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Original poster

How crappy is this for an Airline scam!

39 replies

nigglewiggle · 21/05/2010 22:50

Just checked in online for our flight and they have shown where our seats are and we are all scattered around the plane. DD1 (4) and DD2 (2) are sitting on their own! They want £16 per person for us to sit together. This is blackmail!

The funny thing is our 2 year old is gorgeous but a total handful, so if they want to see her tear up the plane good luck to them. I am so angry about this, I might just let it happen. She would have a ball.

OP posts:
zandy · 21/05/2010 22:51

Would be interesting to know what would happen if you didn't take them up on their fine offer of paying them money.

Doodleydoo · 21/05/2010 22:53

I say go for it! Really irritates me, you book a flight and expect to pay x but end up paying y! most frustrating - give us a small hint as to who it is? It is daft not to put a family together, I flew with an airline that told me if I wanted to sit with my dh we had to upgrade ourselves to business on a 9 hour flight!

Our of principal I wouldn't pay!

Original poster
nigglewiggle · 21/05/2010 22:54

I'm not paying. I won't be blackmailed. If we can pay them to sit together then we CAN sit together. I will call their bluff if necessary (well right until the last minute).

OP posts:
Original poster
nigglewiggle · 21/05/2010 22:56

No hints - It's Jet2.

Scamming Blackmailing Bstrds.

OP posts:
Doodleydoo · 21/05/2010 22:58

Well I now know who to avoid! I am still shocked that they have the nerve to ask for another £64 to sit together - definitely hold out! Do they charge you to go to the loo too?

BertieBotts · 21/05/2010 23:00

Are you going with your husband/partner? Can you not split up and sit one with each child? I suppose that's not the issue though really

BertieBotts · 21/05/2010 23:02

Oh, sorry, I see I misread the OP - how annoying of them

Original poster
nigglewiggle · 21/05/2010 23:03

I don't mind not sitting with my DH , but to suggest that such young children will be sitting on their own is just ridiculous!

OP posts:
TheNextMrsDepp · 21/05/2010 23:04

Just check in at the airport if you can, and you can choose your seats for free.
We had a nightmare flight once with a certain Irish budget airline where we were late onto the plane (our fault, admittedly) and ended up scattered all about the plane. DH was stuck at the front with dd2 (who was a baby), ds and dd1 (5 and 3 at the time) were sat together, and I was about 8 rows in front of them on my own. I spent the whole flight sitting on the floor next to them; at one point I couldn't get to them because of the tea trolley, and the lady sitting next to them had to take dd1 to the loo. They spilt food everywhere and I had to rely on complete strangers to make sure they kept their belts on for landing etc.
What was extraordinary is that no-one thought to help us out, no-one offered to swap seats and the crew couldn't have cared less. Heaven knows what would have happened in an emergency. IMO it was unsafe to expect two young kids to sit without parental supervision.
I guess I never made a fuss because it was our fault we were late onto the flight, but in your case you should stand your ground and INSIST that your family are seated together; it's not a preference it's a necessity! Good luck.

Original poster
nigglewiggle · 21/05/2010 23:11

Thank you. You've worried me now though. I really thought they ultimately wouldn't sit the DC on their own.

OP posts:
TheNextMrsDepp · 21/05/2010 23:15

Well, as you say, you could try to call their bluff. I guess my two were fairly well behaved on that occasion, but I have to say, if they had kicked off (i,e, run up and down the aisle during take-off) the crew might have woken up and done something.
The "Irish Airline" don't allocate seats so they expect a free-for-all. We don't fly with them any more if we can help it.....

Original poster
nigglewiggle · 21/05/2010 23:21

Well my 2 year old is only just 2 and so I would be truly appalled if they said she should sit on her own. I think I would go to the press TBH.

The annoying thing is that seats together are obviously still available, but they are demanding money for us to have them.

We have already paid extra for the privilege of printing out our own boarding cards and about £50 for paying for the flights on a credit card.

OP posts:
TheNextMrsDepp · 22/05/2010 00:07

Can you phone them up and have a rant down the phone at someone? Might make you feel better, and they might capitulate. But otherwise I would be soooo tempted to call their bluff, just say "here's my 2-year-old, she's all yours, see you when we disembark". I think you'd get a result, I really do. I do not think they should be allowed to seat minors away from their parents and am amazed they haven't got this as a company policy. Don't pay - fight!!!!

booyhoo · 22/05/2010 00:11

emm, not exactly blackmail, or even close tbh.

agree with you that it is wrong though.

pinkmagic1 · 22/05/2010 00:15

They can't expect a 2 year old to sit alone and this is so obviously just a moneymaking scam. Just go to the airport and check in as normal. I would be truly shocked if they don't seat them next to one of you.

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 22/05/2010 00:17

IIRC CAA regulations are that young children must be sat with a parent for health and safety reasons (so that in an evacuation situation the parent isn't trying to run the wrong way down the aisle to retrieve the child). So they'd be in breach of regulations if they don't seat you together.

mumoverseas · 22/05/2010 11:58

Totally agree with ProfessorL. They legally have to sit the DC with either you or your DH. I agree it is bloody ridiculous to charge but a lot of airlines are blackmailing people in this way now.
Hope you manage to get it sorted.

ilovemydogandMrObama · 22/05/2010 12:08

Hmm. I had a similar situation, but the more I thought about DD (3) sitting elsewhere, the more the idea appealed... . In the end though, they moved DD so she sat with me and DS without incident. Oh well.

mumoverseas · 22/05/2010 12:53

was worth a try though wasn't it
I'd kill to have our normal 7 (ish) our flight sat on my own. I could watch a film, read the duty free brochure, buy some duty free, drink wine (assuming not a saudir flight) oh happy days

Rosa · 22/05/2010 12:56

I diddn't think it was actually law ( but I hope it is ) as this has been a huge whinge of mine for years. I asked the First Choice chap why they charged when he came on MN - he never answered.
I thought that airlines were asked to 'try'. However I would just go for them with the safety angle - If the exit is at row 11 and you are in row 9 and the dcs in row 7 - you will be blocking the people aiming to get for the exit as there is no way you would 'rely' on strangers or the crew to help undo seat belts etc.
I feel so strongly about this I wish I could do more. They should seat 1dc with 1 adult or whatever until children are 'confident capable flyers ' in some cases round 10 ish in others 12 ( for those who are not regular plane travellers).
I bet any airline of the low cost or holiday comps who guaranteed that parents would be seated with children would have a rise in bookings........

mumoverseas · 23/05/2010 08:02

Rosa I think you will find it is the law, certainly under CAA regulations. There was a thread about this a few months ago (not got time to go through and find) but several people who worked for airlines confirmed it was the case that children under a certain age MUST sit with a parent. What happens if there is an emergency and oxygen masks drops down etc. Who is responsible for a child who has been sat away from their parents?
someone on the other thread helpfully quoted the exact CAA rules and I will have a look later as useful to quote at check in if the staff try the 'you can't sit together nonsense'.

lal123 · 23/05/2010 08:13

Last time I travelled with my 2 DDs (6 and 6 s months) I couldn't get seats together when I was checking in. I just mentioned it to the woman when dropping off bags and she moved us together - no problem at all

StewieGriffinsMom · 23/05/2010 08:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

BouncingTurtle · 23/05/2010 08:45

A couple of years ago I was on an Easyjet flight and a family with 2 children were last to board the plane.
The flight attendants asked for volunteers to swap seats so they could sit together. If non-one was willing to do so, then the flight attendents made it pretty clear that they would make someone move, or the plan wouldn't be going! Luckily we didn't have a plane full of selfish twats and a few people volunteered.

thegrowlygus · 23/05/2010 08:52

My brother had the same on a flight from Australia to the UK with 2 little ones (BA this time). They said they could have 2 seats together and 2 separate ones. The girls were about 3 and 6. So my brother very calmly said - "of course that's absolutely fine - now - do you want the girls sat separately or my wife and I sat separately and the the girls together? It really is up to you - we don't mind at all!" at which point the very helpful lady moved them all together.

Admittedly they weren't trying to get them to pay extra to sit together. That is outrageous - like you say they must have the seats if the could move you...