Ryanair seat issue. Another airline seat one...sorry

[thinkfast]

Just returned from holiday today. We had booked and paid for tickets including reserved allocated seats in December. Me, Dd8 and DS11 in a row of 3 with DH over the aisle from us.

Board the plane to discover that the layout of the plane has changed and we have somehow ended up in the emergency rows. I ask one of the air stewardesses are we allowed to sit here and she says no...once everyone has boarded she will find someone to swap with us, as children aren't allowed in the emergency row. She finds 2 people to swap with DD and DS- 5 rows ahead of me. I explain she needs to ask a row of 3 adults to swap so I can sit with my children and she says no. I ask several different rows with 3 adults in will they please swap and explain why (and that they would get extra legroom) and they all look at me blankly. DD is crying. Air stewardess insists that I have to sit in my allocated seat and the kids have to be moved. Refused to ask any rows of three adults to swap. The third person in the row the kids have been moved to is an elderly lady so I can understand not asking her to swap, but there were plenty of rows with 3 adults nearby who could've been asked to move.

Previously, if I've ever sat in the emergency aisle I've been asked if I feel able to open the door in an emergency, and been instructed how to do it. None of that today. If they'd asked me I'd have said no. Currently suffering with a knee injury and reduced mobility so I don't think I should've been next to the emergency door anyway!

Luckily, just before take off very kind man across the aisle from where they have moved to eventually agrees to swap with DH.

Aibu that Ryanair shouldn't allow this to happen? Any chance do you think of getting back the extra we paid for allocated seating?

Oh give over! 🙄

Some adults are anxious flyers! An 8 year old child doesn't need to be braver or more self sufficient if they are scared and want to sit by their mum!

Unfortunately I suspect the cabin crew have issues with parents deliberately booking the exit row, whether they realise kids can't sit there or not, also every day parents are trying to get others to move (who haven't booked seats and it gets tedious.

I personally would swop for the extra room myself to help you but I hate not having my bad in front of me (I travel with only an under seat bag as I dislike the overhead lockers and pay for checked luggage) but I can see why people can't be bothered to move seats once they have got comfortable

Why do threads like this always bring out the smug parents of perfectly behaved, confident DC, who no doubt become completely responsible and independent adults ready to leave home the minute they turn 18?

It isn't helpful or supportive.

Not everyone is the same. Even adults get anxious about flying.

The idea of throwing a child in at the deep end to sink or swim does not "build resilience". The term is sink or swim for a reason. Not everyone can swim.

What?! If you pay for a service then don’t receive it, compensation should absolutely be in order. Maybe also resilience but this is a textbook example of when monetary compensation would be appropriate.

That's really cheeky of the airline. I would never fly with those budget type airlines. They always seem to be ripping people off.

It’s not possible to reserve seats in the exit row for children.

It's not just a Ryanair thing, aircraft can change fairly late in the day, I've experienced it with BA and KLM.

I think you should definitely persue a refund for not getting the seats you booked together and also flag up that no exit row safety checks were undertaken.

But on the point of just telling other passengers to move, as someone who often flies solo I do get fed up of being the one asked. I always pay the extra in advance to book the seat I want in the area I prefer but it's often assumed solos are fair game to move about like chess pieces (admittedly usually by couples or families who wouldn't pay a small amount to sit together when booking which I appreciate isn't you in this case). As well as moving from where a passenger may have booked for their own preference or needs, it's also usually difficult to move cabin baggage again once boarded so you end up separated, sometimes causing even more problems when disembarking if it's further back.

I really sympathise with the issue you experienced but another passenger choosing not to move for you does not make them 'unkind' or 'cant be bothered', they may just have their own requirements too.

It's not just budget airlines adding in extra charges, I'm flying long haul with BA in November and had to pay an extra £180 to book a preferred seat in advance.

Having to change aircraft at the last minute is hardly unique to budget airlines.

It once happened to us flying to Australia with Singapore Airlines. We were meant to switch planes in Singapore but our ongoing plane had a fault, so they had to fly a replacement in from Melbourne. The only one available was a slightly different configuration so people had to move seats.

There was no other option.