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.

I….wouldn’t be moving if you asked me to.

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!

When you pick your flights you have to choose your seat before paying, at least that’s what happens when in the app. Cheapest are £5.99 I think. I would risk it because there might not be 2 seats together and people do not like moving from the seats that they’ve paid to sit in

I’ve always been sat next to mine despite not booking seats. I was secretly hoping my 5 year would be in another row 😂

id pay it unless you’re 100% certain you’ll get to the airport in plenty of time to check in early. I was too tight to pay it once when DS was 2, thinking they’d never separate us so no point, and we ended up being some of the last people to check in, plane was full, I was across the aisle from toddler and DH in a completely different part of the plane. It was hideous, he screamed all through takeoff and landing and I vowed never to risk it again.

I’d pay the £20
I have seen so many “should I have given up my seat so child could sit next to mum?” Articles so assuming they don’t always do this

I think children under 6 should definitely be sat next to parents. They are too young otherwise to be sat alone.

I don’t think you should have to pay for This but I do think there should be an option to flag your booking as having a young child so that when seats are allocated you are next to them if they are below a certain age.

Both times I have been on easyjet at half term we have a 20 minute delay when people were moved to ensure people were sat together. Both times the threat was used that the plane would not take off until it was sorted.

the flight before I was sitting with my then 9 year old and 13 year old ( and the 9 year old looked older) if I would move and no I was with my children both of whom are nervous flyers

I’d just pay it, it’s not a huge amount. They could quite reasonably and safely seat you across the aisle. Lots of other people do pay do the amount of seats not booked might be minimal. Your toddler might like a window seat too

This is one of the issues that should be a non-issue because separating those on a booking should be unlawful, part of a modern consumer act to stop this kind of rip-offs.

As that won't happen, pay the extra.

Probably not tbf but i definitely would not move out of principal and as pp said have a resting bitch face 🤣

I've had to pay it with BA. Maybe they are a low cost airline now?

We were deliberately separated on a recent Wizz Air flight.

At the check-in desk, I asked if we could sit together, but was told it could only be sorted by the cabin crew. Not a problem.
But it was nonsense, the ground staff could have sorted it without the tight-fisted & entitled parents causing a delay in take-off.

Both times I have been on easyjet at half term we have a 20 minute delay when people were moved to ensure people were sat together. Both times the threat was used that the plane would not take off until it was sorted

Why is that necessary?

Do the parents kick up a fuss and demand to be seated together? IF so then the crew need to boot them off the flight.

Or do the crew require children under a certain age to be next to a parent? If that is the case their seating should automatically allocated when they book the fights, even if they do not pay for it.

In principle, I don't think you should have to pay, but that's not the situation you're in.

I would definitely pay and get it sorted, because otherwise there is the potential that there'll be difficulties on the day, and someone who has paid for their seat will end up being asked to move in order to accommodate you. That's not fair on them, and who needs that sort of confrontation and atmosphere at the start of your holiday?

I'd pay not to sit next to my child lol. Surely they can't sit them next to strangers? Who would supervise them?

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.

I really don't want to spend another £20 on choosing seats if it's unnecessary.

It is necessary though, isn't it? It's essential that your 2yo sits next to you, so pay the money.

But if you’re in a couple and one moves the other one will still likely be sat next to the 2 year old. Just on their own!

Just pay the £20, why should I be asked to change seats for you just because I don’t have children.

I never pay. For safety reasons they will seat you with your child. Worst case your two year old could be across aisle which is fine.

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

Just pay for the seats FFS. Airplanes are chaotic and the more seats that are booked in advance, the easier it is for staff to keep things organised. They do not have a system where ages of passengers are flagged up so they can "shadow reserve" rows of seats for families. A delayed checkin, change of aircraft or some kind of last min issue can throw everything apart.

We had to give up paid reserved seats for families on at least 2 flights because they knew they would be seated together anyway.

I can't believe the people saying they wouldn't move! I'd rather sit on a wing than next to a stranger's 2 year old for a flight

It is the principle. The more people enable certain parents to be CFs the more they will do it.

If I’ve paid, I’m sitting where I am.