[Travel] Should you give up your pre booked seat on an aircraft so families can sit together?

[Littlemo]

Talk of being idle is just unfair, airlines deliberately make it both expensive and tricky to manage these things now.

I don’t have kids but recent flight bookings have been expensive enough just booking a certain seat for myself, nevermind a family.

I would usually let a family sit together unless I had a reason not to, such as if I’d paid for extra leg room or yes, if they were just being unpleasant or especially entitled about it. It doesn’t hurt to be kind.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Definitely a case of exceptional circumstances and airlines should be sorting this out, which it seems they did..after a fashion. Although having been in the travel industry I am 99% certain you could have booked seats on booking if you’d agreed to pay for them. I accept that the costs on a QF flight to Australia to do this are eye watering, up to £100 per person per direction

But this does raise a good point. If you do not pay for seat reservation why should a family then be allowed to choose seats for free? It's unfair on other passengers. Easyjet allow families to board first (and for free) alongside people who have paid for this priority. I think this is unfair as well. Why should having children allow you to board early? What's the issue if they join the queue behind Speedy Boarders?

 

[Icy Gull]

But this does raise a good point. If you do not pay for seat reservation why should a family then be allowed to choose seats for free? It's unfair on other passengers. Easyjet allow families to board first (and for free) alongside people who have paid for this priority. I think this is unfair as well. Why should having children allow you to board early? What's the issue if they join the queue behind Speedy Boarders?

Don‘t Easyjet pre allocate unpaid seats on check in though so how is it unfair to let families with children board first, makes sense to me, they already have a pre allocated seat…..until they decide to ask you to move so they can get better ones

I do take your point that it should be after paid for speedy boarders though

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Don‘t Easyjet pre allocate unpaid seats on check in though so how is it unfair to let families with children board first, makes sense to me, they already have a pre allocated seat…..until they decide to ask you to move so they can get better ones

I do take your point that it should be after paid for speedy boarders though

Yes, all seats are pre-allocated. There are benefits to being allowed to board first in that you dont have an issue with the overhead compartments being full and you can stoll onto the plane and relax in your seat whilst everyone else is queuing and stressing. Families get this for free, others have to pay. It's unfair and I can see no good reason.

 

[beorhthelm]

But this does raise a good point. If you do not pay for seat reservation why should a family then be allowed to choose seats for free? It's unfair on other passengers.

this is the whole point of the thread isn't it? i'm surprised how many would give up thier paid seat, presumably unconcious that this is why some wont bother to pay that extra. i believe the regulator stepped in a while ago about children and adult supervision, so the airline must put a child with a parent. no good reason why whole family should expect to sit together unless they've paid for that like everyone else has to.

 

[Deleted member 37369]

Why didn't you just swap with her aisle seat?

I was with my wife ... we'd paid to sit next to each other ... 9 months before the flight!!!

 

[Icy Gull]

this is the whole point of the thread isn't it? i'm surprised how many would give up thier paid seat, presumably unconcious that this is why some wont bother to pay that extra. i believe the regulator stepped in a while ago about children and adult supervision, so the airline must put a child with a parent. no good reason why whole family should expect to sit together unless they've paid for that like everyone else has to.

Quite, I am with you 100%

What next, give up my sea view suite because their booked room is too small and they don’t like the garden view and want a sea view

 

[Zeberdi]

It's called school holidays Nick.

Why anyone without kids would want to take holidays in the school holidays is way beyond my understanding.

Often there is not an option unless single people or people without kids celebrate Christmas, New Years, Easter and Thanksgiving (and weddings, funerals and birthdays) at a different time to everyone who has kids

TBH I would be happy to offer my seat to anyone who needs to swap provided it is not for a middle seat - or next to a very large person or a drunk one, since a/ I need all of my allocated space due to painful health condition and b/ my worst nightmare would be to be stuck on a long haul sitting next to a boring drunk determined to strike up stuttering one-sided conversations instead of letting me read my book.

 

[Icy Gull]

Often there is not an option unless single people or people without kids celebrate Christmas, New Years, Easter and Thanksgiving (and weddings, funerals and birthdays) at a different time to everyone who has kids

TBH I would be happy to offer my seat to anyone who needs to swap provided it is not for a middle seat - or next to a very large person or a drunk one, since a/ I need all of my allocated space due to painful health condition and b/ my worst nightmare would be to be stuck on a long haul sitting next to a boring drunk determined to strike up stuttering one-sided conversations instead of letting me read my book.

I think you may have been unfortunate enough to sit next to me on a flight

My nightmare flight would be in the centre seat with Sting on one side and Bono on the other.

 

[Deleted member 37369]

Yes, all seats are pre-allocated. There are benefits to being allowed to board first in that you dont have an issue with the overhead compartments being full and you can stoll onto the plane and relax in your seat whilst everyone else is queuing and stressing. Families get this for free, others have to pay. It's unfair and I can see no good reason.

I agree On longer holidays where we have luggage in the hold, it's not a problem. But I now book/pay for upfront seating with easyJet when we're away for 3/4 days. That gives you a booked seat usually in the first 4/5 rows ... and you can take one of the larger suitcases to go in the overhead lockers as well as a smaller bag for under the seat in front. It's a bloody race to get bags in overheads near your seat!! And of course, people still want to put their smaller bags and coats etc in the overhead lockers no matter how many times the cabin crew tell them not to!

Last year I was on a flight and I saw that a couple of young girls had got on who were seated in front row and all the overhead space had already been taken. They had to put their bags in a space just behind where I was sat. When we landed and we'd been released from our seats ... I saw the girls forlornly looking back at where their bags were. I reached up and got theirs before I got mine ... handed them to a chap next to me and we passed them along to the grateful girls.

 

[Deleted member 37369]

It's called school holidays Nick.

Why anyone without kids would want to take holidays in the school holidays is way beyond my understanding.

Some people don't get to choose when they have their holidays! My son doesn't, for example! He's told what his holiday dates are!!

 

[Clive Walker]

Last year I was asked to switch seats (in reality the mother had put her child in my seat already) because she had been split up from her family. This meant I was 2 seats away from my wife and 2 boys. After 30 odd mins it transpired that she hadn't pre paid or reserved her seats unlike me ( 150quid) So I told her im switching back which I did. Her kids were absolute nobs too!

 

[Weststander]

Feel sorry for the flight attendants now other this situation

They get dogs abuse for asking people if they can move or get dogs abuse and if they don't ask people to move from the family asking, they can't win.

Some companies have instructed them to just stay out of it now

Only respect from me for them. For the drunk/abusive low lives they have to deal with.

 

[Deleted member 37369]

are you serious!? You'd let a five year old kid sit on their own just because their parents are dis-organised/inept!?

But this really doesn't happen. An airline won't put a young kid on their own away from their parents. If that did happen then crew would easily find accommodating passengers to swap. I've seen a number of situations where parents and say 3 kids have been split up by a number of rows (because they didn't want to pay for booked seats) ... but you'll get one parent with on kid and another with 2. That's fine.

 

[The Wizard]

If I’m flying alone and my seat means a father/mother could sit with their family then perhaps, but would depend on the circumstances and attitude of the individuals.

If I was travelling with someone else and it meant splitting up then no + if I’d pre paid for the seat then also no.

In the grand scheme of things it’s just stupid not to book seats if you’re a family, if you can afford to fly/holiday you can afford to spend a little more each to guarantee seats together, best thing to do is factor the cost of choosing seats into your flight/holiday choice that way at least mentally you don’t see it as extra cost.

 

[drew]

Haven't read the whole thread but generally, no. I agree with Guiness Boy that this never used to be necessary but it's now seen by airlines as a way of eeking out more money. I see it as the airline's problem as they know who has is on each booking and they should have a moral responsibility to ensure that kids are with at least one parent.

I would also question that if the cost of pre booking a seat is seen as unaffordable then probably the whole holiday is and they should be seeking a cheaper option.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Only once made that mistake. Was on a cheap as chips flight between Guangzhou and Sydney. Business class, window seat. A1. Suddenly there was a bit of a commotion. Being very very fussed over, what I can only assume was a majorly drop-dead-gorgeous Chinese pop princess with all trimmings plonked herself down next to me in the aisle seat. Result!

Or so I thought. Just before take-off, a hostie approaches me, humbly requesting I give up my seat to a Chinese mum and her adorable wee toddler. Which of course I did. Only to be punished by the God Of Aviation to be relocated next to an obese bearded Afrikaaner who for the next seven hours proceeded to snore like a pig and attempt to use my shoulder as an in-flight pillow. Sake! In normal circumstances I'd have demanded an upgrade to First Class except the airline in question didn't have First Class. Have heeded the wise words of the blessed Rick Astley ever since when it comes to airline seats. Never Gonna Give You Up...

 

[sparkie]

It depends if giving it up means getting an aisle or window seat.

Certainly not for a middle seat.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

It's called school holidays Nick.

Why anyone without kids would want to take holidays in the school holidays is way beyond my understanding.

Because they are teachers?

 

[Cotton Socks]

Theyre not legally allowed, its very simple.... all those saying "I'd dig my heels in and not move"... yeah you will! or you'll be offloded, it is an offence not to follow the orders of the aircrew under the air navigition order.....

Moving seats so families sit together isnt to be nice or preferential to families, its because kids cannot legally sit alone, and you will find many folks (no accusations here) who will for instance, book window and aisle of a row of 3 to try and get more room.

Nobody likes doing it, the cabin crew dont want the hassle nor the peed off passengers, but they simply have to get to get kids with adults legally and that trumps those without kids, even if they have booked a seat.

If you want to guarantee, that you will not be moved for a family, then book or pay additional for an emergency exit seat (often sold as extra leg room) on front row or overwings as kids re not legally allowed in those seats, so you cannot be moved.

How long has it been illegal to have kids at the front? I came back from Cyprus about 20 years ago & my eldest jnr (who was 5 at the time) & I were asked to move to the front to balance the plane (that worried me). They then sat a 9 year old next to us leaving her parents 3 rows back. I was really scared in case something happened with the plane & I'd have to look after someone elses jnr as well as my own. 3 years ago my sister sat at the front with her 9 year old as well.