Paying to sit together on flight

[tadpole73]

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

With most airlines if you check in as soon as it opens they will sit you together.

With Ryanair they will actively sit you apart unless you pay for seats.

We don't pay anymore as the children are now young adults, who put on their headphones at the start of a flight and don't communicate with us anyway!

That said we've always been seated together.

When they were younger, yes we did pay even though we thought it a con but didn't want to take the risk (because technically seated seated together can be one row in front or across an isle).

Basically I never wanted to be that person asking to trade seats (because I wouldn't do it if I'd paid to reserve a seat).

Nope. Just been to Spain with Ryanair and dh and I and 2 teen dc were all seated in different places. I resent paying extra and don't mind not sitting together anyway. On the way back I was at the front with loads of leg room and a whole row to myself!

I've paid because it means a lot to me as I hate flying. Just begrudge having to. Wondered if most people don't so you tend to get most seats allocated at check-in.

I agree with @teendivided. We pay, because we want to share responsibility for the children.

When I travel alone, I do not pay. I do not care where I sit and prefer the reduced fee to paying for an arbitrary choice.

I mostly travel with my family, so pay. I understand why people want it included, but the businesses want people happy to be flexible around the set seating needs. There is a business need to encourage that.

So, the pricing model currently allows for people to benefit from the cheapest rates when it suits, but also to be one of the set seating groups that make things trickier for them. Trickier = more money.

It's personal preference but if you don't pay you mustn't ask people to switch with you! I had 2 people in our seats recently (plus their child in the third one) I just stated they were our seats and they moved straight away, all three in separate parts of the plane - the thing is we haven't paid to sit together but got them by checking in the day they were able to. (EasyJet)

Same. If you want to sit together pay for it. Simples.

How likely is it that at least one parent would be seated with their under 10yo if we don't pay for seats? Do airlines really sit a child away from at least 1 parent?

Yes I do because I want to sit with my family/ friends so it’s worth the money. I’d rather have the option to pay for
this and reduce my stress and am fine paying more than someone who is willing to sit anywhere. The only annoying thing is people who don’t pay but still expect to pick
their seats.

Apparently so based on all the posts and news items I have seen about it. Typically the post is from someone who wouldn't switch seats to accommodate people sitting together and asking if they had acted selfishly, or a parent complaining no one would switch seats to allow their child or partner to sit with them.
It's s consumer nightmare, really. Airlines charge unreasonably. We pay it or take chances whether it be seating, baggage, food etc.

Definitely. I'd refuse to move for those that don't ( unless they coughed up for my seat )

Most of the time... very likely. But there is occasions where there isn't seats next to each other so they go for the next thing of across the aisle or in front, which counts as together.

Yesterday on Facebook there was a family who were allocated 4 window seats... technically together but as one child was a toddler a bit nightmarish really!

I pay but because I want specific seats.

I always used to pay, haven't bothered on the last 6 flights I've taken and have been sat together, checked in online asap. This is across a mix of airlines Inc Jet2, SunExpress, Tui, Air France...

When we fly with our younger kids we do otherwise not for short flights.

It depends who you're flying with.

If you Google there's a list of airlines who will place all under 12s next to an adult in their party regardless of whether you pay the extra or not.

Other airlines will place under 12s within arms reach but not necessarily right next to an adult in their party - easy jet is one of these airlines so feasibly there could be another adult in between you and your kids if you don't pay.

Depends on the airline. We are a childfree couple and never pay but get seats next to each other more often than not. That's with Jet2.

However, Ryanair will allocate separate middle seats unless you pay and I believe they have different rules if you're travelling with DC, where you can pay a relatively small fee for seat allocations.

Ive never paid and we always end up together anyway.

“Next to” can be the seat in front, behind, across the aisle or physically beside another seat.

I always do, because if the plane goes down I want to die holding onto my DH and DD, not listening to them scream from the aisle or row over.

Dramatic, yes absolutely. But it's the way my brain works and how I manage to get on the flight in the first place!

I believe that all flights should have the seating together charge added at the start, so people could remove it if they don't care, and then not be able to moan/demand other people move when them aren't seated together.

We are flying home from a brilliant holiday today, and I am already praying that the entitled 'mare of a family that caused a ruckus on the way out went home last week so we don't have to listed to them moaning on the way back!

Short flight, no. Long flight, yes.

Dc have grown up - wouldn’t pay for dh and I to sit together as we don’t talk much on flights anyway.

And I would quickly volunteer to move to keep a family together, especially if their dc were young. I don’t really mind where I sit although middle seats between strangers aren’t my favourite. I’d put up with it to save paying though as we don’t have loads of disposable income.

Even when travelling alone I book my seat. Just to avoid the middle seat.

I completely get this. I also feel the same.

But last week I was on a 4hr flight and a lone woman had booked a middle seat. Another family come up with 2 kids and 1 adult. The adult asked if the lone woman would mind moving so the 3 of them could sit together. She refused (absolutely fair enough) so the lone woman was then sat next to 2x kids under 6 years old.

15 mins into the flight, lone woman now wants to move realising she has to sit next to 2x kids for 4hrs.

Parent says sorry, you need to sit in the seat you paid for, like I am and my 2 kids. Lone woman asks cabin crew to move. They also refuse as it's a full flight.

Lone woman should've thought that through a bit more when given the opportunity!

Can I just say that sometimes terrible things happen and people need to get a flight in an emergency at the very last minute. I experienced this when my dad died unexpectedly and I needed to travel home within 2 hours of receiving the news with my 2 sister... one of whom was a young child. We paid for flights but couldn't get seats together as it was so last minute but were told that they would try to get seats for us together once on board.This was the most stressful day of my life and I needed to listen to people judging me for not pre booking seats whilst sobbing and comforting my younger sibling who was vomiting from the shock throughout the flight and wanting her mum who was at home with our dad.
Many years later I still remember how I felt listening to the comments of people refusing to move to let us sit together and wanting to scream that we had just lost our dad.
Please be kind and supportive of people... don't judge other people's choices without knowing their story.