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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

414 replies

Blewitagain · 24/05/2022 22:26

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.

OP posts:
Firstshoes · 25/05/2022 06:02

Are you allowed to move willy nilly once checked in? I thought you had to sit in your allocated seat

Skinterior · 25/05/2022 06:03

No harm in asking. If I'm travelling alone I don't care where I sit. You're not going to be able to tell who paid for their seats just looking at them.

I prob wouldn't take your money though, unless it was a nice dinner's worth.

Skinterior · 25/05/2022 06:04

And you have to sit in your allocated seat during take off and landing just in case anything goes nasty and you need to be identified (sorry, it's grim I know)

Svara · 25/05/2022 06:07

12 year olds don't even have to travel as UMs when travelling alone I thought? I don't think they would be prioritised to sit with a parent.

Original poster
Blewitagain · 25/05/2022 06:10

Not a wind up and I won't have been reading news sites that run MN stories.

Those questioning a 12 year old sitting alone, he will manage but prefer not to. Will get by though. He has flown one in the past couple of years. Sounds like some children have more experience. Also its not an age thing is it? Some adults are nervous.

And regardless of how organised I am or not, when they moved us to a different flight we might have always had this problem.

OP posts:
Whooshaagh · 25/05/2022 06:13

Why not give cash to your 12 year old to sit alone. Most dc that age can be bribed and at least your own dc is getting the money.

WhatsHoppening · 25/05/2022 06:30

IWasFunBeforeMum · 24/05/2022 22:35

My kids are 3 and 4 and when we booked with Ryanair we refused to pay for allocated seating. The lead passenger (me) was put with both of them. My partner was elsewhere despite being on the same booking, arseholes. Anyway, point is your airline may automatically put children with the lead passenger.

You refused to pay?? They put the kids with and adult. They are not areseholes.

Choufleurfromage · 25/05/2022 06:30

Marvellousmadness · 25/05/2022 04:37

The kid is a teenager. Surely he can sit vy himself. 😅

You are redefining what a teenager is?
Will you be doing the rest of the dictionary too?

Morph22010 · 25/05/2022 06:31

Skinterior · 25/05/2022 06:04

And you have to sit in your allocated seat during take off and landing just in case anything goes nasty and you need to be identified (sorry, it's grim I know)

If anything nasty happens I don’t think they tend to be able to identify by seat numbers, as people tend not to be still be in seats or even in one piece. If a crash was mild enough that everyone was still in seats they more than likely wouldn’t all be dead

GnomeDePlume · 25/05/2022 06:32

The difficulty is trying to get this all sorted in a narrow aisle in the general flight boarding chaos. The overhead locker space gets filled up very quickly.

So in principle I would happily move (I normally fly alone) but in practice could see it being very difficult to organise.

rocketfromthecrypt · 25/05/2022 06:32

What's wrong with a 12 year old being nervous? He can feel nervous, go through the experience, realise there was nothing to be nervous about, and get a tiny bit more resilient as a result.

liveforsummer · 25/05/2022 06:38

Tbh I'd happily take a bit of extra holiday spending money for dc to give you our seats - they'd be delighted so sit alone and earn from it 😆. I never pay for seats either but we've always ended up together. It's not really possible to forget to pay for allocated seats though - airlines try very hard to get you to do anything to let with more money so not sure how you e managed to miss it! Ryan air now seat you with dc free when you pay for one seat but apparently 12 year olds count as adults in their eyes now so they aren't included.

Kangaruby · 25/05/2022 06:38

It might work, I pay to sit with my 12 year old but if you offered him cash to move he would probably jump at the chance. I wouldn't move for free as I have paid for my seat.

Original poster
Blewitagain · 25/05/2022 06:40

We were aiming for a fun trip together rather than a life lesson. Unfortunately he has very well developed resilience.

OP posts:
Soontobe60 · 25/05/2022 06:41

IWasFunBeforeMum · 24/05/2022 22:35

My kids are 3 and 4 and when we booked with Ryanair we refused to pay for allocated seating. The lead passenger (me) was put with both of them. My partner was elsewhere despite being on the same booking, arseholes. Anyway, point is your airline may automatically put children with the lead passenger.

I think you’ll find you were the arsehole for chancing being seated together then complaining on Mn when you weren’t.

Original poster
Blewitagain · 25/05/2022 06:43

Blewitagain · 25/05/2022 06:40

We were aiming for a fun trip together rather than a life lesson. Unfortunately he has very well developed resilience.

Sorry that was in response to developing resilience comment. Wasn't meant to sound snippy.

@liveforsummer I don't know how it's been missed either. I can only think either the prompts are different when you book an actual holiday, or its because the booking has been changed several times

OP posts:
Stokey · 25/05/2022 06:44

How old is the younger child? Mine are 12 and 10 and I'd probably put them together and sit separately as long as I was quite close. They'd prefer to have some company. I'd also ask whoever was sitting next to them to swap - who would want to sit next to 2 kids?! You may get lucky.

We were flying long haul recently and couldn't get hold of the airline - obscure Asian airline that had only just started flying to the UK - to book seats so had 3 together and one opposite on the other side of the 3 central ones. There was a guy travelling be himself in the closer seat in the centre row so he was happy to swap.

Morph22010 · 25/05/2022 06:44

rocketfromthecrypt · 25/05/2022 06:32

What's wrong with a 12 year old being nervous? He can feel nervous, go through the experience, realise there was nothing to be nervous about, and get a tiny bit more resilient as a result.

Depends on child but my 12 year old (asd) would possibly have a complete violent meltdown if his anxiety got too high which could possibly result in the plane being diverted so it’s not worth the risk of him possibly becoming a little bit more resilient by sitting alone.

Morph22010 · 25/05/2022 06:47

liveforsummer · 25/05/2022 06:38

Tbh I'd happily take a bit of extra holiday spending money for dc to give you our seats - they'd be delighted so sit alone and earn from it 😆. I never pay for seats either but we've always ended up together. It's not really possible to forget to pay for allocated seats though - airlines try very hard to get you to do anything to let with more money so not sure how you e managed to miss it! Ryan air now seat you with dc free when you pay for one seat but apparently 12 year olds count as adults in their eyes now so they aren't included.

Out of interest what happens with over 12s that need carers does anyone know? Tried to look but it’s just saying about people who have special assistance booked. We are not travelling by plane anytime soon and I’d probably just pay to book seats if we did so it’s more just a point of interest than anything else

DublinDoris2000 · 25/05/2022 06:48

Urgh, people are being very sanctimonious about not moving seats. I think it's unreasonable of the airlines not to automatically sit family groups together. They used try to do this before the budget airlines figured you could make people pay for it.
I'd move if you asked me, (and it didn't give me a much worse seat).

Butitsnotfunnyisititsserious · 25/05/2022 06:53

Blewitagain · 24/05/2022 23:54

If someone doesn't want to move they can always say no. That's what I thought.

I don't want to sit in an awkward atmosphere though so don't think I will ask

Let's hope this first minor fuck up isn't a pattern! I wonder what else I've missed!!! I'm going to go recheck passport dates!

Well not everyone could say no and it's putting people in an uncomfortable position. Which isn't fair.
If someone asked me I would say no. I pre book my seats for a reason.

Stravaig · 25/05/2022 06:54

Are you nervous about flying, OP, and the kids are picking it up from you? Seems odd to be sure your children will wobble unless you're sat right beside them. Most seem happy enough on planes.

Original poster
Blewitagain · 25/05/2022 06:56

I'm thinking I'm odd for not having a problem saying "Sorry but I would prefer not to" with no ill feeling!

OP posts:
liveforsummer · 25/05/2022 06:57

Out of interest what happens with over 12s that need carers does anyone know? Tried to look but it’s just saying about people who have special assistance booked

You'd have to pay to allocate the seats.

oblada · 25/05/2022 06:59

I never pay for seats and i just accept that my older kids may be sat away from us and me away from DH. I'm not sure what the fuss is about? How long is the flight?
You can always take money but it would be pretty awkward.