low cost carriers that drove the competition that reduced prices with innovative practices.

I think its really unfair to call people arseholes because they might not want to be inconvenienced or out of pocket to facilitate someone else's parenting. Its not a pleasant position to put someone in, because effectively they're made to feel that the flight experience of a child they've never met is down to them rather than the parent's oversight.
Most people are actually happy to do their bit to support parents, but its not the default that every adult in the world has to put the needs of parents above their own.
Parenting is not the same as having a disability, it's a choice that carries responsibilities and the understanding should be that that's on you as the parent to meet them. Help and special concessions from strangers a bonus, but not a right.

@Thebeastofsleep

There will be several single passengers who don't pay to choose their seat (like me) who can be moved around the cabin to accommodate the automatic grouping of seats and that wouldn't show as occupied in the paid-seat selection section. This isn't an idea - this is a functioning, working program in use by some airlines.

Sounds reasonable, if I'm travelling solo, not in a rush etc I'll happily take my chances.

The issue for me is the perception some seem to have that solo passengers can and perhaps should always be prepared to give up seat they have chosen to facilitate a group being together...IMHO that's an unreasonable expectation.

Why do you feel entitled to be given free seat selection on a cheap flight?

She doesn’t. She said that’s what happens.

I wasn't calling everyone who wouldn't give up a seat an arsehole, I was saying that there are posters on this thread who are trying to out arsehole each other on this topic. There definitely are, there are lots of digs at the op and people "laughing" at her nervous 12 year old not wanting to sit alone.

Everyone is working on the assumption that the person sitting beside her will have paid for their seat, but I think it is much more likely that a single passenger sitting in a row of three will not have paid for that particular seat. And if that passenger has paid, then the OP was planning to offer them compensation.

but I think it is much more likely that a single passenger sitting in a row of three will not have paid for that particular seat.

I'd be wary of assuming that TBH, I used to regularly travel "solo" short haul and my paid for seat of choice would be an aisle seat - most of my colleagues did similar.

If you travel often enough the middle seat and even the window seat lose their attraction after a while.

I’m glad you’re veering towards not doing it; it’s a very arrogant thing to do.

I've love to make a wad of cash just by moving seats! Hopefully this happens to me when we go on holiday this year :D

Hear hear @pixie5121 , I found it pretty funny that when DH and I travelled to Barcelona in November Ryanair deliberately sat us at opposite ends of the plane in rubbish middle seats. Lesson Learnt.

When DS was younger I would always pay for us to be seated together and build that into the cost of the holiday.

But that doesn't solve the problem. I'm flying with virgin later this year, certainly not a cheap carrier. And yet, if we all want to sit together we still have to pay. Not to choose my specific seat, simply to get 4 seats together. If I want to choose specific seats, I need to pay even more.

I can understand it with a cheap airline, but something like virgin? I think its despicable.

I don't know how you managed to not notice the seat allocation in part of the booking since you have to click through it about 4 times? This seat allocation business has been going on for about 20 years now, most people are well aware of the implications of not buying a seat especially travel with kids. I don't know maybe this is the first flight you ever booked. No one likes this money spinning crap from the airline industry but unless people get out and lobby for change in the industry it's not going anywhere. Making all the other passengers uncomfortable on their journey with bribes and kids as part of it is no way to go about this. Lots of people are already very stressed out and highly strung during airline travel, leave them alone. Prep your 12 year old about his journey in good time and explain that he will be sitting separately. It will be more stressful for your 12 yr old to watch you trying desperately to get a seat near him. I flew as an unacompanied minor on long haul flights as a child and it was fine, I'm a really calm traveller now. Ask the air steward to look out for them and make it a positive experience for him. When you fly unacompanied as a child once you're in your seat you are basically left to it but the air steward comes over to see if you're ok now and again and then you wait to be escorted off with the steward on landing.

It is an unreasonable expectation.

But I also think it is unreasonable expectation that a passenger can be sat by a child whose adult is not easily accessible, and that is what airlines allow.

I am not suggesting that people traveling with children should be able to freely choose their seats either, I'm saying that airlines should sit them together as a matter of course, and allow them to pay to choose which seats they sit in if they do not like the preselected seats, much like a single traveler does.