to want all of my dcs to sit with me on a long haul flight.....

[posieparker]

Flying to HK, 12 hours, with my dcs....7,6, 2 and 7mths alone. BA want the two older dcs to sit accross an aisle from me as another booking may require the basinette that the dcs will sit in front of. I have phoned customer relations but can't get anywhere. It means that one of the older dcs will be sat next to a stranger and behind, potentially, a basinette....which really get in the way.
Anyone got any tips how to improve my situation, we're only flying cattle class but we do this once a year and my parents at least three times.
Or does anyone know the number to get further with BA?

I don't think she can insist on them being in the same row or aisle though. Here's what I could find.

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.

Personally I think a 7 year old should be fine sitting across the aisle, it's only a few feet away.

Yes, across the aisle would be fine....

But the OP isn't happy for one of them to sit across the aisle.

posie - what would you really want to happen seeing that BA cant physically make the plane any bigger or introduce more bassinet spaces - I see how you're in a predicament but you have to be practical dont you - its not actually their fault is it?

You can either a)kick up a fuss and potentially take away someone elses bassinet seat(s) b)take another adult with you c)accept the solution offered d)cough up for non cattle class...

I am just aghast that nobody would move to accommodate a sobbing five-year-old. People are disgusting, sometimes.

Ninedragons - it was truly unbelievable. One man actually said to me "He's a big boy, he'll be fine". Have written to the CAA about it as it really is awful to think of what would have happened in the event of an emergency.

I've spent a long time thinking am I being selfish? And have come to the conclusion that my dcs come way before others, and there are situations where all the basinetts are taken and people have to have their infant on their laps, this time it would mean my dcs have the basinett seat that's all.

Yes but then that might mean that an infant has to be one someone's lap.

Hmm, well you are a bit, if you say that, aren't you?
YANBU to want all your children near you, no, but to think that your children who don't need a bassinette should get the bassinette seat, to the detriment of perhaps a newborn, or much smaller child, is very U.
I don't see why being across the aisle would be a problem tbh? If you made sure you were both on the aisle seat itself, it's not like the aisles are 20 ft wide are they?

On not one.

I don't see the problem with a 7 year old being just across the aisle.

I would rather have my 7 year old 18 inches across the aisle than watch someone struggle with a baby on their lap for 12 hours.

A baby on a lap is a safety issue. It is not safe for that baby, or even for other passengers.
In the event of turbulence the baby could be catapulted into the air. Babies have died because they were not properly secured.

Thunderduck, no baby is allowed in the basinette during turbulance...they must be belted to accompanying adult.
It's my six and seven year old not just the seven year old, btw.

posie - thats quite a shocking thing to say tbh - that your dcs come way before others - do you actually think that?

I would say that if you're going to be flying a lot then your eldest dcs need to get used to sitting in the aisle seats a tiny distance away - I mean at what point do you think you will be prepared to let them do that?

I have to say that if I got on the plane and was denied a bassinet for a small baby to find a 7 yo in the seat I would be the one throwing a hissy fit...

Are all travellers to Thailand sex tourists and/or paedophiles then?

Across the aisle is no distance away, really but if you're not happy then it sounds as though it's something that will niggle

God you are being selfish aren't you!

Q, I flew on Christmas day.... and the men were in their 50s, in tight trousers, alone.

TBH I would not worry about them sitting across the aisle - it is not very far away. Plus bonus on al ong flight, if you are on a 777 there is loads of room in front of the window seats your kids will have a load of room. I do not believe personally that they would be at any risk.

I didn't used to be this selfish but I've watched my dcs suffer at the expense of my own politeness (word?). And it's 12 hours.

Why would you want to push someone else out that needs a bassinet seat?
They need it much more than you if they have an infant. I can't imagine anyone with a baby would put up with seeing a 6 or 7 year old in a bassinet seat and having to hold their baby.

They will be fine in the aisle across from you, I'm sure the person next to them will just be hoping they aren't too much of a nuisance and have their head phones on.

Sexual assault is rare anyway and I doubt it'd cross my mind as a possibility on a busy plane full of people when my children were just a few feet away from me.

Well you're pretty selfish, aren't you. Agree with other that a baby in need of a basinette takes far higher priority than a 7 year old across 18 inches of aisle.

What the hell is the men in tight trousers comment in reference to anyway?

then i can't deal with the others...like take them to the toilet!