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Original poster

Ryanair seats

70 replies

mrshadders · 16/02/2023 08:46

Hi all
I've don't remember the last time I flew with Ryanair but am about to book a trip. If I don't pick and pay for seats right now, when it comes to online check in can I pick seats then? When we went away with Tui last year that was what we did but if I'm reading it right, when we check in with Ryanair we will be randomly allocated one rather than being sat together. My husband doesn't want to pay the extra £40 when he thinks it's likely we will be sat together regardless?
Thanks!

OP posts:
fooyangcake · 16/02/2023 09:00

Yes you need to do this now.

If it's a full flight and everyone else pre books seats when buying then there probably won't be the seats together available for you to book on check in.

If you are travelling with young children you will each be sat "next to" one of them. But that could mean in front or behind. So you could be at the front of the plane with 1 child directly behind you, and DH could be at the back of the plane with 1 child across the aisle.

Sirzy · 16/02/2023 09:01

If you don’t want to risk not being sat together then pay the extra to pre book

Kernow54 · 16/02/2023 09:05

My experience with Ryanair, is that if you do not pay for allocated seats then you will not be sat together.

When you check in with random allocation, we have always been allocated seats at opposite ends of the plane - very different to most other airlines which will seat you together if they can.

It doesn't bother us and we are happy to sit apart for the flight, but if you wish to sit together then you do need to pay the seat charges.

Original poster
mrshadders · 16/02/2023 09:18

I thought this was the case. No children on this trip and I think I definitely want to sit together as it's a little child free break to spend time together! Thanks all Smile bloody Ryanair!

OP posts:
No1HolidayPlanner · 16/02/2023 17:01

Me and my husband flew without children.. didn't pay for seats.. plane was about one third full and they sat us at opposite ends of the plane!

QueSyrahSyrah · 16/02/2023 18:31

IME easyJet generally seat groups together where possible (I was booked with 3 friends recently and both ways we were all allocated together, didn't do check in until a few days before either).

Ryanair on the other hand will allocate entirely at random, to squeeze the seat fee out of you...

newname12345 · 17/02/2023 13:33

QueSyrahSyrah · 16/02/2023 18:31

IME easyJet generally seat groups together where possible (I was booked with 3 friends recently and both ways we were all allocated together, didn't do check in until a few days before either).

Ryanair on the other hand will allocate entirely at random, to squeeze the seat fee out of you...

Agree. Last year booked a trip with Easyjet in one direction and Ryanair in the other. Didn't pay for seats and Easyjet sat all four or us together, Ryanair spread us across the plane in middle seats.

shinynewapple22 · 18/02/2023 22:31

Sears aren't all the same price though so if you aren't bothered about where in the plane you are just pick the cheapest and if you are paying for hold luggage your seat choice is free .

Pseudonamed · 18/02/2023 23:33

If you want to sit together then suck up the cost and hope some tosser who has not bothered to pay to sit with their kid doesnt try get you moved on the day. Happened to us recently and I was furious.

SirSamVimesCityWatch · 18/02/2023 23:35

Yes, book them. Their policy seems to be to punish you for not booking seats by putting you miles away from each other even if it would have been possible to sit you together.

blueshoes · 18/02/2023 23:41

newname12345 · 17/02/2023 13:33

Agree. Last year booked a trip with Easyjet in one direction and Ryanair in the other. Didn't pay for seats and Easyjet sat all four or us together, Ryanair spread us across the plane in middle seats.

Show quote history

Can I say I have just flown on Easyjet and it was such a lovely experience for a no frills flight. I booked extra cabin baggage space and got a priority 'speedy' boarding. Dh did not but he was allowed to priority board with me, no questions asked, staff very gracious about it. I could not believe it as I was so used to being abused and exploited as a customer on Ryanair.

Next time, if you have a choice, go on Easyjet instead!

Kiitos · 18/02/2023 23:43

You will absolutely not be seated together unless you pay for it.

validnumber · 19/02/2023 00:01

No1HolidayPlanner · 16/02/2023 17:01

Me and my husband flew without children.. didn't pay for seats.. plane was about one third full and they sat us at opposite ends of the plane!

Yes this happened to us.
We just moved seats to sit together once the plane took off.

Tigertigertigertiger · 19/02/2023 00:20

I never pay for allocated seats and have always been seated together with whoever I'm travelling with.

It's just your luck.

You can look at the book your seats page to see if the plane looks full

Deadringer · 19/02/2023 00:52

We always pay for seats with Ryanair and they usually start at about 5 or 6 pounds each way. I have never been on a Ryanair flight that wasn't full so I wouldn't chance it.

Jadviga · 19/02/2023 01:13

"If you want to sit together then suck up the cost and hope some tosser who has not bothered to pay to sit with their kid doesnt try get you moved on the day. Happened to us recently and I was furious."

But it's the company that's taking the piss, I don't blame other people for being annoyed and not wanting to be ripped off. I generally travel alone with my young children and literally EVERY other company would just sit us together at no extra charge. So I would probably refuse to pay for that "privilege", yes. Because the company should not expect my 2yo and 4yo to sit alone anyway (for everyone's sake, not just mine !) I mean, I'd love to see the face of the passenger who got to sit next to my 2yo because the company purposefully seated me in the next row 🙄

Sitting us together comes at zero extra cost for them, they just try to squeeze more money out of people. They're a low-cost and extras cost money, I get that. I'm fine with stuff like having to pay for a hold luggage or paying for the meal because these things cost money, if it's not included in the base fare then fair enough asking us to pay for it. But seating us together doesn't cost anything. And the fact that it's not even luck of the draw but them purposely seating people apart to make them pay (and 40 bucks, what the hell ?!!), annoys me even more.

Mumof3teenagers · 19/02/2023 01:17

Book the seats now if ye want to sit together. If sitting separately doesn’t bother you, then don’t book.
Seat prices will increase nearer the time of the flight also.

newname12345 · 20/02/2023 07:39

@Jadviga Ripped off? When I am pricing up trips I include the full cost including extras. If I am not happy with the cost I won't pay it. In some ways at least Ryanair is transparent (ie I know I need to pay for seats together if I want them) where with other airlines like Easyjet its 50/50 whether I need to pay for seats or not.

Seating together does cost airlines effort where entitled passengers who maybe checked in late want the plane re-organised because they expect to sit together and haven't paid for it directly or expect it as part of their standard ticket.

bigbluebus · 20/02/2023 08:03

Ryanair will deliberately split you up if you don't pay to book seats. DH and I have done numerous trips sitting rows apart even when there's been a free seat next to one of us. On one flight it was like musical chairs when the doors closed as everyone moved seats to be near their travelling companions.

YesYou · 20/02/2023 08:08

"On one flight it was like musical chairs when the doors closed as everyone moved seats to be near their travelling companions."

I travel a lot and I've never seen this happen when the doors closed. Everyone should be getting into their allocated seats as fast as possible. Such disrespect for the crew.

BertieBotts · 20/02/2023 08:14

They shuffle you on purpose. If you have children in your party they give the child free seat allocation and make the adults pay (because you can't allocate only for certain people in a party).

On some flights, usually half empty ones, everyone gets up and swaps after you've boarded, the cabin crew may even encourage this to balance the plane. sometimes if it's full people don't bother. I have seen stag parties just standing in the aisle for most of the flight, this is annoying.

Honestly I think it's disrespectful to the passengers. It's just money grabbing for no reason at all. It always used to be the case on every airline that when seats were allocated at check in that you'd be seated together unless the plane was already extremely full. Ryanair gain nothing from splitting people up except that it encourages you to pay the choose seating surcharge.

YesYou · 20/02/2023 08:23

"If you have children in your party they give the child free seat allocation and make the adults pay (because you can't allocate only for certain people in a party)."

That's not true. I never pay for DH on Ryanair. He gets random allocation and I sit with the kids. Often one of them is put across the aisle but it's no big deal. The crew don't need to "balance the plane" either 🙈

cemma · 20/02/2023 08:27

Just flown with Ryanair. Paid £4 each to pick our seats at checkin, but the seat prices vary. If you don't pick seats you will be allocate seats and usually apart in my experience

BertieBotts · 20/02/2023 08:31

Oh I'm sure we had to allocate seats for all of us last time!

They do need to balance the plane if there are very few passengers on it. If it's full then it will be balanced anyway.

YesYou · 20/02/2023 08:38

To be fair most flights I've been on are pretty full so no need for balancing. I think it's rare to find a front loaded empty plane these days.