Jet2 last minute booking, no seats with child, any experience?

[Qwerty93]

Just looking at booking a last minute holiday… with Jet2 to Ibiza on Saturday.

and got through to the select seats bit, and there are no seats available for me and my daughter to be next to each other… which is expected I guess, it’s last minute. But what happens now.

I phoned up jet 2 and they said at airport they will move people who have already checked in, and received free seats next to each other.

does anyone have any experience in this?

I flew with Jet2 a couple of years ago - my youngest DD was 13.
I must have had seats booked online (sorry can't recall but I would usually do this but this was a fairly last minute booking) but I do remember at check in they rearranged things so DD & I sat next to each other as they wouldnt have a "child" sitting without a parent.

So I think you will be fine.

It will pay to be early to check in if you are worried, as they will have more wiggle room then.

have a lovely time in Ibiza!

We had this with a 3 year many, many years ago before you could reserve seats. We just made it to check in due to traffic hold ups, bloody Manchester airport can be a nightmare from where we live, and we allowed ourselves plenty of time 🤦‍♀️

We checked in and was told that once on the flight the cabin crew would sort it out for us. Our daughter sat next to a young couple for take off, she was used to travelling so we weren’t too concerned. As soon as it was safe they made the announcement explaining the situation. The couple who were sat with our 3 year old immediately put their arms up to volunteer to move, bless them 🤣

Just be aware that its absoolutely fine and legal for your child to be across the aisle from you, as well as in front or behind.
You don't have to be sat directly next to your child

How old is your child?

It does piss me off though being asked to move. I do it but Im not happy about it!

It’s a risk so depends if it’s worth it to you. They won’t be obliged to seat you right next to each other so it’s only if you’re lucky and it works out.

If you are not seated near enough to your kid, make sure you visit their seat before take off, and explain very clearly and loudly where the sick bag is and how to use it. You’d be surprised at how fast people will then volunteer to move for you! 🤮

How old?

I was asked on my last Jet 2 flight if I would move to a seat almost at the back of the plane because a family had got on wanted/needed to sit together but not paid for any specific seats. They were saying that the check in team said once on board people would move!!

I actually refused and said I had paid for my seat and Jet 2 said I would get it back but would need to write in and claim the cost back.

All this sick bag nonsense makes me very annoyed. If you are going on Saturday then presumably you know there will be a risk you aren’t sitting together and took the chance?

Yes, had the same situation with Jet2 & it was all sorted at the airport without any issues.

Happy holidays!

I hate this whole selecting seats and families not being together. The last holiday we went to was to Australia and there were 3 flights there and 3 flights back and to choose and pay for seats for all of us was about £1000. We just couldn’t afford it so risked it and luckily we got together. Wish it was automatic to be seated next to the people you booked with. The airline are ripping us off. It really makes me so anxious I hate flying now it seems so much more complicated than it ever used to be.

Presumably you flew flagship airlines to Australia - they all still allocate seats together the vast majority of the time. Thankfully, it’s only a handful of the low cost airlines who do random seat assignments.

easyJet allocates seats together to a group, starting with the row directly behind the emergency exit seats. I always have a look at the seat map and if there are some together in that section, I know they will be allocated that way - once check-in opens, of course. Which is 30 days in advance, so just make sure you do it as early as possible.

Same with jet2 and I believe, Vueling. Haven’t flown WizzAir in a group in ages, but their costs are fairly reasonable for choosing seats in advance.

We were on a jet 2 flight last year that was stuck on the tarmac for 30 minutes as no one would move for a dad with his two kids who were sitting separately. The crew eventually found a single person and basically forced them to move which was a shame. He sat next to one child and the other was a row in front. Everyone else was also sitting with family, so no one wanted to move. Personally I’d never risk it. The whole plane was groaning at them.

If someone has paid for a seat & is made to move, I think they should be compensated on the spot, whether that’s by the airline or by the people making them move. It’s only fair.

Agreed. And no one should have to move unless they agree.

Someone always trots out this nonsense. In reality, no one has any responsibility to any child seated near them. Headphones in, and ignore. Mine would already be in, so I wouldn’t hear any of your performative nonsense.

Just pay for a seat like everyone else.

Yes. And most people would be more inclined to move if they were going to get a better seat - from middle near the toilet to aisle or window near the front, for instance.

We booked last minute with Jet2 a couple of years ago. Got allocated random seats
on checking in (kids in window seats behind us). When we got to the airport and checked our bags in they printed us boarding cards with new seat allocations, we’d been moved to a row of three and then one on their own. I loved my flight home as the kids wanted to sit with DH and I was at the other end of the plane!

It’s never a better seat though 😂. They always want your aisle seat for their middle seat at the back - the seats no one paying, wanted

As difficult as it is, it’s not your fellow passengers fault you booked late. I wouldn’t be moving from an aisle or window seat to a middle seat but would be fine if travelling alone to move seats like for like.

Of course!

I'm flying in September with family. We're seated together but they're couples and I'm not so I won't be moving for anyone.

Or just accept that for a couple of hours you won’t be sitting next to your kid.

I’ve had a situation where despite booking early, and despite there supposedly being a free seat choice when you are a disabled passenger, we were unable to book seats. My daughter has no choice but to sit in an aisle seat because of her disability. We had our seats allocated at the airport and frankly, if someone had to move from a middle to an aisle to accommodate her, I couldn’t give a toss. The issue is with the airline, not with us. We’ve also had a situation where she was seated at the rear of the plane but where there was no on board chair to help her get to her seat. Seats were re-arranged so likely someone was moved from the front to further back. Again, not my problem, what am I supposed to do in that scenario?