British Airways Premium Economy vent

[GingerBeverage]

Just venting really, but I've been separated from my 2 year old in the PE cabin for upcoming 7 hour overnight BA flight.
I booked 4 months ago and choosing seats was always listed as significantly extra (c£50 each from memory) so I relied on their family seating policy. I'd already paid to upgrade, it didn't make sense to pay more.
I checked regularly and seats were always chargeable until a week ago I saw they'd been allocated. OK, I'll move them!
Nope. Cabin is fully booked.
Went on chat and was told they can't help, here, follow this link to complain.
Reply via email 5 days later: You shouldn't have used this link, aka shut up and go away.
The specific seats they have given us are next to toilets centre section aisle, centre section middle, and last row next to toilets centre section middle.
So looks like (we are A, toilets are T):
XX AAX XX
TT XAX TT

If we put 2 year old in aisle he will run away. If we put 2 year old in centre he will annoy the stranger next to him. He's going to cry anyway when he sees he's separated from either me or dad. And the two strangers on either side are not going to want to have him clambering over, nor will they want to swap from an aisle (that they probably paid £50 for) to a centre.

And all this will happen next to toilets which will (if he ever sleeps) wake him up.

I've never regretted an upgrade more. If I could go back and choose economy again I'd do it in a flash. There's no amount of extra mm legroom that can compensate for how much I am dreading this experience.

They said to ask to move at the airport but the chances of that helping are slim to zero. I feel sorry for everyone around us.

YABU for all the reasons already mentioned.

I do not see that BA have done anything wrong here

Good work on combining the roles of "that parent" and "that passenger" so all the crew and passengers can combine their eye rolling in one go

Another one who doesn't really understand your gripe. Child isn't being separated from their parents, an adult will be sitting next to you or their dad.

Call them up. Say you're happy to go back to the economy cabin if they'll refund you for the extra you've paid for PE. Get three seats together in economy.

I just flown with BA and on both flights we only had one adult sat with the children. I've always thought it was done deliberately. We didn't have the opportunity to pay to be sat next to each other even if we'd wanted to. My husband sat with our children going and I sat with them coming home, it was a long haul flight so we slept for most of it. As long as one adult is sat with my children I'm ok, I would hate for them to be sat on their own which is what almost happened when they were little and we flew with American Airlines...never again.

Don't think it's fair for you to be stropping about MN's kids all being angels OP.

My OH would n't ever pay for seat positions as a point of principle. And it bit us on the arse on occasion. Personally I take the view that if you are trapped mid flight with a performing child you would literally just hand over your card to sort it out. Ho hum.

I think you underestimate yourself and you'll be able to think of ways of entertaining your child just like most people do. Bit rude and pathetic to "let whatever happens happen". And then halfway through swap with your OH. G&T job done.

Oh yes, I agree this is actually pretty good for unassigned seats - I just mean that you have to think 'what is the worst they can do' rather than assume that they'll think what's most convenient for you.

BTW, lots of people would like the ones quite near the toilets with a toddler, because it makes toilet trips a lot easier - it's feasible for instance with the arrangement you have for whoever is next to the little one to go to the toilet, while the one in the row behind keeps the toddler amused, without having to shuffle everyone around.

Also, me and the kids have flown (or ferried) fairly often since babies, the secret is as little luggage as possible, and get them in a routine for flying - mine is (and I don't care about being judged) - big bag of haribo each, headphones round their necks when we get out of the car (and off ears when walking) and ipad loaded up with TV they enjoy either in their hand, or in the single tote bag I take onboard (unless flying entirely on handluggage). When the drinks cart comes they can have a hot chocolate. People barely even notice the kids are there, and they don't mind flying at all.

As many many PP have said this is a non-issue that you are trying to turn into a drama because you didn't have the foresight to book 3 seats together, yes it costs but like most things in life now, you get what you pay.

I have been the person in the aisle seat and I wouldn't be moving, I book and pay to be there because I need to be, I don't sit in the middle seat. To be fair I never sit at the back of PE and generally fly Business now.

When my 2 DC where young we would try to book a 3 and then 1 other seat, usually nearby, and swap, but even if we were in your situation or when we had 2 x 2 seats in a 3 mine would have stayed on their seat and not annoyed the person in the aisle.

Of little help, sorry OP, but isn't 'premium economy' and oxymoron?

One of you sits with your child. Can’t see the issue.
Want to choose seats? Pay.

I don't see an issue if your child is still sitting next to one of his/her parents. If you all wanted to sit together and not near toilets then I suppose you would need to pay to have your specific requirements. I can't see how the airline is in the wrong in this case.

But the seats in economy will have already been allocated too. You could end up even more spread out and in smaller seats.

These seats are fine! Plus you may find someone offers to swap if your child is grumpy. The middle seats in traveller plus are ok, not cramped like in economy. But wait to be offered, don’t go asking!

As ex crew I’d go out of my way to get a parent and child seated together if they were split up, but not if there was already a parent with the child and your “separate” seat is literally just in front!

You should have paid - everybody else did. That is why the system is in place, so you can get the exact seats that you want.

They did follow their family policy, it’s not their fault you don’t understand it.

The child has been sat with an adult, if you wanted to choose seats you pay for it

pretty simple

You’ve not been separated though?

Everyone on the thread is right. OP is being very unreasonable and a bit entitled. One parent next to the child is fine. If they wanted a whole row they should have paid etc.

HOWEVER I'm just here to say that "unlimited scream time" is a genius Freudian typo and made me chuckle a lot.

There are 2 seats together though? What do you think that means? You and hubby sit together and put your child next to a stranger? Or sit your child next to one of you - ie you’ve not been separated AT ALL.

Sorry, OP, I agree with everyone else. This has happened to our family many times - we have two children, so each parent is seated with a child, but the pairs are in different rows. It's even happened when we've flown business.

It's possible that the person next to your toddler will offer to swap - I've done that before to allow a family to sit together when I was travelling solo. But don't pressure them to swap, it's their decision.

He has been sat with a parent. If you all wanted to sit together you should have paid extra!

If you knew your kid would likely to be a little sod you should have paid the extra for your seats to sit together, out of mere courtesy to the other passengers.

DS17 Has SLD and some of his behaviours on a flight can be seriously annoying to other travellers, although we do our utmost to minimise that AND pay for 3 seats together so both DH and I can sit either side of him and minimise any disruption to our fellow travellers.

YABVU

Blimey, you’re determined to make the passenger who is sitting on your row miserable. Like you’re trying to prove a point even though the issue is all of your own making.

I don’t get this either. Yes you paid for upgrade position in the aircraft but did not want to pay for seat allocation. Others did. They’ve still positioned you as a family near each other.

You have no cause for complaint sorry. If you wanted to sit as a threesome away from toilets you should have paid seat allocation.

That made me laugh out loud.

When I read your post I thought that you meant you and your two year old were being separated and he would be sat on his own, but I re-read and it looks like he's sat next to one parent and the other is close but not next to. Unless there are some SEN issues going on that mean 2:1 needs to happen I don't see the issue. It's pretty common for families to sit like this.