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Original poster

Paying to sit together on flight

107 replies

tadpole73 · 05/08/2023 19:29

Do you pay the extra to sit together? I hate flying so panic if I'm not sitting together

OP posts:
SilkenPilken · 05/08/2023 20:38

This relates to EasyJet. I don’t pay when booking. I check in online as soon as possible and generally the seats are together (family with children) because at least 1 adult has to be with the children. If they have placed the other adult some distance away then I call customer services and pay to book a seat for that person only. This way you only pay for 1 seat rather than 4.

User1755387908 · 05/08/2023 20:39

No because we aren't bothered if we sit apart

Allthegoodusernamesareused · 05/08/2023 20:40

No, no need. The last few times I've flown it's been with Easyjet, and you select seats when check-in opens online a month (off the top of ny head) ahead of the flight. I've never had any issue getting seats next to each other then, without paying for the privilege.

User1755387908 · 05/08/2023 20:44

It probably only people with children under about 11, or who are a bit fearful of flying who pay surely, especially for short haul.

Runnerduck34 · 05/08/2023 20:46

I do as have autistic teens who would be too very anxious to sit with strangers.
Very annoying having to pay for it thou, i think it should be free and airlines should just sit people with the family/ group they booked with at no extra cost

Pineapplewaves · 05/08/2023 20:55

Yes - when I was single I always used to pay for a window seat. Now I have DC we get two window seats and two middle seats as both DC want a window. If we left it to the airline to choose I think we'd get a row of three and person four sat somewhere else.

When we came back from holiday last year the guy in the isle seat was part of a family of four who didn't pay for allocated seating - they had four random seats around the plane (he said he was happy with this because if he was sitting with his two teenage children it would be costing him a fortune in food and drink from the trolley!).

HappiDaze · 05/08/2023 20:57

I always think I won't and then I always do pay the extra

CirreltheSquirrel · 05/08/2023 21:00

No, but we don't have kids and my OH tends to sleep on planes so it's not like having him next to me adds much value! But we pretty much always end up with seats together anyway.

gingercat02 · 05/08/2023 21:02

Nope. Never ever have.
This holiday is the first time we haven't been seated together, but we were front row seats, 2 on one side of the aisle and 1 on the other, so absolutely fine and free extra leg room

Rainbowqueeen · 05/08/2023 21:04

Yes because DD is a nervous flyer and she is my responsibility not anyone else’s

thenightsky · 05/08/2023 21:05

When we came back from holiday last year the guy in the isle seat was part of a family of four who didn't pay for allocated seating - they had four random seats around the plane (he said he was happy with this because if he was sitting with his two teenage children it would be costing him a fortune in food and drink from the trolley!).

I love that. Sensible chap.

RampantIvy · 05/08/2023 21:07

I've no idea why people do pay.

Becaause people want to be certain that they will be sitting with their travelling companions. I thought this was perfectly clear.

Wishfulthinking1977 · 05/08/2023 21:21

Yes I do, flying for the first time next week in over 6 years I am a very nervous flyer and would prefer to be breaking my husbands hand than a stranger! 🤣🤣 That said whenever we have done long haul ( not recently I admit) we have always had the option to pre book seats without a charge. TUI was the best! Perhaps things have changed?!

caringcarer · 05/08/2023 21:40

I used to when DC was younger but now DH, me and 17 year old don't care where we sit, together or not especially on a short/medium haul. So not anymore. They usually sit us together even though we haven't paid to be together. Also once when DC was younger we had paid to sit together and another passenger with 2 DC asked stewardess if they could have one of our seats so she could sit with both children about 7 and 10. I would have said no as we'd specifically paid extra to be seated together but DH jumped in and offered to move so this lady could sit with her 2 children. So I was sitting next to one of these children with an irritating loud voice and honestly they didn't shut up the whole flight. DH just snoozed in his seat.

caringcarer · 05/08/2023 21:43

Deathbyfluffy · 05/08/2023 20:34

I always pay, and like others I won’t move for people who don’t bother and are upset when their family is split up.

I did enjoy a recent article where the mum just left her kids in the care of the person who wouldn’t move for her - if that was me they’d learn some new words on that flight 😅

Nightmare 🤣🤣

Peony654 · 05/08/2023 21:52

I’ve never paid to sit in specific seats, but no kids. DH and I put headphones on the minute we sit down.

Peony654 · 05/08/2023 21:53

And I would never move for others who haven’t paid. Their choice.

TwoTallTerrors · 05/08/2023 21:58

God no, am happy for other people to sit near/next to my bickering almost teens

Ohmylovejune · 05/08/2023 21:58

I probably would with children but not for the two of us unless long haul. A short flight I can check in early and gets seats together and, if I can't, my husband only puts his airpods in and watches a movie anyway!

On our last holiday we were sat with a lady who had been split from her family - they all had random seats. She was lovely and we had a great chat about where she lived (we were flying to a regional airport, so that was perhaps more likely). She had spent 2 weeks with the family - I think she enjoyed the relative peace!

Winter42 · 05/08/2023 22:11

I've never paid. We almost always end up together. A worst we have been split into two pairs which is fine.

thenightsky · 05/08/2023 22:22

Last time we flew as a family was 10 years ago (grown up kids). We all sat apart. I was with a lovely couple who were going to a hotel next door to mine. They had some great games on ipad that needed 3 players. We were good.

SpringViolet · 05/08/2023 22:23

We always pay purely because Sod’s Law will mean we’re sat all over the place. I like to sit at the front as well so we can get off quicker.

I remember the days when no one paid for seats and they were allocated at check in. Also when you got a free drink and snack short haul as well. Tea and coffee was free too.

This came about with budget airlines like Easyjet so all the other airlines started charging as well.

Most airlines have self service baggage checkin/boarding pass printing so they’ve already reduced their costs for staff.

In yon olden days, airport drop off at the terminal was free too, now it’s £7.50 for 15 minutes at Stansted!

Also remember when there were no reservation/admin fees for booking anything.

Surely online booking is cheaper admin, no paper tickets or post costs! You even get charged reservation fees for online cinema tickets nowadays!

It’s government condoned robbery!

TheCrystalPalace · 05/08/2023 22:28

We never pay for seats and 9 times out of 10 we end up together, regardless of the airline, short-haul or long.
On a recent flight from NY to London with AA, according to the online map when checking in, there were only two seats left on the entire plane for us to pick for free, right in the middle of the central block and a few rows apart. We figured we weren't going to be given worse seats than that if we waited until the airport so we didn't pick them at all. Sure enough, when boarding, we not only ended up next to each other but we also had extra legroom! That would have cost a fortune if we'd picked them ourselves.

FirstDayOfHoliyays · 05/08/2023 22:32

"Surely online booking is cheaper admin, no paper tickets or post costs! You even get charged reservation fees for online cinema tickets nowadays!

It’s government condoned robbery!"

Fucking hell 😅 at least engage your brain slightly 🙈

BatshitIsTheOnlyExplanation · 05/08/2023 22:40

If you pay to book seats, you are less likely to be bumped if the flight is overbooked.
IMO that makes it worthwhile, plus you can guarantee not having a middle seat.