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.

I'm interested in the CAA regulations as I had a dreadful experience with american airlines once. Due to a technical fault the plane was changed and the seating configuration was changed such that I ended up across the aisle from my daughter who was 2 1/2 at the time. I asked the girl in the next seat to me if she would swap but she refused because she wanted the window seat (it was a night flight so not exactly good views). The stewardess refused to help on the grounds that if I wanted seats next to each other I should have booked them - which I had done - it wasn't my fault the plane was changed.

In the end dd sat in her seat for take off and landing and on my lap for the 5 hour flight - which I think was probably quite inconvenient for the girl next to me but frankly I didn't care.

I complained afterwards and got a $50 voucher for American Airlines - which was worthless since I would never fly them again.

i travelled with ryanair a couple of weeks ago and they called people with children to board the plane 1st.we always do speedy boarding when dd's not with us then you don't have to queue and you can sit together my dh is of big build so likes to sit in exit seats.

This is disgusting!! Ryan-Air are a shocking airline and people should boycott them.

But, MQ, my tactic works on most people, so as long as I don't find myself on a plane entirely full of you, I should be fine, no?

Ryanair are crap. I haven't flown with them for years and have no intention of doing so again. Nothing I ever hear of them makes me think any better of them.

Just a thought, what happens if everyone on the plane has paid for "priority boarding*?

I am sure if you had asked any person on the flight if they could move so you could sit with your DD they would have said yes.

"I (loudly and infront of a stewardess) told dd she would have to sit by herself."
Ask the stewardess. I expect a lot of people were saying things loudly in front of her.

I agree, YA a bit U.

Getting all upset, both of you, and waiting for someone to step in and rescue is not the way to go about things.

Trying to stay calm for the sake of your DD, and asking someone who looks nice might be a better option. Few people would say "NO" if asked politely and directly.

Also, a future tip (I do this). Tell the person who is sitting next to DD if she will be able to hold the sickbag when she gets sick. it works.

YANBU at all and the passengers should be ashamed.

Ryanair are DREADFUL.

That's not unreasonable no.

I had a similar situation only it was on a night coach to London.

No one would look me in the eye and pretended we didn't exist. DD was 5 at the time and we would need to sit two rows apart.

In the end I sat her down next to a guy, pulled out a carrier bag and said

'remember if you feel sick to TRY and get it in the bag this time... We don't want this poor man covered do we? and try not to lean on him if you fall asleep. If you need me just shout'

I hadn't even stood up before he said 'FINE I'll bloody move.....'

I'm not at all surprised. Similar happened to me when carrying DD about 6mo. Everone was pushing and shoving so we ended up getting on last - people were horrible - I had to sit away from my DH who had got on earlier as he was carrying the pushchair and got swept along. People were giving me very nasty looks and shoving even though I was carrying a baby down some stairs with great difficulty. Every time i wobbled and nearly fell over I just got another shove and a glare.

Ditto on the tube when i was PG on a certain line people never let me have a seat and most days I sat on the floor.

It's just what people are like, they are selfish and don't give a fuck. As long as they are comfy they really don't give a monkeys. Once i was on a tube and a girl collpased and people were saying "just put her on the platform" as they were annoyed the journey was being delayed.

I get so depressed sometimes about how people are I just want to cry.

Like many others I'm that no one offered to move, simply because I can't imagine many things worse than sitting next to someone else's crying child for 4 hours.

But I also think the point is that you do get a second rate service from budget airlines. TBH, I think there are many worse things than this - eg the delays, last minute cancellations due to 'weather' (when every other airline is flying!). You know the deal is that there are no guaranteed seats. If I had a 7 year old who would be petrified of sitting alone then I'd pay the extra to have guaranteed seats tbh

Findtheriver, do Ryanair even have "guaranteed seating"? Or is it just "priority" boarding - which, as I suggested above, would be a bit of a misnomer if everyone had paid for it.

Actually, that's probably the reason no-one would move for the OP. Perhaps they felt that if they'd paid extra to get to the front of the rabble queue, they were reluctant to give it up for someone who hadn't. We've seen that attitude from several posters on this thread, after all.

Yes going to Spain is no problem I can check in online before I go - but the system will not allow me to check in online when I want to fly home from Barcelona , and I was told by BMI this was due to Spanish authorities not allowing online check in and that I would have to pay a fee as I can't do it online?

Oh chukkypig I love the name

I have every sympathy with you. I flew back from France with dd's age 7 and 5 in the summer, and I was so worried about being separated from them, I pestered the owner of the french campsite to use his internet so I could check in on-line, we arrived two hours early at the airport, and as soon as we went through to departures I found the gate we would be boarding at and made camp! With forty minutes to go I told the girls it was the last chance to go to the loo, and when the gates opened we ran to the plane.

Ok, I know it's over the top, but it was the only way I felt I could guarantee that we'd be sitting together.

"But, MQ, my tactic works on most people, so as long as I don't find myself on a plane entirely full of you, I should be fine, no?"

oh yeah you should be fine.i'd imagine it would work perfectly well. i was just saying i wouldn't move out of principle if i was on that flight.where as i have moved in the past when people ask nicely. (and tbh i don't really care where i sit on a plane)

however god help you if you ever find yourself on this mythical plane full of clones.