Airlines forced to seat children with parents

[ibeentothetop]

Thanks Burnham, now it’ll be more expensive for child free people like me to pick a seat. I can’t believe that things like this even need to be legislated for.

Dh and I always book an aisle seat (for me) and the window, for him. I wouldn’t care if we were in different rows, but I wouldn’t give up my aisle seat for anyone.

Now and then someone turns up for the middle seat and assumes that I’d want to move to sit next to dh. He (it’s always been a he) has to be gently disabused of that idea.

I am not really sure what your point is? There was never a 1:1 ratio of adults to children in air travel. And the data I can see around reasons for delays children and families barely feature. It’s all weather, technical reasons, cabin crew availability and drunk people.

No one else is looking after your dc even if you don’t book them seats. They’ll just be ignored if you don’t do it.

For those who don't travel with children for whatever reason - like me, the trick is to travel outside school hols and half terms. 😊I did my stint with kids on a plane, not doing it again.

I don't mind kids on a plane provided they are not squealing, screaming, fidgeting or kicking the back of my seat. Then I'll allow them on board ha ha.

i realise i’m in the minority by never booking seats together - or not when it’s something I have to pay for, because I know the airline is obligated to seat us together anyway. I have no idea why anyone would pay when it’s a requirement? If it’s free to book seats I do as it’s just easier.

Nope, I'll be ignoring your child, be they 2 or 12, and doing what I intended to do - watching movies and relaxing. You'll be the one worried they might not be sat next to someone suitable.

Same we’ve flown multiple times and have never paid, but children always given seats next to an adult. I thought the aviation authority (or something similar) made it mandatory.

No kids, but alas, teacher! 😂

Why are we paying for specific seats at all. When they book the flights they need to start with seat A1 and work the way back until theres no seats left.

Then no one gets to choose and if you book in multiples you sit in multiples.

This has been created by people thinking its nicer to sit in an aisle seat or a window seat or a row that is 2 inches wider than the one in front of it.

Reserve certain rows for those with disability for specific access - say 6 seats. Then book all the rest in chronological order. If any of the specific access seats are left at the end then sell them.

Unless you fly in different classes on the expensive airlines, there are no 'better' seats on a cheap airline. They are all shite.

Pretty hard to ignore two bouncy kids with ADHD. They are LOUD 🤣

Oooooh I can just imagine the fun “can you keep your child quiet please” “they aren’t my child!” death stares

He is sorting out the benefits bill. He's getting rid of the triple lock. Given that pensions alone account for about 50% of the benefits bill it's a solid start - projected to save £600m per year.

Perhaps it's only unemployment benefits that get you really frothy, but given they amount to only 1% of the benefits bill we could scrap them entirely (plunging thousands of children into poverty while we were at it) and make absolutely no meaningful difference to the budget at all. Doesn't seem like a great idea, does it?

I know ADHD and I could handle them. I'll do it my way though and if they complain about the mean lady, then oh well. Hopefully my hot coffee and their bouncing don't do them any harm.

It would be extra poor parenting to book SEN children who need your support away from you.

Amen to this

People who seem to think by sitting next to your kids on an airplane you have been drafted in as childcare... no babes. Your kid will just be unsupervised. If they get hurt or get in trouble thats on you

I wouldn’t care to be honest - i’d be in the same plane if anything dangerous happened. My point is they would be very, very annoying for you. They are wrigglers and spillers. Very hard to ignore.

But it’s not clear is it.

To work out the cost of ticket + paid seats (which are dynamic and change depending on your luck of when you book and your party size) + luggage + taxes.

It’s like you need a bloody formula to figure it all out and that’s not ‘consumer led’.

That’s unclear pricing. Hooking a consumer. And then they have to pay or they lose their seat.

It is sweet you think the airlines have your best interests at heart.

You've already had too long a free ride on this point OP.

It's important for everyone's safety in the event of an emergency that parents and carers are seated with their charges. Otherwise the parents/carers would be getting in the way trying to get to their charges if not seated together. This is a part of your safety too, and you should never have been allowed to opt out of your equal share of it for as long as you have.

They actually wouldn't be annoying for me. I have parented 5 ND children. I would be quite capable of shutting them out and, if they get hurt, oops. Of course, as the parent of ND children, I was always responsible enough to book them next to me.

If anything dangerous happens no guarantee you can go against the tide of people to get to them.

I wouldn’t book them away from me! As they are my kids i’m fully aware of how annoying they are, and I love them. I’m making the point that not mandating parents to sit with their kids is a better option not for the parents but for everyone else on the plane

Do you book their seats currently? If so it’s not a risk to the op.

No she hasn’t had a free ride. She’s paid for what she needs. And you have if you’ve booked for dc.

Yeah the getting hurt bit doesn’t bother me, there are literally no sharp objects or naked flames or anything dangerous on a plane. The driving reason for me needing to sit with my kids on a plane is so i can parent them to not annoy everyone else around us.

I always sit with my kids on a plane. And if it’s free to book I do. If it’s not free I don’t book and then just say at check in we need to sit together. This has been fine 100% of the time as they know the law as well as I do. But i’m not going to pay extra when they are legally obligated to seat us together in any case.

I wonder if OP is also mad that Burnham is abolishing airlines charging passengers to correct typos in names when booking. Or is that one acceptable because she might benefit from it too?

I don't know why you think this is down to Burnham, it is part of legislation that was planned under the last government, possibly even under the Tories.

And the EU has made rules about this too.

The reason we need rules is because businesses rip us off.

And because it's stupid to make people pay to sit with their kids. As someone child-free do you want someone else's toddler next to you? I certainly wouldn't and I did have a child (now a young adult).

As for people choosing not to sit with their kids, that shouldn't be allowed either (wasn't it Kirstie Allsopp who said she sat in business class while the kids slummed it in economy - but I don't think they were really little).

If businesses act in a stupid way, they need to be regulated.

They just need to go back to no pre booking. Like it used to be. People with kids were called to the gate first and boarded first. I think alongside anyone with disabilities. Then everyone else next. Certainly on short haul EasyJet type flights

it worked. People didn’t complain. Kids were sat with parents.

pre booking seats only occurred as a way of airlines making more money