Should I pay to sit with my 4 year old

Poppy9

Many years ago in the days of Dan Air we were flying back from Ibiza and the Stewardess asked the family in front of us if they were willing to put their young child on their lap as they had a family on standby and needed the seat. The family reluctantly agreed as they had paid for the seat for their infant.

When food came around (in those days everyone had food included) they weren't given any meal for their young child, they gave it to the person in her seat! They said that the food went with the seat and there were no spare meals!

I also remember with Excel airlines a commotion of a parent demanding to sit with her two sons and a couple being forced to move to two separate seats quite far apart. They were not happy as they had paid for reserved seats but were told moving was not a request but an order!

blindman

MasterPoo wrote: »

We should be ashamed of ourselves.......as a parent it is YOUR responsibility to ensure the safety of your child. Do not be selfish by 1. inconveniencing other travellers because the airline makes you pay and 2. potentially delaying the flight because you/OP refuse to pay. Take the fight up with the airline, do not be selfish in causing unnecessary drama for others because of your issue with the airline.

.

You have an appropriate name for the drivel you are spouting

callum9999

MasterPoo wrote: »

We should be ashamed of ourselves.......as a parent it is YOUR responsibility to ensure the safety of your child. Do not be selfish by 1. inconveniencing other travellers because the airline makes you pay and 2. potentially delaying the flight because you/OP refuse to pay. Take the fight up with the airline, do not be selfish in causing unnecessary drama for others because of your issue with the airline.

So if the parent doesn't enact their "responsibility" to ensure the child is sitting next to them on the plane, the child should have to suffer?

shaun_from_Africa

callum9999 wrote: »

So if the parent doesn't enact their "responsibility" to ensure the child is sitting next to them on the plane, the child should have to suffer?

No.
If the parent didn't act early enough (or pay enough) to ensure that they sit with their children, they always have the option not to fly.

I travel long haul 15 or 16 times a year and I always make sure that I choose a seat long before flying (sometimes paying for this).
Why should I have to change my plans simply because other people didn't plan ahead and pay for selecting seats?

blindman wrote: »

.

You have an appropriate name for the drivel you are spouting

So it's drivel to expect parents to take responsibility for their actions or inactions?

MasterPoo

callum9999 wrote: »

So if the parent doesn't enact their "responsibility" to ensure the child is sitting next to them on the plane, the child should have to suffer?

The OP needs to sort this out BEFORE getting on the plane, I sure as hell would not move if I've paid to sit in my seat, because OP doesn't want to pay!

What I'm trying to say is, if the OP feels they shouldn't have to pay, then don't, but don't board the plane and then start making other passengers play musical chairs.

MasterPoo

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

No.
If the parent didn't act early enough (or pay enough) to ensure that they sit with their children, they always have the option not to fly.

I travel long haul 15 or 16 times a year and I always make sure that I choose a seat long before flying (sometimes paying for this).
Why should I have to change my plans simply because other people didn't plan ahead and pay for selecting seats?





So it's drivel to expect parents to take responsibility for their actions or inactions?

EXACTLY! Honestly, ridiculousness of some people.

Murphy_The_Cat

blindman wrote: »

As a FF MTC I'm disappointed at you stance on this.

One child should be sat next to at least one Adult.

As Voyager has said as a matter of safety
-Imagine the scenario when after a crash landing you all have to leave pronto.

All passengers are heading towards an exit.
Mum\Dad are going the opposite way to get to child-Chaos


Airlines that insist on you having to pay for this privilege are just ripping you off.

All of you that have paid.....

Breaking it down into pragmatic chunks

Ticket Buying Process on Air Cheapo
Cost of ticket = x
Cost of luggage = y
Cost os sitting together = z

So, the cost of flying Air Cheapo, with luggage and sitting together = x+y+z
If your're not happy with this arrangement, either
a) book on Air Dearer, which has a different pricing structure or
b) stay at home.

As long as the booking process is laid our clearly and their is no compulsion for everyone to pre-book seats at an additional cost, pay up or take it on the chin.

Flying isn't one of life necessities, its a lifestyle choice.

Unless you are a chancer, cheapskate, abuser of other peoples good will or get a kick out of adding work to cabin crew. Weigh up the choices that are laid out if front of you and act accordingly.

As a parent, responsibility #1 is the safety and welfare of your sprog.

If you consider that the safety & welfare of your sprog isn't worth £x.xx then maybe its time to have a cold hard look in the mirror.

If paying the extra money per sprog, per flight means that you can no longer afford the holiday, the either
a) stay at home or
b) take a chance that you'll be split up (by no more that a row/aisle) on the plane.
Your sprog is your responsibility. Don't try and palm off your your responsibilies on cabin crew who have plenty to do other wise.

Murph

p.s. blindman, I'm using the term 'your' generally, not to you, specifically.

blindman

MasterPoo wrote: »

The OP needs to sort this out BEFORE getting on the plane, I sure as hell would not move if I've paid to sit in my seat, because OP doesn't want to pay!

What I'm trying to say is, if the OP feels they shouldn't have to pay, then don't, but don't board the plane and then start making other passengers play musical chairs.

Shaun and Mr Poo (and now MTC

It's a SAFETY ASPECT.

If you have kids (god forbid) and there is some crisis\emergency on PUBLIC transport you (hopefully) have the maternal\fatherly instinct to save that child ABOVE All others.

This action on a plane full of screaming panicking adults is not helped if your CHILD is not sat next to you.

Airlines are ripping you off.

holidaysforme

The tight fistedness of some people is staggering. Thinking that it's perfectly acceptable demanding that other passengers move because they won't put their hand in their pocket beggars belief!

Poppy9

blindman wrote: »

Shaun and Mr Poo (and now MTC

It's a SAFETY ASPECT.

If you have kids (god forbid) and there is some crisis\emergency on PUBLIC transport you (hopefully) have the maternal\fatherly instinct to save that child ABOVE All others.

This action on a plane full of screaming panicking adults is not helped if your CHILD is not sat next to you.

Airlines are ripping you off.

It is a safety aspect but as a parent booking the flight you know the risks and decide to take them. The airline isn't ripping you off, you don't have to fly with them, you can take your custom else where. If enough parents voted with their feet and took their business elsewhere then maybe they may change their policy or better still we could have an adult only flight! Now that would be great. No kids screaming, kicking seats, playing noisy games/videos without earphones:T:T:T:T