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Original poster

To not pay to choose seats but expect to sit together?

787 replies

Peachpicklepie · 24/06/2023 17:41

I'll be flying with easyjet on a short flight (just over an hour) soon. It will be me, my toddler (2 years 4 months) and my baby (four months). Baby will be on my lap. According to the website they will sit children near an accompanying adult - surely in the case of a two year old this means next to?! I really don't want to spend another £20 on choosing seats if it's unnecessary.

OP posts:
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mondaytosunday · 24/06/2023 20:41

I've never paid extra and it's always been me and my kids and hubby separately. Funny how it always seemed to work out like that!

MargotBamborough · 24/06/2023 20:41

ilovesooty · 24/06/2023 19:31

Absolutely. Make it mandatory for parents of young children to pay on booking to sit next to each other, as @keyboardkat said.

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Then that would be direct discrimination rather than the indirect discrimination it is now.

Snugglemonkey · 24/06/2023 20:41

MargotBamborough · 24/06/2023 18:07

I wouldn't pay in principle. I hate all these airlines charging for things which should be included in the ticket price. As soon as everyone had accepted that it is normal to pay extra to choose your seat, they'll start charging people to use the toilet.

They are trying to give people options to make it cheaper. Some people do not need it in the ticket price. Some people do not need luggage. So there is the flat fee, then the extras. Really people should look at it as there being a discount if you are happy to be flexible and sit all over the show. If you are not happy to do that, you do not qualify for the discount.

IsThisReallyPC · 24/06/2023 20:42

user1488290202 · 24/06/2023 20:38

I got given a new boarding pass at the last minute as I went to board a flight for this exact reason, and had to sit apart from my husband despite paying for two seats together. The airline then refused to refund us - not a massive amount of money but pretty infuriating. Have just willingly sat separately ever since.

Which airline was this please ?
Just so I know to never fly with them

MykonosMaiden · 24/06/2023 20:45

MargotBamborough · 24/06/2023 20:41

Then that would be direct discrimination rather than the indirect discrimination it is now.

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Parenthood isn't a protected characteristic though.
Especially as it isn't limited to parents. Any party travelling with adults and children needs to have at least one adult near to the children.

What they could do is, maybe sit one adult for free, and then the other has to pay.

mewkins · 24/06/2023 20:47

MargotBamborough · 24/06/2023 18:07

I wouldn't pay in principle. I hate all these airlines charging for things which should be included in the ticket price. As soon as everyone had accepted that it is normal to pay extra to choose your seat, they'll start charging people to use the toilet.

Agree with this. I wouldn't pay (but then I'd also be fine to sit away from my kids). When my dd was 2, I'd have pitied the person they say her next to 😁😁.

MargotBamborough · 24/06/2023 20:48

LovedmyRaleighChopper · 24/06/2023 18:26

I wouldn’t pay it, presuming you check in as soon as allowed which is 30 days pre flight with EasyJet. Just checked in for 8 of us including a 9month old ( no seat) and a 5 year old dgs and we are all seated together. That’s EasyJet and that’s 30 days pre flight. When I book the flights I put a reminder on my phone to check in as soon as the allowed date so there are still plenty of unallocated seats. The only time I’ve ever had the party been split has been Ryanair, I’m convinced they have a secret plan to deliberately split up people travelling together to make them more likely to pay!

Rule 1 of Flight Club: Don't fly Ryanair.

Snugglemonkey · 24/06/2023 20:50

Amandasummers · 24/06/2023 18:44

What about if you suddenly had the responsibility of a random 2 year old that wasn't yours next to you without their parent?

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I would not be assuming any kind of responsibility for any child other than my own.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 24/06/2023 20:51

Snugglemonkey · 24/06/2023 20:50

I would not be assuming any kind of responsibility for any child other than my own.

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Wouldn't everyone at least pretend to be asleep 🤣

tillytoodles1 · 24/06/2023 20:52

We're travelling soon with Easyjet and have paid to be seated together. If anyone wants one of us to move it will a straight no. Just pay for your seating or take the chances of your child being near you but in a different row.

mewkins · 24/06/2023 21:00

LongDarkTeatime · 24/06/2023 18:42

Think about the crew. You may be just one of multiple families doing this, all expecting the crew to find people who may have booked to split up to accommodate them.
I really feel sorry for crew stuck between families expecting this and airlines fleecing people for any extras.

The airline that employs them should think of the crew before imposing needless charges on people with young kids. They could very easily automatically seat them together at the time of booking especially if it is required in order for the plane to take off.

Nevermind31 · 24/06/2023 21:01

00100001 · 24/06/2023 20:32

Jesus Christ, if the family are refusing to sit in their allocated seats, they should be kicked off instead of guilting people and delaying the flight for everyone.

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Children under 12 have to sit near a parent. If they didn’t book in time or didn’t pay, then the only seats left may not be suitable - so they won’t be allowed to sit in them.

SimonsCow · 24/06/2023 21:04

Even if you wanted to of course they won’t seat a 2 year old away from his parent! Imagine being the person sat next to an unaccompanied 2 year old 😂Don’t pay it. If you get allocated separate seats (which you won’t) then query it at check in. It won’t be a case of somebody having to physically move on the flight.

MargotBamborough · 24/06/2023 21:06

MykonosMaiden · 24/06/2023 20:45

Parenthood isn't a protected characteristic though.
Especially as it isn't limited to parents. Any party travelling with adults and children needs to have at least one adult near to the children.

What they could do is, maybe sit one adult for free, and then the other has to pay.

Show quote history

Or they could just not be tighter than a nun's minge and seat people on the same booking together automatically.

That would also stop parents from engineering a situation in which they are not seated next to their little darlings and another passenger gets to experience that joy instead.

Glittertwins · 24/06/2023 21:07

Just pay it!

Asiama · 24/06/2023 21:10

SIL didn't pay and was separated from her 3 year old on easyJet. Others swapped with them.

I paid with BA for particular seats and on the day of the flight was reallocated for unknown reasons. My 4 year old was separated from me, sitting on his own with 2 rows between us!

babbscrabbs · 24/06/2023 21:10

I was sat in the row behind my 2yo on an easyJet flight

No one would move to let us sit together

If you check in as soon as it opens however this probably won't happen to you

It was the first flight we'd done in ages and didn't realise the whole pre booking your seat and check-in in opening a month before was a thing

babbscrabbs · 24/06/2023 21:12

SimonsCow · 24/06/2023 21:04

Even if you wanted to of course they won’t seat a 2 year old away from his parent! Imagine being the person sat next to an unaccompanied 2 year old 😂Don’t pay it. If you get allocated separate seats (which you won’t) then query it at check in. It won’t be a case of somebody having to physically move on the flight.

Yes they will

Read my post

They sat my 5yo and 2yo on different rows or across aisles to both me AND dh.

So between the 4 of us none of us was sat next to each other.

No one offered to move.

mainsfed · 24/06/2023 21:15

babbscrabbs · 24/06/2023 21:10

I was sat in the row behind my 2yo on an easyJet flight

No one would move to let us sit together

If you check in as soon as it opens however this probably won't happen to you

It was the first flight we'd done in ages and didn't realise the whole pre booking your seat and check-in in opening a month before was a thing

Did you really expect people to move for you?

underneaththeash · 24/06/2023 21:16

The person next to someone’s 2 year old last Friday was my 6’5” DS(16). Mum asked him to swap to her middle seat the row behind and he said he wouldn’t fit.

the main issue usually if you haven’t booked us that you don’t have a good seat to offer back.

IsThisReallyPC · 24/06/2023 21:18

Nevermind31 · 24/06/2023 21:01

Children under 12 have to sit near a parent. If they didn’t book in time or didn’t pay, then the only seats left may not be suitable - so they won’t be allowed to sit in them.

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Which is why they will have to get a different flight.

Clymene · 24/06/2023 21:20

I would absolutely not move for anyone. I don't care if your kids are sad. I'm not helping them with their belts or anything.

You chose not to pay. Your children aren't my problem.

readbooksdrinktea · 24/06/2023 21:20

Asiama · 24/06/2023 21:10

SIL didn't pay and was separated from her 3 year old on easyJet. Others swapped with them.

I paid with BA for particular seats and on the day of the flight was reallocated for unknown reasons. My 4 year old was separated from me, sitting on his own with 2 rows between us!

I definitely would have been upset about this since you paid to sit together.

Snugglemonkey · 24/06/2023 21:22

00100001 · 24/06/2023 20:32

Jesus Christ, if the family are refusing to sit in their allocated seats, they should be kicked off instead of guilting people and delaying the flight for everyone.

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Absolutely

Snugglemonkey · 24/06/2023 21:24

HunterHearstHelmsley · 24/06/2023 20:51

Wouldn't everyone at least pretend to be asleep 🤣

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I try that when it is my own!