Tui seat allocation

[Caffeinequeen91]

It would cost £160 to reserve basic seats together for the return flight. I don’t mind if our family is split up. I don’t even mind the older two children sitting in a row in front or behind one of us parents as I understand this is counted as putting a child ‘beside’ an adult. But would they really put a 3 year old in this situation? Or more like would they put other passengers in the situation of sitting beside a just 3 year old with the parent in another row? This child absolutely would not sit down with a belt on without a parent next to them. Realistically does the airline system try to put small children next to an adult or does the system punish you for not paying?

They can place the 3 year old in front, behind or across the aisle from one of the other passengers.

If your 3 year old cannot sit down with a belt on for take off/landing then you need to book a seat next to them. And it’s not up to others who have paid for a seat to move for you.

How many of you? You can choose who of your party sits where within your allocation so likely there would be at least one pair together.

Yea they would make the 3 year old sit away from the parents; they put my friends 3 year old across the isle from her - which wasn't bad but she was sat next to strangers in the middle section.

Could you just book seats for the 3 year old and 1 parent instead of all of you?

TUI will try to sit you together as a party. However, if other people have booked the seats to sit next to each other (and as it sounds like you've booked a flight in the school holidays to a popular family destination) it could be that there is no-one willing or able to switch seats with you. In that case your options are to take the separate seats, or deplane. It's not about punishing anyone. But a busy flight, likely full of kids might not have any other options. Children as young as yours have been made to sit apart from parents before. Very rare, but it happens.

This is what the CAA have to say on seating families together. I notice the use of the word should over the word must, and the fact that this is just guidance. They also don't define a child in terms of age. If sitting next to my young children was important to me, I'd book a seat accordingly. People on threads like these confidently assert that airlines must legally seat a child with a parent. That is not true.

The seating of children close by their parents or guardians should be the aim of airline seat allocation procedures for family groups and large parties of children.

Young children and infants who are accompanied by adults should ideally be seated in the same seat row as the adult. Where this is not possible, children should be separated by no more than one seat row from accompanying adults. This is because the speed of an emergency evacuation may be affected by adults trying to reach their children.

Whenever a number of infants and children are travelling together the airline should make every effort to ensure that they can be readily supervised by the responsible accompanying adults.

FwIW... my children are now 10&12 and TUI have always given us seats directly together. Including on flights we've booked a day or so before.

On another airline, I've been across the aisle from them, when they were 4&6. It wasn't that much different really!

Theoretically they can split you. The chances of it happening... well depends on how many people prebook, how soon you check in and how many children on the flight.

I just log on when they are released, we normally get them next to each other, occasionally across the aisle

Travelled with TUI a number of times, and never booked specific seats (always travelled as part of a package holiday), and our group has always been sat together. Last time, there were 7 of us, so two rows of three and one person on their own, but on the row diagonally opposite.
None of us were minors, however.

When you check in online you can see what seats you have been allocated and if you don't like them you can pay to choose then. I've always been lucky and we have been seated together without paying.

The only way to guarantee your seats is to pay. Just like everyone else.

Please remember this is not just about the safety and well-being of your 3 year old but also think about what you'd be inflicting on the poor people that have to sit beside your child.

@toastofthetown by asking about punishing I was meaning will the system seat us together if it’s possible or punish us by splitting us even though there were seats together. I’m keeping an eye on availability! If there are plenty of sets of two will the system give me those or will it split us on purpose?

@LIZS @ChangedUserName13 yes I could pay for two seats to make sure the 3 year old is next to me. Say the other seats around these chosen ones get booked up but there is then a 5 group available when I check in online can I move us all to that? Not sure!

@DinnaeFashYersel i feel that the airline is inflicting it rather than me! Even Ryanair have a fairer and cheaper system for allocating seats for children!

Of course you can feel what you feel but the other passengers will blame you and it still leaves your 3 year old on their own.

I've been in the situation where cabin crew asked me to move to accommodate a mum and a very small child who were seated in aisle seats. The child was hysterical. I had paid for my preferred seat but at the time felt obliged to move but I wouldn't do so again

@haribosarebest across the aisle would be fine. If the 3 year old can see me they’ll be fine. It’s row behind that would be tricky and unreasonable for everyone.

From some posts it sounds like the TUI system will seat us together if there are groups of seats together so I’ll keep watching the availability and decide nearer the time.

Say the other seats around these chosen ones get booked up but there is then a 5 group available when I check in online can I move us all to that? Not sure! probably but more likely it will be odd ones dotted around left. Not sure if you can just prebook for 2 out of 5 though.

You will need to bear in mind if you're not going to pre book seats that what's available closer to the time could easily change simply by the person checking in before you in the queue being assigned seats that previously looked available.