Unable to book seats together on EasyJet

[SairAngela]

Hi there,

we are due to fly in a few days with easyJet. Family of 4 with a 3yo and 6yo.

when I checked in online there were no seats left together. So currently we are all sat in various different rows. With the kids completely on their own and many rows between us all.

I know I should have checked in as soon as check in opens, but I work 2/3 jobs, the kids have been sick and it’s been crazy.

when I did try and check in early all the seats were gone.

I called easy jet and they said we will have to speak to cabin crew on the day.

does anyone have experience of this? What are the chances that ppl will swap? I’m not expecting all 4 of us to be together, just one child with an adult each. Which is what we have on the flight back.

no judgment or unpleasant comments please. I’m stressed and annoyed enough as it is.

I don’t know if they’re middle or not. One is front row so I’m guessing extra leg room?

I flew with EasyJet this weekend and there was a family in exactly this situation. The cabin crew were very reassuring to the stressed mother and quietly arranged for them to be sat in pairs.

One benefit of the EasyJet system is that most of the people on the flight are sitting in randomly allocated seats and don't care so are happy to move. I was with a party of 10, none of us sat together and any of us would have been happy to move.

Lostearring you have just taken a load off my
mind and shoulders. Thank you so much.

@SairAngela Front row should be fine, bet someone would like to sit there! Do you have the letters of the seats? Generally on a 3x3 configuration (so most European and other shorter flights), B and E seats are middles.

I’ve got a 1A then the others are A’s and C’s

I’d take cash with me and offer that as an incentive/compensation for people to swap seats. Just the cost of the price if the pre booked seat.

I don't think legally they're allowed to seat such young children tjat far away from their parents - I know 'together' can mean rows in front/behind and/separated by aisles etc but I'm pretty sure they have a policy that doesn't put very young kids sat next to complete strangers rows away from cate givers (I could be wrong but pretty sure I read this on easyJet policies recently).

Excellent! Then you're in a prime situation with both windows and aisles to trade with. Just be really polite and apologetic to the people who need to move.

I would imagine that anyone with a seat next to an unaccompanied 3yo would be desperate to move!

I'd love to sit with a 3 yo! I would move tho as I'm.sure they'd prefer their Mum or Dad.

We flew to Spain earlier this year and only booked the flights the day before we left. We ended up in three aisle seats with our 4 year old on his own.

We asked politely and were offering a better seat than the one we wanted (a middle seat) and a lovely couple kindly swapped with us.

It happens, people are generally nice, don't expect to swap a middle seat for a window or aisle one, always offer up the best seat you have.

Thank you all this is really reassuring and has helped to calm my stress and self hate!

For future reference, unlike their biggest rival, if you check in when it opens they don't deliberately seat you scattered across the plane, we've always been automatically put next to each other. Fingers crossed they can sort it

The cabin crew will ask people sitting nearby quietly and without a fuss. I never mind moving, my dh and I have moved twice for parents to be with their dc's..
Cabin crew are always really grateful for your help and we've had a free coffee and cake as a thank you.

Even though the seats are on different rows? We’ve got row 1, 10, 18 and 37. So far apart. Just want 2x 2’s. Anywhere! Window middle aisle, I don’t care!

They won't allow young children so far from a parent for safety reasons. I have to fly with a companion for medical reasons and before now the staff have forced other passengers to move and arranged them to be refunded their seat selection fee.

So I would be pretty confident each child will be moved either to your row or and adjoining row. And by the time they do that they will likely stick them next to you.

That’s very reassuring thank you.

But if everyone else on the plane has paid for their chosen seats, why should they now have to give those up because of your disorganisation, and entitlement at expecting others to now move for you?

Firstly everyone else won't have paid, secondly the airline aren't allowed to let them sit separately, so they shouldn't have let such a situation arise, therefore it's their problem to resolve.

Do you have a 3 y/o of your own?

Little kids can be very cute when they're not yours but are you honestly saying you'd be happy to deal with someone else's random 3 y/o kid for an entire flight?

@AlwaysPrettyOnTheInside

Entitlement? Wow.

I’ve been very clear on this post that I’m very stressed, very annoyed with myself, have 2/3 jobs and lots of other things I am juggling. I’ve been very clear no judgment or unpleasant comments. you don’t know me or what else is going on for me. Your post is not ok. Feel free to look for another thread for those comments. This is not that thread, as demonstrated by the other kind, understanding and helpful people on here.

I’m sorry if anything I have written come across as entitled. I am not entitled. I’ve been very clear I’ll sit anywhere. I just want my very young children to be near 1 of us. Not surrounded by strangers.

Thank you @Lostearring

@AlwaysPrettyOnTheInside The airline can refund the fee. Better that than the evacuation of an entire plane being delayed in an emergency because a parent is trying to fight their way back up the aisle to an unaccompanied three year old because you shouldn't inconveniences Bill and Janet with a move and seat refund. The OP made a mistake and has no problem with paying, there just isn't an option for her to.

I’m very stressed, very annoyed with myself, have 2/3 jobs and lots of other things I am juggling. I’ve been very clear no judgment or unpleasant comments. you don’t know me or what else is going on for me.

So are many other people. They shouldn't have their holiday disrupted because of other people's disorganisation.

I specifically choose and book my seats based on where I want to sit, as do most others. I wouldn't move so peopletgat havent prebooked/chosen can sit together, but then I always pay for the extra legroom/hand luggage so I would expect never to be asked.

@SairAngela Don’t hate yourself. We all get overwhelmed and mess up sometimes.

I’d be shocked if someone wouldn’t switch with you since you have good seats to exchange.

Also I hate what airlines have become. All of these extra charges on top of the already high cost of flying.