To pay or not to pay? Help me decide!

[RainbowCottonCandy]

Flight booked next month with Ryanair. Very short time of under an hour. Travelling with teenagers. Have not currently paid for seats together as it kind of annoys me to! I fully accept this may mean we're all separated and trust me I would absolutely not kick off or ask others to move. I've told the kids and they are ok with it. It's only £40. Dh thinks we should pay it, I think we shouldn't!
It's been years since I flew Ryanair. When we do online check in the seats will already be allocated won't they? Are they different to Jet 2 where if you do it soon enough you can choose what's left?

If you're not bothered and the kids aren't bothered who does DH want to sit with?

If you're flying next month are there even any seats together still available?

I wouldn't waste your money.

We've never paid but they always still put us together. Save your money! (Plus the flight is really short, you'll be on and off again before you know it ...)

It's three against one, a no-brainer. If your husband has his own money (not in a joint account) then he can pay if he cares that much. Otherwise, majority wins.

Just let DH choose his seat?

You can’t choose or change when you check in - this might be an option with the priority booking but we’ve never booked it.

Occasionally DH and I are on a quiet flight and we’ll move to sit together if one of our rows is otherwise empty but usually we just sit separately.

Under an hour? Waste of money to pay for seats together.

Shows loads of seats spare. Dh would prefer us to sit together. Think we might just wing it! Thought I read somewhere that Ryanair has an algorithm that splits you all up!

Under an hour who cares?

DH & Me had a a 1 hour flight 2 weeks ago, didn’t pay, I was in row 6 & DH in row 28! 😅
flying back I checked in a bit later, we were sat together on a full flight! Go figure 🤷‍♀️

They have an algorithm that makes sure the planes balanced as far as I'm aware

"Thought I read somewhere that Ryanair has an algorithm that splits you all up!"

If that 'somewhere' was Mumsnet I wouldn't take any notice. There's an awful lot of rubbish on Mumsnet.

OTOH, if it does turn out to be true, it doesn't sound as if it matters if you are split up. You can probably move after take off if the flight's not full, but anyway, by the time you've sat down, sorted yourselves, read the safety leaflet carefully (of course!) and taken off, the plane will be descending again and the flight almost over. You can then catch up with each other in a queue!

Every time I've flown with other adults on Ryanair we've been split up. The only time I flew with DD I paid to get seats together because she was 6 and too little to sit apart. They told me on checkin they always seat kids with their parents though, but I'm not sure if there's an age limit on what they consider a kid 🤷‍♀️ I don't think I'd pay with teens though- it's a treat to have an hour's break from them 😂

Id pay because I don’t like flying but your family don’t seem to mind.

I’d just be pleased to have a flight. Ryanair have changed my flights twice already, shortening our villa holiday by two days and have cancelled my sisters and her family’s completely! We were all due to holiday together for a sp3cial event.

I wish where to sit was all I am worrying about.

We always fly with them as we live in Dublin . For the past two years we have always been split up ! Before that it was fine .

Not sure about an algorithm but DH and I flew Ryanair a few years ago... We didn't pay to select seats and he was sat directly behind me - fine we're not fussed about sitting together. However, a chap came and sat next to me, and his wife was next to DH. So in that case they must have deliberately split us (and the other couple) up. We switched when we realised.

For such a short flight I really wouldn't bother, especially as your children are old enough to sit alone and don't mind sitting with strangers. Save your £40. As soon as you get in the air you'll be on your way back down again.

If your kids are old enough not to care if they were sat next to your or not, I would not pay to sit together. To be honest I would like to be sat by myself for an hour and read a book in peace.

I think Ryanair still board families first, so you may be ok.

I've never not been split on Ryanair even when plenty of seats. You do get the choice if seats available to pay for choosing at check in. So as long as you check in as early as allowed you can still decide if you want to book seats or not then

Just don’t ask others to move - I always seem to get asked and always move but it pisses me off.

I paid for a seat beside family just before covid. A woman travelling alone with her daughter (about 14) asked me to move so they could sit together. I couldn’t say no - but I did pay so I could chat and laugh with family.

Just check in as soon as check in opens. I never pay for seats together and always get seated together with every airline including Ryanair if I check in a few minutes within check in opening.

The only time I haven't got seats together was when I checked in too late. Me, ds6 and ds9 were all seated on different rows. I didn't ask anyone to move and it was the most peaceful flight I've had in years!

We were split - kind of

Youngest was sat by me (had to be because of age - I think we had to pay for one adult seat to be reserved next to him) - one daughter was then row in front but on opposite side of the plane, with her sister directly in front of her (in emergency exit row). Son was in front row (with the extra leg room) and husband directly behind him

All were middle seats

@Mellowyellow222 Don't move, especially if you've paid. Recently on a Ryanair flight I heard a woman saying quite politely that she couldn't move as she had paid extra to sit next to her husband. All quite reasonable and accepted by the person who wanted to swap.
You could even say you'd paid for the seat, even if that wasn't true, if it helps you to refuse politely. Your comfort is just as important as everyone else's.

OP, I couldn't care less who I sit next to on a short flight but my DH does care and gets himself a cheap seat then buys me a more expensive one so I can choose to sit next to him. Works out ok!

Have a nice trip!

I fly regularly and Ryanair does seem to use an algorithm that purposely splits you up. Either end of the plane in a middle seat even when the flight isn’t full.
Easyjet and BA seat you together if you check in early enough and there’s space.
But you can’t pick seats for free at the end with Ryanair, you always need to pay.

Are DCs happy to be sitting away from you? If so, and they're of an alright age-ish, then I wouldn't bother. But if they're under 16 and the destination is the last flight to a "party" destination then I might want them to sit closer to me so they don't end up next to any drinking parties etc.