Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Flip

Original poster

EasyJet with 6 and 9 year old. With they be seated with an adult?

23 replies

PavlovtheCat · 28/10/2015 11:20

...If I don't reserve the seats when I book? I would prefer to sit with DH and DS of course, but am ok if we don't sit right near each other as long as one of us has a child each.

Will they definitely sit a child with an adult? (I am thinking of 9 year old specifically, is she seen as 'old enough'?)

OP posts:

BertieBotts · 28/10/2015 11:22

If seating is assigned at check in, it's likely you'll be all together or two pairs. Especially if you check in early.

If there is no assigned seating except prebooked seats, then just make sure you're near the front of the queue by keeping a beady eye on the flight screens and bolting for the gate as soon as they announce it.

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 28/10/2015 11:26

I have mobility issues. Not sure how that works/if there is something I need to do to get 'special' treatment in terms of boarding. I know it says people with mobility issues board at the front so to bear that in mind if I pre-book. Not sure if that means I need to tell them beforehand, or if I would get speedy boarding or anything.

Seating is either optional pre-booking or assigned at check-in. So I guess it depends on how many people pre-book and how early we check-in. Leaving quite a long time to get to airport as it's quite a way, so allowing for traffic etc, hopefully means it goes smoothly and we get to airport earlier than needed.

OP posts:

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 28/10/2015 11:27

I know it's a bit cheap skating ish to not pre-book as it's only £33 for us in total but that's the cost of one hold baggage (we are doing one of those too as only going for a week and I can't carry/pull any luggage myself)

OP posts:

NorbertDentressangle · 28/10/2015 11:30

There's no guarantee that being at the front of the queue will mean you'll get seated together though.

We didn't pre-book seats once ( note that I said once as it was a nightmare and so stressful that I figured after that I would rather pay and know where we would all be seated) - anyway we were amongst the first to get on the transfer bus from the departure gate to the plane, so thought it would be fine. However that bus filled up so another bus pulled up alongside and also filled up - that bus then departed for the plane first, our bus leaving second.

So we went from being virtually first through the departure gate to being virtually last to get on the plane.

(Through a pure fluke there were 2 lots of 2 seats so at least the DC had one of us with each of them but if that hadn't have been the case we would have been dotted around the plane - as they were running a bit behind schedule the flight attendants just wanted everyone seated so there wouldn't have been any time to negotiate seats)

NorbertDentressangle · 28/10/2015 11:31

oops sorry, X'd posts - I see it's assigned at check-in.

Get there early!!

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 28/10/2015 11:33

I just looked and have seen that i can check-in on-line up to 30 days early, so I could do that?

OP posts:

SweetAdeline · 28/10/2015 11:36

I think these days seats are all pre-assigned at check in with easyjet. I wouldn't guarantee them being sat next to an adult either. We had the tickets booked by an agent on a less-budget airline recently (so weren't able to check in online/book seats) and we were sat all over the plane when we got to check in as soon as it opened. They did eventually organise it so the 2yr old was sat next to one of us but it took a long time and a lot of begging.

AvaCrowder · 28/10/2015 11:42

They will seat you together.

HandsomeGroomGiveHerRoom · 28/10/2015 11:53

Check in as soon as check in opens (30 days before with Easyjet) and you should be fine. No need to be literally at the front of any actual queues at the airport.

I did this traveling with ds recently, but he was 14. I might not have chanced it had he been younger.

OnlyHereForTheCamping · 28/10/2015 11:55

Yes check in asap and you should get seats together. I had similar anxieties travelling Ryanair for the first time and was pleasantly surprised and really pleased I hadn't forked out the extra

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 28/10/2015 12:00

They are supposed to seat you together, but the airlines' definition of 'together' is a bit different to what you might expect. They define 'together' as in the same row, though maybe on the other side of the aisle, or in the row in front of, or behind the accompanying adult.

If the worst came to the worst, would your 9-year-old be OK sitting by a stranger, as long as you weren't too far away? I think that, at that age, all of my dses would have been fine with it - but if your child is a nervous flyer, it might be more of an issue.

f1fan2015 · 28/10/2015 12:03

Get in touch with the airline and book assistance. My mum has mobility issues and you are treated like royalty as soon as you check in (sometimes at a special assistance check in desk).

www.easyjet.com/en/help/preparing-to-fly/special-assistance

CQ · 28/10/2015 13:02

Second that - you are treated like royalty with mobility issues. DS broke his leg on holiday last year and he and DH had to fly back a day later as DS needed 3 seats so he could prop his leg up. They were met with a wheelchair, whisked straight through security and onto the plane, same in reverse on the way back. And they will probably take all 4 of you through as you are travelling together. But worth phoning to check.

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 28/10/2015 18:39

Online check in opens 30 days before the flight and we have never had a problem with all 4 of us being seated together. I think you have the option of changing seats if you don't like the ones you have been allocated for a cost after too.

Bunbaker · 29/10/2015 22:20

"Seating is either optional pre-booking or assigned at check-in. So I guess it depends on how many people pre-book and how early we check-in"

I have just returned from a short break flying with Jet2. I didn't pre-book seats to start with, thinking that we would be OK. The week before we went I checked online and found that nearly all the seats had been pre-booked and DD and I would have been seated at opposite ends of the plane. So I ended up booking them. DD is 15, but suffers really badly from social anxiety, and being seated next to a stranger 30 rows away from me was not an option.

I am glad I booked the seats.

lovelyupnorth · 30/10/2015 16:37

never booked seats, never will, todate never had an issue getting seated together and now DD's big enough and ugly enough to sit alone if needed.

last time with Ryanair checked in with app 7 days before we where 21-24 checked in.

check in as early as you can.

GruffalosGirl · 03/11/2015 20:24

easyjet always used to have the policy to sit kids with parents, unlike ryanair who just don't care. You should be able to find their policy in their FAQ's on their website.

Last time we flew with them they definitely did but that was before the 30 day online check in, so I don't know if they've changed it since

Frazzled2207 · 03/11/2015 20:27

Check in when it opens (30ish days before) and you will almost certainly be fine. We've never been separated and never paid the extra.

lostinlego · 03/11/2015 20:31

I've flown loads of times with both easy jet and Ryan air and have always been sat with my children. I've never paid to choose a seat and just check in the day before online.

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 15/11/2015 18:24

Booked the tickets and didn't pay for extra in the end. Used the money to pay for additional luggage. I will check-in on the 1st day that I can, 30 days before travel, I'll put it in my phone to do the minute I am able

Thanks for your wise words everyone.

OP posts:

Original poster

PavlovtheCat · 15/11/2015 18:41

Just read the info on the link to special assistance. Wow that's awesome. I must admit I've been stressing a little about getting onto the plane, well, getting to it in particular as I can't walk fast, or far and it will hurt a bloody lot, I was also worried about DH having to manage the luggage for him and the children, and then also mine too, AND keep hold of the children.

RE DD sitting on her own. She is definitely a nervous flyer, not having flown since she was about 2.5! DS will be 6 when we travel and he would probably be better on his own than she would be but as he has never flown before, I wouldn't want that at all.

So, it seems that I will be allocated a seat free of charge when I register my special assistance (I can do that soon I think), I can't read anything about the children/my husband, so I might call the special assistance telephone number and ask. They do say in their policy on travelling with children that they will, wherever possible, allocate families together, so hopefully when they allocate my seat the will allocate the family at the same time.

OP posts:

Makemineacabsauv · 11/12/2015 22:50

This year we have flown Ryanair and Easyjet within Europe and pre booked the seats as Dd is a bad traveller. Glad we did as most of the flight had too. Famiesxon both flights were sit up and had children approx 7-10 seated away from parents. They did ask (Ryanair) for people to swap but the answer was a resounding no. People had paid to reserve their seats next to their own children and didn't see why they should be separated. The family on the Ryanair flight got very abusive too which didn't help their case! I would pay it to guarantee sitting together with a small child.

snowypenguin · 15/12/2015 22:24

Never have, never will, never had a problem. Half a dozen or so flights a year.

Flip