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

[Peachpicklepie]

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.

Haha, gotta be done. Assuming you get bored of teaching them all the good words 🤣

I've said upthread that I need an aisle seat on a certain side of the plain. If I have to swap then I'll either have my leg in someone's lap or I'd have to stand the majority of the flight (basically if seatbelt signs are off). I don't think people would be very impressed at no trolley service as I was standing in the aisle. I absolutely would not hang out by the loos if I'd been forced to stand because of someone's bad planning.

You underestimate my ability to ignore other kids.
Uses to love them but since having my own my ability to ignore others has improved exponentially.
I wouldn't call or anything. They should be strapped into their seats anyway so how they can climb out etc etc is a mystery.
Kid could have banged itself unconscious and I'd not notice. Thatwould never happen to mine cuz I paid to pre-book. You can do the same

Which is all well and good until my 2 year old spills his yoghurt on you…
or knocks your drink over on your tray table
or puts his hands in your food
or drops his toys and goes ferreting around down by your seat to find them
or presses the buttons on your iPad/seat back tv
or projectile vomits on you

its all very well to say you would call the flight attendant but these incidents have happened to me on a plane with my own boy, in a split second. The FA will come when they are able (as long as they’re not stuck behind a trolley…) but you’d already be covered in drink, dinner, vomit etc…

I will come as soon as I am able (let’s hope the seatbelt sign isn’t on!) from wherever I am say, to resolve the situation but by then the accident has happened. I will smile and sweetly say to you, I’m more than happy to swap seats with you?

I would be sitting next to my child to care for them, keep them safe and to try and stop them spoiling other passengers journey. I should not have to pay for the privilege of providing care to my children. Young children (under 5) should automatically be sat with their parent so that they can provide this care as they are unable to care for themselves and keep themselves safe.

Pay up or shut up. With respect.

We've just checked in with Ryanair for 3 weeks time.
DDs 5&7 were automatically allocated seats with me, DS17 is 6 rows infront on his own. I might ask him to swap with me

That has occasionally happened with us DH with the kids me a few rows away.

I've also twice had the experience with jet2 being put with the same people on both outward and return flights while DH was between the kids. First time was Granddad / grandson, second time a young couple "Oh hello again" quite weird!

I think you'd have to offer an inducement to get him to sit with his little sisters. Might be worth it though.

Obviously Ryanair were being perfectly reasonable with their seat allocations, I bet some on here are gutted.

Is that how you talk to people you're trying to swap seats with? How unnecessarily unpleasant and aggressive.

Given that you accept that airlines' solutions are not always getting you next to your child, you expect to sit with your child without paying... in a seat someone else may have paid for and you expect that person to give it up to you for free. Possibly even without any pleasant request about it, given your comments.

Obviously Ryanair were being perfectly reasonable with their seat allocations, I bet some on here are gutted.

Doubt it as you won't be asking anyone to move, nobody really cares. Unless, of course, you try to get your son moved closer.

Yep. I read that and my main takeaway was "tell me you're a crap parent, without telling me you're a crap parent".

I've never quite understood the logic of posts like that. Surely they must realise they're making someone less likely to move.

Give me a £20 note that I've paid for my seat when you're asking me to swap and I'll consider it.
Otherwise my headphones go on and your child is ignored by me.

See that's the thing though. I don't eat on trips, don't watch TV, just like staring into space. I'd probably step on the toddler, I think you should be more worried about me injuring them. Or dropping MY drink on them, especially if it's hot!

But then again I'm neurodiverse and planes are my worst nightmare so I'm in survival mode. If my own kids are there I can fuss over them but if on my own the surrounding become a blur.

Actually yes, you would probably pay ME to swap seats. You don't want your toddler injured do you?

Also @ILJ28 it's not just me. People who aren't parents or used to kids might not be alert... They might manage to knock someone else's drink over onto themselves. Which wouldnt be their fault. If would be yours, the parents.

No the "pay up or sit apart" brigade will be raging I reckon. I bet they are totting up how much they have paid to sit together and resent anyone who gets that for nothing.

If you think those are possible why not just pay.

We'd logged in so we could pay for our seats together, we weren't expecting anyone to move and no I won't be expecting people to move for my 17 year old son-how ridiculous. We just got lucky

Hahaha 😆 you've nailed it the pay up brigade are raging that they are paying for nothing.

Unless you desperately want to sit together as a family of 4 children will always be seated with a parent

I think this is just in the non payers‘ heads. I couldn’t care less as long as you don’t ask anyone to move.

We went Jet2 recently and my partner was very anxious about this. They were doing the hard sell on not being seated together without paying until the last click of check in online, braved it out then 1 second later, allocated 25A,B and C. In sure if the worst came to the worst someone would swap with you rather than look after your toddler.

Easyjet - I have never paid for seat selection, checked in bang on 30 days before the flight and have never been seated apart from my party (which includes a child).

Ryanair - I would always pay (although if travelling with an under 12 it is compulsory to select a seat for one child and one adult at the time of booking) as otherwise they WILL split you up.

The answe to these sorts of questions is that it is very much airline dependent. Ryanair anecdotes have no place on a thread about easyjet as they are different airlines with different policies.

Because as I said, I should not have to pay for the privilege of providing care and assistance to my child. It is widely understood that a 2 year old is unable to take care of themselves (this is why it is against the law to leave them home alone) so airlines should not allow any circumstances where they would be left unattended. Payment for things like food/baggage etc… is fine as you have a ‘choice’. I have no choice about whether or not I provide care to my child I am morally and legally obligated to do so. Therefore I shouldn’t have to pay and as I said before airlines should make it mandatory that a small child sits with a parent for free.

No one forced you to have a child. Pay your way.

No one forced you to have a child. Pay your way.

Your parents weren’t forced to have you either I’m sure you were adequately looked after and your parents weren’t too off at the privilege.

At least she's willing to pay for her seat and not act the privileged parent whose little darling must be accommodated regardless.