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Original poster

Got a 5 yr old and a 6 yr old - do EasyJet even try to seat a parent with a child?

40 replies

Snowstorm · 14/04/2009 11:10

DH's looking into flights for our summer holidays and the EasyJet flights are the cheapest option BUT they only allow pre-boarding for under 5 year olds apparently and then presumably it's a scrabble for everyone else.

Got an immature 5 year old and desperately shy 6 year old and neither are used to flying. Although I don't need the 4 of us to sit together, it would just be awful if each DD couldn't sit next to a parent each.

I don't have any experience with EasyJet - do any of you, from this point of view?

TIA?

OP posts:
ruddynorah · 14/04/2009 11:12

don't know about easyjet but with ryanair you just have to run on. no point even doing priority boarding cos you can just run right past them. so what you do... one parent runs on ahead..literaly. while the other one brings the kids on.

LIZS · 14/04/2009 11:14

You aren't allocated seats even for preboarding iirc. Even when we were eligible it was a scrum. If you don't get seats togeher get one of the kids to say they feel sick, usually the person they would otherwise be next to will move !

Gorionine · 14/04/2009 11:21

I have often travelled with EASY JET with the DCs (not in the last year though). They always get parents with children to board first which gives you a chance to choose enough places to sit with your Dcs. If you are late boarding, they do sometime go the extra mile to try and accomodate you , even asking other passengers to move (only if sais passenger agrees though, they do not force them out of their place). If the plane is really full and like us yu have a "large" family, sometimes trhey split you in two 1 aduts/dcs groups but the children are never on their own on one end of the plane while you and DH are at the other end (although one can wish, just sometimes...!)

GooseyLoosey · 14/04/2009 11:24

Would second ruddynorah's advice. Would also pretend that the 5 yr old was under 5 and stand up for the priority boarding.

Original poster
Snowstorm · 14/04/2009 11:29

God, it sounds like sheer hell - survival of the fittest and all that !!!

OP posts:
LostGirl · 14/04/2009 11:31

I travel regularly with my two on Easyjet, and priority boarding is normally marked on your ticket. You can purchase 'speedy boarding' which means you board first, before even priority boarders, last time we flew I think it was an extra tenner per person. Otherwise boarding is done based on what time you checked in, so if you checked in as soon as it opened then you would be in group A and boarded first after speedy and priority. If you check in at the last minute then you will be boarded last.

Latchley · 14/04/2009 16:02

If you check in online you will be put in group A which will make it possible for you to get on the plane early enough to sit together. BUT you can only do this if you have hand baggage only, which may be tricky if you are travelling with young children.

smee · 14/04/2009 16:09

Just check in early, then make sure you're at the gate early too. as soon as they call get in the queue. We've never had a problem, used them a fair few times too.

lucysmum · 14/04/2009 16:12

pay for speedy boarding to be sure - even if you get in the next group (special assistance) you could have problems in my experience.

piscesmoon · 14/04/2009 16:25

I don't see why you should pay extra to have a common sense seat. I would have thought that at that age they would swap people. No one is going to want to sit next to a shy DC who is likely to cry or a DC who can't sit still and has no parent to sort him out. If all fails I would give the person who won't move a sick bag and tell them to have it ready as the DC will most probably be sick!
It is blackmail to force extra payment out of someone who should be next to their DC in case of emergency.

Original poster
Snowstorm · 14/04/2009 16:30

Thanks for all the tips ladies - very much appreciate them, as all I know of EasyJet is what I've seen from that television series [schock]!

DH said that he'd understood that speedy boarding and getting there hours before etc. were all negated if you had to take buses out to the plane, in which case it was 'each man for himself'.

Think I might have a few sleepless nights nearer the time! I think that if my children got separated from us on the plane then it'd be pretty traumatic all round - IMO 6 is still too young for a child to sit on their own - my 6 year would be fairly traumatised by it I think, particularly as she's pretty wary of strangers and tends to have big problems with her ears on descent (well, both times we've flown, so I'm expecting it this time round too) - I reckon it should be about 8 at the earliest.

Ah well, what's a holiday without something to worry about heh!

OP posts:
Original poster
Snowstorm · 14/04/2009 16:32

Ha!Ha! I can't spell shock!!!

OP posts:
smee · 14/04/2009 16:45

Don't worry - nobody will make you sit apart - 6 is too young and you'll easily sort it. People are mostly nice you know. Another tip though - one of you handle the kids, the other adult charge ahead and grab the seats, elbows sharpened...

SoupDragon · 14/04/2009 16:56

Simply tell your children that they are to scream & cry very loudly should you end up seated apart. I suspect they'll sort it out pretty rapidly.

smee · 14/04/2009 17:01

Oh stop soup. Poor snow sounds stressed to the gills about it already. It'll be fine. Trust in humanity and run fast snow..

SoupDragon · 14/04/2009 17:01

Eh?

Original poster
Snowstorm · 14/04/2009 17:05

It would be certainly be the first time I'll have ever encouraged the DD's TO cry - ha!ha! Can imagine stage whispers to them saying "Cry, cry NOW" ... DD1 would look confused ... DD2 would say "WHY DO YOU WANT ME TO PRETEND TO CRY MUMMY?" in a shout.

Okay, so EasyJet tips:

  1. Get there/check-in early.
  2. Don't smile at anyone, EVERYONE is potential competition.
  3. Choose fastest/least polite adult with the pointiest elbows to be the runner.
  4. Runner's not to stop for invalids or small children, must just go for it.
  5. Brief children that they are to be traumatised if I give them a certain cue, if runner turns out to be rubbish at his/her quest.
  6. Cross fingers and go for it.
OP posts:
skramble · 15/04/2009 10:39

Just don't be polite, do you imagine a french or italian mum having this debate, no they will just barge to the front and get on with it, so make like a european parent and take no prisoners .

No but seriously I was flying once a month their with Easy jet and boarded with group A (online check in) would be easy to get seats together. Even if you have bags to check in do as others have said arrive early, find the gate early is possible and just make your way to the front with your children, there are so many lone travelers and grown adults that think they have to board before anyone else. Just say scusa and head on through.

Honneybunny · 15/04/2009 11:21

Skramble... European parents???

Honneybunny · 15/04/2009 11:24

Last time they treatened (on Ryanair) to separate ds2 (then 2) and me, I just handed the nappies plus wipes to one of the people who refused to move, with the words "surely you don't mind changing him then.."

TangoFango · 15/04/2009 11:28

I'd stand in the departure lounge and shout "Greggs sausage rolls and fruit shoots" if you get odd looks from parents standing with small children, you'll know they'll be a MNer and stand clear. Do not get in their way, they are on a mission.

HSMM · 15/04/2009 11:36

If you are not sure which of you is the fastest, you could try what me and DH do. We both run and try and get at least 2 seats. DD (age 9) then tries to find us and hopefully sits with one, if not both of us. Alternatively DH carries her and swings her around, so she kicks anyone who gets in the way. (No! Seriously .... we have been lucky so far, but I know people who haven't)

TangoFango · 15/04/2009 11:57

so she kicks anyone who gets in the way

are you serious?

Cies · 15/04/2009 12:03

I think you just have to trust in humanity.

Fwiw I've travelled many times on my own and as a couple and have always offered to change my seat if I see a family about to be split up. I can cope for a two hour flight not sitting next to my dp, but I understand that parents need to be next to their children.

In my experience the air hostesses will ask passengers to move as well, so the onus won't be on you.

titchy · 15/04/2009 12:16

Gosh reading all this makes me think we have been very lucky with Easyjet. Have flown with them 3 times with dcs. Each time the person at teh gate has just said right you've got kids you go first, and not let anyone else board until all those with children have got on the plane.

Haven't flown for a couple of years though, and will be this summer, so will make sure elbows have been sharpened.