Paying extra for seats together on plane?

regularsaver1

pattycake wrote: »

A word of warning regarding the "extra legroom seats". In my experience these are usually located next to the loos. I certainly would not want to spend 9 hours plus next to the toilets and the associate hundreds of people coming and going and standing queueing next to you. They want to charge an extra £70 for that?

Regarding the "premier" cabin. We did that one year when we had a a really good deal. Yes, we loved it but would not pay an extra £250 each for the privilege. Only worth it if you are exceptionally tall (or wide),

sometimes the toilets are downstairs now, so you might not have that pproblem

pingu

just a con from travel companies

when you book tickets they know how many people are travelling well in advance (how many families book today and go tomorrow )

can't be hard to arrange seats together they all have numbers and it done by computer!!!

just another way to make money greedy XXXXXXX:mad:

eastendhammer

total airline con! we went to kos and didnt book and didnt turn up any earlier and still sat together. I think its probably a bit different if its a family of five say - they're just out to rip people off cause they know they will want to be together!
I have also flown with Thomsons 3 times now and been given food - even though I didnt stipulate that I wanted it ... thanks very much!

SophieJB

Friends of mine have just come back from a honeymoon in Cuba with First Choice (the booking form said "Special Request - Honeymoon") and on the way out they sat together in the plane but on the way back they were told that their seats were 12 rows apart and if they wanted to sit together it was going to cost them the equivalent of £100 EACH and they said they had spent all their budget and couldn't afford another £200 especially as the honeymoon flight/hotel had cost £2,600...

As they were desperate to sit together the booking in clerk then said they would reduce it to £100 for the two of them so my friend handed over his credit card and £100 was paid.

Surely when couples book a holiday/honeymoon together it would be much harder to try and split them up on the plane rather than seat them together!!! It happened to several couples and apparently one couple refused to pay and got people to move around for them!

Does anyone think this is just a scam to extort money because I've travelled many times over the years and always had seats with my other half and/or grown up children. Even if it was £10 it wouldn't be so bad, but WHY ASK FOR £100 EACH to seat a newly married couple together when it's so easy to keep them side by side, even if it's across the aisle????

Is it worth my friends complaining to First Choice to try and recover the £100 because it doesn't seem right, especially as they were early getting to the desk with about 180 people behind them!!!! Another friend of mine said she would complain to the office of fair trading as it's a racket charging to sit together when people have booked as a pair!!!!

withabix

Old thread resurrected, but none-the-less:

£100 each is steep - Monarch want £8.50 to the Canaries for example. £100 sounds like extra legroom AND sitting together.

However, we've NEVER paid on over 20 holidays and have always sat together.

But, the price is the price, you either pay it or you don't - it is a matter of choice.

Just becasue they are newlyweds doesn't give them the right to sit together when it is extra to guarantee it. It is one of the ways they keep the prices low, by charging for extras.

The fact that Thomas Cook charge is clear in the brochures and on their website.

Unfortunately, as more people now choose to pay, there is always the risk that you will end up sitting apart if you don't pay.

We are off to Tenerife tomorrow - on the outgoing flight there is no chance that we will be sat apart unless there are a rush of bookings, as the plane is still nearly empty judgung by the current flight price. However, coming back, the price is very high so there is a risk of sitting apart.

We will try and overcome this by getting to the airport ahead of the coaches and checking in, followed by making the most of the VIP lounge (which I get with my bank account).

Becles

SophieJB wrote: »

F

Surely when couples book a holiday/honeymoon together it would be much harder to try and split them up on the plane rather than seat them together!!! It happened to several couples and apparently one couple refused to pay and got people to move around for them!

See my post above. When I came back from honeymoon with my ex, we were in different cabins of the plane!

interstellaflyer

In the past we have never paid for seats together and we've never had a problem, however we have always got to check in early so have been near the front of the queue, this year I have paid and chosen our seats outbound and return, I personaly don't think the £45 was too bad as we have an early flight, this means we can be a little more chilled out about checking in, row 4 means we are right up the front of the plane (I hate sitting over the wing) and on the return flight we can again be more chilled out, Monastir check in area is apauling.

richardw

Perhaps before booking a package holiday, the first question could be 'are there seats together available?' If not, don't book it.

Zoetoes

I was just about to ask about this myself.

I rang First Choice before about upgrading to a swim up room, only an extra £490 for the week :eek:, no thank you, I will ask at the hotel and get it for about £100!

Anyway, she then says about pre booking the seats, £15 for me and £7 each for the 2 kids which isn't bad but I felt like she was trying to scare me into it!

I said we'll just get there early enough and likely to be seated together anyway, she said they plan the seating 3 days before and most people pre book so we might be split up.

Surely they won't separate the kids from me on a 5 hour flight?

space_rider

zoeleigh wrote: »

I was just about to ask about this myself.

I rang First Choice before about upgrading to a swim up room, only an extra £490 for the week :eek:, no thank you, I will ask at the hotel and get it for about £100!

Anyway, she then says about pre booking the seats, £15 for me and £7 each for the 2 kids which isn't bad but I felt like she was trying to scare me into it!

I said we'll just get there early enough and likely to be seated together anyway, she said they plan the seating 3 days before and most people pre book so we might be split up.

Surely they won't separate the kids from me on a 5 hour flight?

Not long come back from Jamaica flying with First Choice. Myself, 10 year old, 18 and 21 year old daughters. I didn`t pay for seats together. They seated 2 eldest daughters together and then myself and my 10 year old. On the way there we were very early but on the way back we were about hour and half before check in. Plane was full on both journeys. I`ve never paid even when it`s been all my daughter and their father which equals 6 of us and we`ve never been split up.