Ryanair - Seating allocation from Febuary

dx052

Has anyone else come across this new addition to there boarding process? Its rather interesting but it seems the bottom line is that you will be expected to pay for seating if you wish to sit together. See below for more info. It cost us a further £10 to sit together.

(We will endeavour to seat families together however this will not always be possible. If you want to be guaranteed seats together we recommend that seats are purchased.
If you chose not to select and purchase a seat and have been randomly allocated seats which are not together please contact our call centre so that may try to assist you.)

vanilla8

I thought you could select seats when you check in- up to 15days before flight.
I suppose if the majority of the flight had prepaid then you would run the risk of not getting a seat together.

tobiascurious

You can't select seats unless you pay

richardw

easyJet changed to allocated seating and the additional revenue was a massive success for them, Ryanair wants the additional revenue stream which may help to keep base prices down for a little longer.

dx052

My understanding is unless you pay for allocated seating be it £5 or £10 you will randomly be chosen a seat by Ryanair & I doubt they will be together! so as stated above its going to be a great revenue stream for Ryanair.

vanilla8

My understanding comes from this webpage

http://www.ryanair.com/en/news/ryanair-launches-allocated-seating-on-all-flights-from-1-feb


Ryanair customers who do not wish to pre-select their seats can check-in during the period from 7 days to 2 hours prior to their flight and they will be assigned an allocated seat at no cost. (Free allocated seats will not be available prior to 7 days before each flight departure)

The last bit seems to indicate at 7 days before departure you can see your allocated seat?

bagand96

This is a trick the charter airlines/tour operators cottoned on to years ago.

They are playing on people's fear of being split up. So you can pay extra to guarantee you sit together. Otherwise you take your chances to what you are allocated when you check in.

Exactly how it works on easyJet, Monarch, Jet2, Thomson etc. even British Airways do it now.

Unless there's evidence to say Ryanair will DELIBERATELY separate your party if you haven't paid to choose your seat, which I seriously doubt, there's no story here...

green1960

I have been on 5 Easyjet flights and refused to pay for allocated seating. I have been allocated seats at check in and we have been sat together on each occasion and sometimes we have had a row to ourselves (there are 2 of us). I refuse to pay for seats, it is money for old rope. I have booked a ryan air flight, and hopefully we will get sat together without paying, I will update on here when i check in next week.

aie

I had a couple of concerns when I read this - firstly I would hope as a family we would be allocted seats together (as we were with easyjet) and secondly that you can only check in 7 days before your flight (thus giving them longer to sell their pre booked seats) - if on holiday for 2 or even 1 weeks then am I going to have to find somewhere with a computer and printer to check in for my return flight and print off the boarding cards?? Never had to do that before!

Chickabiddybex

I fly semi-frequently with RyanAir. It's just like a bus if you don't pay for an allocated seat - first on gets to choose their seat. I find it very easy to sit with my travelling companions. Just line up and don't be the last ones on.

fifeken

Chickabiddybex wrote: »

I fly semi-frequently with RyanAir. It's just like a bus if you don't pay for an allocated seat - first on gets to choose their seat. I find it very easy to sit with my travelling companions. Just line up and don't be the last ones on.

The change being discussed here means that will no longer be the case.

Even if you don't pay for your seat, you will be allocated a specific seat at check in. If you "just choose" one you might find yourself getting turfed off it, as someone else may have been allocated it and may even have paid for it.