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

[JBizzle]

Parents fault 9 times out of 10 though surely? From the articles I’ve read, there is a lot of entitlement from these families

Speaking from experience, it can be very tough to find seats for a whole family together unless you're months in advance. Sometimes it's a short notice break for example.

To be honest, I probably wouldn't ask to move myself but to arbitrarily decide that it's the "Parents fault 9 times out of 10" is pure finger in the air nonsense to pick an unnecessary fight.

 

[banjo]

If I swap, who’s gonna fly the plane

 

[Gabbafella]

Not related to this topic at all but on my flight the other day there was a young, fish lipped girl and her professor Green looking boyfriend sat behind me and the Mrs, she was an annoying twat, giggling at everything the lad said even though he didn't say a single funny thing.
The best comment from her was as we were taxiing for take off, it went something like this:

"So like, I've heard like that if the plane like goes too fast when it's landing like it just explodes. If we like crash into the specific ocean (I assume she meant Pacific, and we were flying to Italy) then the plane like turns into a submarine like so we can all breathe and stuff. You know that other plane that is lost in the sea in that foreign place yeah? Parrently they is all still alive innit, just no-one ain't found em yet. My mum told me that, she watches stuff on tele."

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Probably. It depends on the situation.

If I was travelling alone and the family asked me politely, then certainly.
If I felt I was being pressured into it by an impolite entitled person, then definitely not.

Chances are, I would offer, if I noticed there was an issue, before being asked.

 

[pb21]

Other, I'd move if it didn't inconvenience me or who I am travelling with.

 

[hart's shirt]

Having flown back to Dubai last night from LGW and had 4 seats to myself to create the impromptu, rare and highly desirable economy class bed (all seats reclined, 4 cushions, 4 blankets), on this particular occasion at least, my honest answer would be no.

(No families were harmed in the making of the bed.)

 

[Thunder Bolt]

This is the scourge of companies like Ryanair, they actually purposefully split people up that are clearly on the same booking to make you pay to sit together. Disgusting behaviour, especially for families with young kids.

Exactly. No child should be separated from their parent or guardian, who shouldn’t have to pay extra to ensure it.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Parents fault 9 times out of 10 though surely? From the articles I’ve read, there is a lot of entitlement from these families

Don’t believe all you read in the newspapers. Some writers sensationalise stories which are not necessarily accurate.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

No problem moving if it’s a like for like, (or better), seat swap - otherwise no.

This.

Middle seat? Fack that.

 

[Cornwallboy]

I'd move, I don't give a flying **** where I sit on a plane. If it meant a family could sit together that's great.

 

[Creaky]

Can’t speak from personal experience since COVID but prior to then a similar scenario played out at most away games - except that it wasn’t families wanting to sit together but drunken idiots - no question of being asked to swap either!

 

[beorhthelm]

This is the scourge of companies like Ryanair, they actually purposefully split people up that are clearly on the same booking to make you pay to sit together. Disgusting behaviour, especially for families with young kids.

it's the business model though. advertise tickets at ridiculously cheap price (below cost of flight) assuming most pay for some add-ons. so you build the add-on's you want into your budget, the flights are still usually cheap. or just dont fly with the worse offenders. flying is a discretionary spend, chose a better service somewhere else.

 

[junior]

I'd move, I don't give a flying **** where I sit on a plane. If it meant a family could sit together that's great.

This ^^^^.

 

[Bold Seagull]

it's the business model though. advertise tickets at ridiculously cheap price (below cost of flight) assuming most pay for some add-ons. so you build the add-on's you want into your budget, the flights are still usually cheap. or just dont fly with the worse offenders. flying is a discretionary spend, chose a better service somewhere else.

Most families will be travelling in school holidays - so already hugely inflated prices compared to travelling outside those times - i.e. the business model is also making profit from family travelling at specific times which makes flying cheaper for those who can travel outside the school holiday dates.

 

[Oh_aye]

Depends on the circumstances. If I was flying on my own without family and it was a relatively short flight I probably would.

I've been 'the family' a few times and have always appreciated getting help. Not moving per se but just being reasonable to a young family who are struggling.

That said, if its long haul and I've booked a seat for comfort, the family look like dickheads or moving would sit me next to anyone who looked horrible or in a grotty seat they can swing for it the scrounging gits.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Not related to this topic at all but on my flight the other day there was a young, fish lipped girl and her professor Green looking boyfriend sat behind me and the Mrs, she was an annoying twat, giggling at everything the lad said even though he didn't say a single funny thing.
The best comment from her was as we were taxiing for take off, it went something like this:

"So like, I've heard like that if the plane like goes too fast when it's landing like it just explodes. If we like crash into the specific ocean (I assume she meant Pacific, and we were flying to Italy) then the plane like turns into a submarine like so we can all breathe and stuff. You know that other plane that is lost in the sea in that foreign place yeah? Parrently they is all still alive innit, just no-one ain't found em yet. My mum told me that, she watches stuff on tele."

I know I am not the sharpest knife in drawer, but feckin'ell...
At least they make me feel good about myself, and they are entertaining to a degree.

Back to the question, yes the airlines do try and scalp families, and costs can be factor, taking that all into account, We tend to book our flights a year in advance once we have decided where to go, and then book accommodation afterwards. We have been split up before, and as long as either me or the wife are sat with our daughter all is well, no big hassle.
If I was sat on my own going somewhere I would move if it did not inconvenience me & the manner in which I was asked, my actual mood on the day, and finally where I was being moved too. I did get asked to move once on a flight to America on my own, and happily snapped it up as I was moved to 1st class all the way to Phoenix, happy days.

 

[Chicken Run]

No I wouldn’t. I get tendinitis quite easily in my left leg and hate anything with constricted leg room. I’ll either book an emergency exit or aisle seat for this reason. Once I’ve paid for it then it’s mine.

This, also if on a rare occasion I would consider moving I’d need to do due diligence on who my new seat mate would be, I don’t like sitting next to those who are doing their best to impersonate Robbie Coltrane…..

 

[nwgull]

I do this all the time on the train when I'm travelling solo. Always book the extra-legroom seats on planes though, so it's not an option seeing as you need to be 14+ (I think) to sit there.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

If you have paid for extra leg room or exit seats, then hell NO

but if you are on your own and someone needs a seat for family, I have in the past moved.

one flight nearly ended up a riot on the plane when a big guy pushed his way past plonked himself in a exit seat and put his big headphones on, pretended he was asleep. People came to their seats and this fella was in it and he wouldn’t acknowledge them so an air stewardess came over and asked him nicely to move…he wouldn’t and got aggressive. Eventually after much shouting he pulled the “ you are being racist to me and I will take this to my lawyers “. By this time, everyone was getting pissed off as we were missing our flight slot. This little bloke came over and said something in his ear….he got up and walked off the plane with much muttering! Still don’t know what this little guy was, but whatever he said did the trick.

 

[nickbrighton]

This is similar to the "but Ive got kids and need (insert date, holiday,etc) off from work argument that frequently means childless or single people get the raw end of the deal

It annoyed the hell out of me when the assumption was that people with children get prioroty when booking time off, and the expectation that others have to accomodate.

There is not need to avoid being helpful and not accomodating changes just to be awkward, but if i was asked to move, but said no, that should be it