Ryanair made 4yr old sit alone

[LHGL]

We had a really stressful experience recently and I don’t know if it’s just me who finds this completely unacceptable but I just feel the need to get this out there.
Family of 5; DH, myself, DD 4 and 9, DS 7. Both DD’s get very travel sick.
Just under 3 hour flight to Italy and we check in online in advance, and I notice nobody is sitting together. I mean nobody is even on the same row - 5C, 32F,19B etc. We click ‘change seats’ but there are no options. I read up on kids sitting alone and am relieved to hear that Ryanair policy is that anyone under 12 needs to sit next to an adult.
We get to the airport and tell the Ryanair woman at baggage, she’s says not to worry and they’ll make sure we’re sitting together at the gate. Get to the gate, same story but the cabin crew will sort us out.

we board the plane and the two flight attendants tell us the flight is busy and they can’t help. DH reminds them of the policy of kids and adults sitting together, and they shrug and tell us we’re blocking the aisle. After a little more polite protestation we’re told they’ll sort us out once seated.
They don’t. We tried to swap with people ourselves but only managed to get the two youngest together, people weren’t terribly helpful and luck was against us with language and some odd folk.
The long and short of it was that the flight was a very distressing experience for all, not least the kids, and I was really taken aback by how uncaring the Ryanair attendants were. They put more effort into trying to sell us scratch cards than attempting to stop my kids being terrified of ever getting on a plane again.

We flew to Spain one night as ysual, with Ryanair. The flight was half empty. A gentleman and his 3/4 year old weren't seated together. The Attendants wouldn't allow them to sit together prior to take off, the child didn't make a fuss bless her but as soon as we had taken off they both sat in an empty row behind us for the remainder of the flight. Not sure why they couldn't just have been allowed to do that in the first place.

Ryanair didn’t seat your child alone. You did. It’s your responsibility to buy seats together for children and you. Your entitled attitude stinks. Never did I think I’d back up Ryanair.
I would never swap with you either. I book a seat for myself and children when I fly, which is often. I like a specific seating plan. YABU.

There is an allocation when you book so that you can sit together but only and adult and 2 children under 12 or 11 . Can’t remember exactly.
The family area is from row 19 to 23 I think. That area does not have extra fees when you select it for you and your child. I don’t know if they consider that with 3 children though.

On my recent trip, I could choose to sit together with my child. On the way back there weren’t any availability to sit together so the next best thing was to sit with the aisle in the middle. It was a bit worrying but we survived.

You chose not to select seats - so you chose not to sit with your kids!

But the airline could have very easily placed them together.
the seat selection is supposed to be an optional extra but it’s not if you need it in order to comply with their policy.

Don't fly on this airline again. YABU unreasonable for expecting better from this crap airline. Are u taking a term time holiday?

Seems you haven't read the thread. Ryanair's policy is that it is mandatory for the adult to book a seat, and the child will then get a free seat beside the adult.

If this even happened, it's on the OP for not booking the seats.

Yes, this!!! You shouldn't have to pay to sit next to your small child. All of those on this thread saying OP deserved it, they wouldn't swap etc should, what's that MN favourite? oh aye, give your heads a wobble!
You'd all lose the plot if someone made your child sit by themselves despite the policy stating as such....one of these threads that makes people ask why MN is so full of such mean folks...

I often travel alone and without luggage, or even much hand luggage. I don’t care where I sit for the 90 minutes so I don’t want the cost built in my ticket. I want cheapest possible. When flying with my family (adult children now) we pay extra to sit together.
When in a restaurant, if you want extras, you pay for them. Why should flying be any different?

Is there a charge for the adult booking the seat?

It's your fault OP. Hence why you've not been back.

Just to add we didn't pay for seats with Jet 2 this year and my small child was moved without question when they were assigned 5 rows away....
Also those who wouldn't swap would you then be taking responsibility for checking life jackets etc of the small child next to you because someone didn't reserve a seat....honestly!

No, I'd pre-book seats so I didn't have to rely on a cheapskate airline with poorly paid staff or strangers accommodating me. So I wouldn't be in OP's situation in the first place. OP forced her 4 y o to sit separately because she gambled the system and lost.

You should have paid for your seats together when you booked. You took the risk of being tight and it didn’t pay off, lesson learned. It’s Ryanair you have to pay for everything!

When you book your flights it gives you an option to put a child next to the adult free of charge. I booked yesterday for a flight, it was free to put me and DC together, we then had to pay to put DH next to us on a row of 3.

Not saying what they did was acceptable but if you plan of flying with them in future try booking the seats, it’s free and makes sure they’re sitting with you then.

Easy solution next time do what everyone else does who want to sit together and Pay for the privilege of sitting as a family. Do you expect people who have paid extra to be able to sit together should have given up their seats to you and your family?

You shouldn’t have to pay – but you do! That is why Ryanair and other airlines similar are so cheap, you bump up the base price with luggage, seat allocation, meals etc. If you don’t want to not be obliged to pay pay extra then fly with British Airways or whatever …

Yes, but that is part and parcel of flying with Ryanair and is why their base prices are so cheap. You add the things you want or need at the time of booking.

It's literally in their policy.

Should have paid to reserve seating. That's why they have it. Your lack of foresight is not their problem. Sorry that sounds harsh it's not meant as harsh as I put it but you need to help yourself and plan ahead.

I strongly suspect OP won’t be back!

Last time I flew Ryanair they didn’t have assigned seating yet. I actually really liked that.

Jet 2 didn't make me pay in the summer. It is ridiculous to think it's acceptable to sit a 4 year old child away from their care giver. Everyone has really bought into the race to the bottom...

I feel sorry for the cabin crew who have to put up with this hassle on every flight because people either don't read the policy, won't pay (seats from £8 last Ryanair flight I took, just a couple of weeks ago) and expect others to move for them.

It sounds like the OP misread the policy, but she really should not have chanced it with very young children, these budget airlines will screw you for anything. That is their business model.

As someone who does not have dependent children and doesnt care where they sit on short haul I would have swapped.

Was there the option to book seats together when paying?