To think I should be able to sit next to my 7yo dd on a 4 hour flight?

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

I accept ts part of the risk you take when you fly with RyanAir, but I really thought that either someone would have offered to move or the stewardess would have told someone to move.

We somehow managed to be the last people on the plane even though we joined the queue for check in ten minutes after it opened. We were over an hour queuing for check in, then the queue to go through security was terrible. By the time we cleared security they were tannoying the last call for our flight. DD was desperate for the loo at this point so we stopped quickly at the loo and then ran onto the plane.

No seats together or near each other. I (loudly and infront of a stewardess) told dd she would have to sit by herself. DD was crying and begging not to, screaming that she wanted to be with me. Nobody offered to move, I would have done if the situation was reversed. I asked the stewardess what would happen if there was a crash - who would look after my dd, get her the oxygen mask, etc. She shrugged and told me to get sat down. With hindsight I wish I'd kicked up a fuss but I didn't. I was so stressed and upset myself that I picked dd up and put her in a seat on her own and did her belt up - with her still crying and screaming.

Am mad with myself and Ryanair.

Christ. How horrible. Now you see I am bolshy bitch and would have refused to sit down until it was sorted. I have done it on a TAP (Air Portugal flight).

Lesson - unless totally necessary DO NOT EVER EVER FLY RYANAIR.

Some people are very selfish aren't they? I heard to understand how no-one would move, even though your dd was crying.

I would never take the risk though of flying with an airline that didn't let me sit next to my child.

I know someone who was made to sit away from her three year old diabetic son, for a transatlantic flight. That's very dangerous, and fortunately she did manage to change seats.

'I heard' should be 'it's hard'

I agree with you. The air stewardess should have put out a call asking if someone would be prepared to move. A 7 year old should not be sat without a responsible adult.

If it was unavoidable then the air stewardess should have briefled the passenger sat next to your child with H&S stuff - such as, this child is now in your supervision if an incident occurs. That may well have pushed the passenger to offer moving too.

In such a situation I would def have offered my place so a young child could sit by their parent.

TBH I would write in to Ryan Air about this. Ask them about their H&S policy and how they feel that seperating parent and child would be managed in an incident, etc. Explaint he problems with getting on board too.

Yes, it is Ryan Air policy to have first come, first seated, etc. but they do have leeway and discretition. I believe they should have used it in this situation.

I am saddened to that no adult passenger - and there must have been some travelling alone or travlling without a 1-1 child situation themselves - would offer to help you out. Is that the sad situation our country is now in?

I'm actually pretty shocked no-one moved. Aside from thinking someone might just be motivated enough by doing something nice for someone else, I can't believe the person who was seated next to your daughter wouldn't have preferred to move rather than sit next to a traumatized 4 year old for the flight's duration.

YANBU. Ryanair suck. All the other passengers on the flight suck too.

yanbu but i think i would have sat ourselves down and then said to my dc loudly "don't worry, we can sit next to each other when the plane is in the air". On take off i would ask the person next to me if he would mind swapping with my dc. If no joy i would collar the flight attendant and get them to sort it out

sorry, 7 year old, but you get my point (4 hour flight - multiple numbers confusing for my lack-of-sleep brain).

I feel stressed for you, YANBU. I would have asked someone to move though - we did this on our honeymoon when dh and I were separated, it was the first time he referred to me as 'my wife'. People were more than happy to move. Next time, pluck up the courage.

I am shocked that not one person got up and moved!! Fecking twits.

Horrible for you and her! Next time mention her "chronic airsickness" - should get several rows of seats to choose from!

I always fly with cheap airlines Easy Jet in particular (never Ryan air though) we never had that problem although there is 6 of us to accomodate. We cannot always all seat together but they always make sure that the children are repartedbetween DH and myself.

Shame on a company that does not do the slightest effort to accomodate families and shame to the adult passengers who did not offer to move. Surely, two seats side by side, one in front one behind, or even just separated by the "walking bit" is surely not that hard to find.

Sorry, do not know what the "walking bit " is called...

Ryanair do not allocate seats OTWP. It is every passenger for themselves once on board.

Buda.. I suspect if the OP had refused to sit down until it was sorted, Ryanair would have had both her and her DD put off the plane.

YANBU - twice now when we have flown actually, dh, me (with ds on lap) and 2 yr old dd have been put in 3 different aisles (despite checking in relatively early). Luckily both times have managed to swap seats on the aeroplane (and one was a transatlantic, 12 hr flight). I can't believe nobody offered to swap seats - your poor dd and you

Disgracful passengers. I am shocked

Tbh, what am I saying, no, I'm not shocked really. I think people have become selfish over the years and maybe the financial crisis will all give us something in common and the struggle will make us all pull together.

I've wondered what would happen when this situation arose but I'd always believed that common sense would prevail....how wrong could you be?

YANBU

i am shocked that no one offered to get up and move

there must have been many couples without children flying who could have easily swapped places with you and your dd

the air hostess should have made an annoucement and maybe then someone would have moved

If people don't move then asking the person next to the child to help with the sick bag usually works. Anyone faced with sitting next to an airsick kid will move.

That's shocking. YANBU. I can't believe noone would move, esp the person sitting next to your crying daughter.

I am that two people would rather sit next to a traumatised 7-year-old than move. Surely that doesn't even count as selfish, just stupid?!?

Well what can we say apart from Ryan Air is shite. However, I think you can complain to the Civil Aviation Authority. Sorry I can't do link but have just cut and pasted this from their web-site:

"CAA guidelines ask airlines to develop procedures for the seat allocation of family groups, particularly when a group includes children. It is probable that family group members would seek each other out should an emergency evacuation be required, an action that could adversely affect the passenger flow rates towards emergency exits and might seriously affect the outcome of an evacuation.

Additionally, children and infants should be seated where they can be adequately supervised by an accompanying adult in the event of turbulence or a decompression in the cabin.

Airlines procedures should take into account the following factors:

Children, accompanied by adults, should ideally be seated in the same seat row as the adult. In wide-bodied aircraft, children and accompanying adults should not be separated by more than one aisle. Where this is not possible, children should be separated by no more than one seat row from accompanying adults.

Seat allocation procedures for family groups and suitable seating arrangements for large parties of children should reflect the above criteria.

Whenever small numbers of infants and children are travelling together, the airline should make every effort to ensure that they are allocated seats where they can be readily supervised by the responsible accompanying adult in both normal and abnormal conditions."

Complain in writing to the CAA, Ryan-Air and your local MP. This complacency on the part of the stewardess can seriously compromise passenger safety in the unlikely event of an emergency situation. If enough people complain Ryan Air could be in deep shit.

don't they do that thing where they call people with children forward to board first?

What horrid people!

That is awful. I fly easyjet alot and worry about DD1 (4) having to sit seperately to me. Fortunately they still do priority boarding for families so it hasn't been an issue. Surely this is a safety issue and unfair on the other passengers if the child is sick or terrified through turbulence or wets itself? I think Ryanair are cruising for a big fall - something is going to go seriously wrong on a flight and the underpaid staff are going to be found wanting.