Flybe seating allocation - expecting a 2 and 5 yo to sit away from their parent!

[Notjustamum10]

I am flying with Flybe tomorrow with my 2 and 5 year olds, and was hoping for a stress free experience. But their automatic checkin system has given me a seat several rows away from my kids! I called them and they said as I was already checked in there was nothing they could do. Even though their system allocated those seats.

I have to travel to Heathrow early tomorrow morning, to stand in a queue at the check in desk, to ask the staff if they can change our seats. But, I was advised, this 'isn't guaranteed'! Can you imagine a 2 year old sat on their own on a plane?! How can they even think this could work?!

I've emailed customer relations but not expecting anything more helpful. . . .Anyone else experienced this?

Exactly. In order to be able to utilise Heathrow and Gatwick and luton and indeed all uk airports, the airlines have to commit to following these guidelines.

So, in effect, they are regulations.

But the key word in the guidelines is ideally. They don’t say the child has to, must or definitely should sit next to their parent they say ideally they should.

I spoke to the CAA extensively over the Summer, about a different seating issue. I lost count of the times they said “ideally” “should try to”.

CAA guidelines can say whatever but sadly the airlines don’t have to abide by them. Years ago I was sat several rows away from 6yo dd, this was before you could pre book seats with the cheap airlines. Can’t remember it was Ryanair or monarch. 4 hour flight from Tenerife.

Nobody offered to move, dd was hysterical and I had to force her into her seat, air crew said there was nothing they could do.

I did write to the airline after pointing out CAA guidelines, asking who would have helped dd with her oxygen mask if needed, pointing out the emptying of the plane in an emergency would have been delayed as I would have gone the wrong way to get her. Never even had a response.

Thefairy
Why on Earth were you talking to CAA?

It’s your airline that you should have been speaking with. The CAA set the guidelines.

In order to be given a licence to utilise Heathrow etc, the airlines need to follow the CAA guidelines as a requirement. This is a fact.

Why on Earth were you talking to CAA?

Well not that I have to justify myself to you but when the airlines are discriminating against disabled passengers, ie me, I’m quite at will to contact the CAA. They were really helpful and as a result I was able to travel.

Sorry to be pedantic but just to clarify BA and Easyjet will both sit children away from parents, although preferably together.