Not selecting seats on plane... risky?

[Worriedmotheroftwo]

Flying with Wizzair. 2 parents 2 children. Not selected seats. Selecting seats for all 4 of us would cost us £80 total. Their policy is to seat a parents with a child...

We will obviously try to check in and get seats sorted at first opportunity. Happy to be split up as long as each of our children is with one of us. But what if the plane is full of people who have booked seats though and there's not 2 pairs of seats available for us? Would we not get to go on the flight?

On one hand, £80 is a lot of extra money. On the other hand, I don't want us to not get on the flight at all!

We haven't travelled much with children so not sure how risky this is. Would welcome opinions. Many thanks!

Well, thats why you dont leave to chance where your kids are sat......

For all i know, the kid could sneak my booze if i went to the toilet lol

Santa, swearing would both work

Even the aisle next to the bogs? I aim to be within five rows of the exit, avoiding the very front.

Rather presumptuous?
How does anyone know if it’s allocated or chosen?

In Ops position I wouldn’t expect a chosen seat to be asked to move. Plenty of people don’t pay extra and no single travellers choose the middle seat.

We’ve travelled Ryanair a few times as a family of 4 and while not the best we have never had an issue being seated together.

No they don't more fun to force people to move seats who have paid OP will the be the person moaning at others because she's a tight ass

While I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that airlines can get away with charging for seats.
You have to do it, I wouldn’t trust them to seat you next to your children.
Needing to sit with your children is the stage of life you are at right now, so you kinda need to suck it up.
When we flew last year, we paid extra to sit at the front and have a bassinet for our one year old, you just have to budget it in sometimes.

We have travelled fairly extensively as a young family and rarely pay to book seats, I do however keep an eye on the seating plan and on the occasions the flight has looked very busy I have paid. I also check in at the start of the check in window. We have always been sat together, reading this thread though it sounds like we may have been lucky!

We’re flying long haul this year and I was shocked to find it’s now a requirement to pay extra to book seats together on that flight too. Almost £4K for flights is pretty steep to be charged extra IMO!

As a very very nervous flyer I always pay for seats to ensure I am beside the window with DH next to me. Hell would freeze over before I moved for a person who had not paid, even a child (mind you not the kids fault they have tight stupid parents I guess).

Not flown RyanAir have you?

@Worriedmotheroftwo but you mentioned his ‘autistic needs’ when detailing why you want to sit together. It’s perfectly understandable that you want one parent to sit with each child, they are very young and one has additional needs. It has been pointed out to you that ‘seated together’ may be at a distance where it would be difficult for you to attend to your child. I really think you should give more consideration to the other people on the aircraft would it be fair to them to be sat next to your autistic son if he becomes distressed or your daughter for that matter?
You have chosen to fly with a low cost carrier, everything is extra. That having been said I usually fly BA and our long haul BC flight in a couple of months is costing us £500.00 return for the two of us in seat selection fees alone. £80.00 is cheap as chips for seat selection and you have very good reason to pay it.

I’m not sure about Wizz air but most airlines have special assistance, as part of that you can sometimes be assigned seats for free as a reasonable adjustment if you have a disability so your autistic child may qualify for that as any disability potentially affecting communication during an emergency is usually covered. May be worth a call to check wizz air policy.

Depends if you are bothered about being separated, we aren't so never pay for seats

I believe that - I've witnessed too many weird seating arrangements recently for it to be a coincidence. It's a new policy though AFAIK.

I totally agree with this! My friend and I paid for ourselves and and our two teenage daughters to sit together but unfortunately a selfish couple with their 4 year old child who hadn’t bothered to pay were separated. They kicked up such a fuss that we moved so they could be together as we looked really mean if we didn’t. It made me so mad as we lost out and they got our seats for free. The mum was up the front and the dad was separated from his kid by the isle so still technically next to him but we still moved as they insisted on being together by shouting loudly until they got there way! Still gives me the rage thinking about it!

I wouldn't do any of that for real, but I like to watch thriller or horror movies on planes (plan in advance) and I wouldn't not do so because your young kid was next to me and the images might be scary. I figure if it's an option to watch, it's fair game.

Not necessarily together, though.
Indeed, airlines regularly overbook flights, hence being asked to take later flights/refunds etc sometimes.
So, yes, if folk want to be together, they have tp pay extra. Tough, that's market forces. It makes me laugh that folk wil pay ££££s for the holiday, then skimp in tickets. Most annoying, then they start asking other folk to play musical chairs so the children aren't sat 10 rows away.

We went on a package deal to Lapland when the kids were small. Two families, four children. We usually book our holidays separately and I always book and pay for seats as I hate flying and also want to be next to my DC.

On both flights, to and from, Lapland, all eight of us were sat separately. It was awful. My youngest was sat two rows behind me, between another family. The whole seating was chaotic. Never again. I want to sit next to my family. Travelling is part of the holiday and so I want to be able to chat to them on the way. Always pay. What’s your back up plan if you’re not sat directly next to your DC, Op?

I don’t understand why some parents think it’s other people’s responsibility to move for them. Beggars belief. No one on that flight will be thinking ‘what cute kids. i’ll move for them.’

It is, given that seat allocation is randomly generated. I don't see a leprechaun sitting in an office chuckling over the seating plan, deciding whichh family can be placed furthest apart

Absolutely the same. No way in hell I would move when I’ve paid for my own seat.

FFS! Pay for your seats - it's part of the cost of your holiday.

If you can afford flights, hotels, meals, days out for 4 people, you can afford £80.

And this is fair on other passengers how?

Not a chance. We once accidentally missed the seat screen for one flight and ended up aisle, aisle, middle and then one further down the plane. (Luckily another passenger offered to swap but we didn't ask)

I've also been asked to swap and refused, I've seen someone agree to swap then change their minds when they saw their seat mates and go back to their original seat and I've seen pretty of terrible behaviour on flights that made me pleased that our kids were safe sat in with us.

I think you should spend the £80.

It would be unlawful for such a charge to be made if it were me making the laws though.