Ryanair seats

[mrshadders]

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!

I believe if you have paid to select seat(s) then they normally have to allocate you those seats. I think there is a clause in the T&C of pretty much all airlines which say that they aren't 100% guaranteed in some situations but parents with children would be one of the last groups they'd just to split in such situations.

I said 40 pounds because it's the price that was mentioned higher upthread.

A 6 and 4 year old across the aisle is a different matter than a 2yo in a different row though isn't it ?

And you still haven't explained to me why I should pay for something that costs the airline nothing.

As for "I choose to travel with him", well I could hardly leave him behind, could I ? And I paid for his seat, I don't expect him to travel for free. The company is equally choosing to seat people apart (on purpose. For no reason other than make people pay.) So they equally can't complain if that results in inconvenience for them.

And I actually agree, it's a lot of hot air over nothing when the company could just be reasonable. As said before, I'm happy to pay for things that actually cost money (meals, first class, extra luggage, etc). It's not about the money really, it's about the principle of the thing.

It's doubly unreasonable because people who need to travel next to someone are usually vulnerable (young children, seniors, disabled people), so they're basically taking advantage of that.

The whole thing makes no sense because you're saying "you have to sit next to them so you should pay."
Well, no. If I HAVE to sit next to my young child, you can't make me pay for it. Because we all know what would happen if I DIDN'T sit next to them.

Unless you want to be that passenger sitting next to the lonely 2yo.

"Unless you want to be that passenger sitting next to the lonely 2yo."

Mate, I've just told you that it's £6 (only for the adult, kids are free) and you get to CHOOSE your seats on booking. There are no "lonely 2 year olds" on a ryanair flight.

It's more expensive for adults to choose to sit together but if you have a need due to disability and contact the airline they will also sit you together.

You're not paying extra to sit with your child. If they took the average amount people choose to pay them for seats and applied it across the whole flight you would pay MORE.

This model allows for some to travel very cheaply whilst others still have the choice to travel how they prefer at a cost. It's worked for years and it's cheaper for all than the older pricing models. I don't think you've ever flown Ryanair judging by your comments.

"I just tried to book a flight. One adult and two children. I was given the choice of certain rows of seats and I had to select the adult to sit in the middle seat and a child at either side.

I presume they have to give me the allocated seats on arrival then?"

With Ryanair? Yes, go into your itinerary and you'll see your seat numbers there. They won't change. I don't know about the adult sat in the middle, that hasn't happened to me but I know specific rows can't have children in certain seats (emergency exit rows/rules on infants due to oxygen masks etc.)

My next flight with them I'm in the aisle seat and 2 kids are middle and window.

Do you really think everyone remains in position in a plane crash?

More likely that there's bodies thrown all over the place.

Back to the OPs question. Ryanair are different to most other airlines who will usually allocate seats together for free if they're available.

Unless you pay, Ryanair deliberately separate you and usually give you the middle seats at opposite ends of the plane. Try it for yourself, you can click to let them choose your seats without commitment.

It will show you the crap separate seats and give you another chance to pay. But its often worth looking at the priority option that includes extra hand or hold luggage and a seat of your choice.

Remember that the basic included bag is a small rucksack size so if you want a trolley case you need to pay extra anyway.

But however they price things, Ryanair are often cheaper than other airlines, just not as cheap as the basic flight price suggests.

Last time we flew, we paid £260 for two return flights including seats next to each other and the larger cabin bags. The nearest comparison with the next cheapest airline was £470 and the flight times were worse too.

@Jadviga - their pricing model is to offer the flight at below cost and make you pay for everything else. That's how they make money. It's irrelevant whether you believe you should pay for it or not. That's how they price things. If you don't want to pay and want your children sitting next to you, choose a different airline.

We're you able to move seats?

@theemmadilemma

*It's generally a requirement to be in your allocated seat for both take off and landing.

For identification should the worst happen*

That's very much an urban myth.....Without making this TL;DR:

The requirement is usually in place to ensure the aircraft is actually balanced (specifically the position of it's centre of gravity) in accordance with the pre departure loading calculations. One of the factors in the maths is usually the number of passengers per seat row.

That calculated centre of gravity position determines amongst other things the pre-flight setting of one of the flight controls (FWIW the pitch trim) - so it's incorrect for any reason, e.g. because a significant number of people move seat rows on boarding, then the pilots can get an unpleasant surprise at lift off when the aerodynamic control surfaces first come into play.

It's usually less of an issue on landings but can come into play on occasions.

HTH.

@Jadviga and @Chasedbythechaser on Ryanair, if you have a booking with children then you have to pay for one seat and you get up to 4 child seats allocated for free.

"Ryanair deliberately separate you and usually give you the middle seats at opposite ends of the plane. Try it for yourself, you can click to let them choose your seats without commitment."

Sometimes. Not always. It depends what is free we've never had DH in the middle and we fly with them a lot.

Kids go free and you select where each passenger sits so kicking off about lone two year olds is just strange since it isn't even a "thing" on Ryanair.

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!

We're you able to move seats?

Yes we moved seats😊

My experience is Ryanair algorithm deliberately splits you up if you don't rebook seats.
DH and I have both had whole row of 3 seats to ourselves, just at opposite ends of the plane🤷🏼‍♀️

This. There was a discussion about this very topic ( not being seated together ) on Irish radio a few years back.

This is a typical ploy to force you to pay for seats even when at check in for free allocated seats, there are a huge number available. We chose not to pay and have just checked in a few hours before the flight. There were 53 seats together that Ryanair could have allocated to us and instead put us at opposite ends of the plane even though there is free seats near to each of us. We will wait and see if there are my free seats still there come the flight and if so we will move but why, why separate us when there is free seats next to us. Complete and utter stupidity Ryanair, its make the company look ridiculous trying to essentially scare people into paying for a seat. Now those who say well pay then, I actually don’t mind that this has happened but it’s the clear dumbness of what they do that’s mind boggling.

I'm in the Canaries now.. flew with Ryanair.. we had a random man sat next to us( near the back).. his wife was right up at the front.
He actually asked if me or my sister would swap. We paid for our seats.
The flights are cheap enough so an extra £20 each is worth it.
We only paid £68 ,return ..so woth seats was £88
.

A friend and I ended up at opposite ends of the plane. It turned out that she was sat next the partner of the chap sitting next to me. We swapped seats as soon as the plane took off.
We've done it on numerous flights. We're not bothered if it doesn't work out, that's the chance we take, but usually a quick chat with nearby travellers soon sorts everyone out.

@JaGa88

Complete and utter stupidity Ryanair, its make the company look ridiculous trying to essentially scare people into paying for a seat. Now those who say well pay then, I actually don’t mind that this has happened but it’s the clear dumbness of what they do that’s mind boggling.

It’s not dumb or stupid, they’ve found a revenue stream.
….and if nobody at all pays for seats the average fare will go up.

You’re entitled to have your decision and that’s fine and so am I. If I feel it’s dumb or stupid then that’s my decision and one that stands but you seem to have missed the point. Why separate us when theee is free seats right beside each of us, that’s dumb and stupid.

Whatever....

You've gamed their system, it worked for you on your flight.

On many days that self same system works in Ryanair's favour..if it didn't they wouldn't use it.

I'll happily accuse FR of being many things but dumb and stupid they are not, not when it comes to revenue management.

We are a family of 5 with teens and don't care where we sit. We fly Easyjet 3 or 4 times a year and never pay extra for seat booking. We've always been seated 3 in one row and 2 in row in front or behind or 3 in one row and 2 across the aisle, even on completely full flights. So I definitely think the EJ algorithm does try and keep groups together.

I'd never use RyanAir. Swore of them when the children were babies and have never used since. They seemed to delight in making things as unpleasant for passengers as possible and nothing I have heard suggests that has changed.