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.

I don't think it's fair to pressure people and make them feel/look bad when they refuse.

I think the policy is that under 12 s get a guaranteed seat with an adult but over 12 s get randomly allocated unless they pay.

I think a more appropriate way would be to asses the situation and kindly ask someone if they will swap. You might not get punched in the face if you pick someone travelling alone and say something like ' I know this is really cheeky but if could my 12 year old swap sears with you? I wanted to pay but the seats were all allocated so could I buy you a meal deal or something as a thank you instead?

I get 12 isn't little but he will be nervous alone

but he won’t be alone. You will be on the same plane. probably just a few feet away.

doesn’t he travel alone by bus already?

How much did you plan to offer op?
Good questions @Kendodd . I have no idea!!

Same thing happened to me today! I paid for allocated seats back in 2020 when my twins were 6. Holiday has been rescheduled twice due to Covid... Everything carried over eg transfer, late Check out etc.. Only found out today that the selected seats hadn't transferred and there are no seats left to sit together. It happens. Sometimes we drop the ball. Yes I feel like a shit parent but I paid to avoid this two years ago, and expect OP is the same

Honestly, I find it baffling that so many people do prebook and pay for seats. I've never done this and have no complaints. Why?

Unless you are 7ft tall there isn't much difference between most seats, especially on a budget airline. If you have young kids, the airline will allocate you together. And not sitting next to your husband/wife for a couple of hours really isn't the end of the world... (most couples don't even talk to one another on flights anyway).
When you're allocated, majority of the time it's fine. We recently flew and didn't pay for seats, we had better seats allocated than those our in-laws spent $60 on. And I was certainly not giving $100 to an airline to sit beside them!

I'd let it be and enjoy the peace for a couple of hours.

How old is your youngest? Could the kids sit together & you sit on your own?

I do this think the airlines should automatically put children together with a family member as a basic safety thing. Hopefully someone will be find and swap. I would have done when I was younger.

I’m quite nervous about our flights this summer as we had vouchers from covid cancellations and the call centre has processed them under different reference numbers so a separate booking for each child and adult. We’ve tried calling them many times (at great expense on the premium rate line…)and they’re like oh yes that might be a problem we’ll try and put a note on the system. I’ve got under 5s so has the potential to be a bit shit through no fault of our own.

My 11 1/2 year old granddaughter travels alone on long distance trains quite happily, lots of children make flights alone, your 12 year old should be able to sit on his/her own for a short flight, it will be a good experience.

how are they arseholes for not providing the service you didn’t pay for?

Depending how much you offered, I'd probably snap your hand off particularly if I got to sit alone away from my family 🤣

Also (in the kindest sense), your eldest is 12 and more than capable of sitting apart for the duration of a flight to go on holiday. It's not like he's being asked to sit on a different plane.

As someone suggested, seat all your kids together and you sit alone. Your 12-year-old is able to sit with siblings if he doesn't want to be sat on his own.

Definitely worth asking rather than your son be nervous on his own! Sure he’ll be fine though.

Honestly, I find it baffling that so many people do prebook and pay for seats. I've never done this and have no complaints. Why?

Same. We never book, never pay and get window and middle seats every time. I can think of far better uses for the money.

I think given recent press reports on this topic and the fact easyjet have for years required pre booking to guarantee families being together I would only consider doing it if you are looking at an amount well over the cost someone might have paid already. More along the lines airlines sometimes pay if overbooked so compensation as well as money already spent.

If you frame it right 12 should be fine to be sitting separately- sell it as a bit of independence with no one watching how quickly the sweets go down!

I think it's going to make people feel really uncomfortable if you start offering them money in front of others

*Can’t you select/pay for your seats when you check in online OP?

I’m sure that’s usually an option if you don’t do it when you originally book.*

I have paid to select as best I could. Not much left.

@ChristinaW16 yes I think that might be what happened. Thank you for your post. People often judge harshly.

Holiday moved twice and flight also now cancelled and moved to a later one. We now arrive late despite my careful planning of middle of the day fights originally.

My year 7 child is very independent but hasn't flown much, particularly in recent years. He'll manage though. The youngest child will definitely need me.

Together doesn’t mean next to each other - CAA guidelines include across the aisle or row in front in their definition of together.

I love how you’ve decided that £60 is too much for you to spend to be next to your kids but absolutely fine for a random couple to pay £100 for you to be next to them - after all, they won’t talk to each other so might as well be separated and lose that money eh!

Parental entitlement on this issue is genuinely nuts.

Child under 12 needs to be with an adult who could sort them out in a crisis. Older child can follow instructions and sort themselves out . Panicking 12 year old not much use to a toddler if plane is in trouble.

And not sitting next to your husband/wife for a couple of hours really isn't the end of the world... (most couples don't even talk to one another on flights anyway).

Don’t assume husbands and wives don’t talk. We do and enjoy sitting next to each other while chatting! This is WHY we always ensure we have seats together.

OP if you were sat next us no way in hell would we move for money so pray you’re not sat next us as I’d tell you to jog on. Lesson learned for you - organise yourself better.

We fly with EasyJet a lot (family abroad). We’ve never paid to select seats. We have always been sat together.

Easyjet may change your seats if you call them in advance or they may change them at check in (less likely because more people will have had their seats confirmed). I used to work for an airline. What you see online doesn't always match what staff can do on their screens.
Worth a try.

I would be happy for you to ask and wouldn't accept money if I was happy to move.

Give your 12yr old headphones & an iPad & they won’t notice where they are. Just make sure they’ve got games/film that they can access offline. My DD would also be anxious under those circumstances, but the alternative is no holiday.

I would also take the cash with you. We travel as 2 adults & 2DC, we would be more inclined for one of the adults to move if we were being recompensed for the money we had paid out.