Ryanair new seating trick

BrassicWoman

zagfles wrote: »

I'm not complaining, I'm just discussing. I was pointing out the difference between selecting specific seats, and getting allocated seats together.

Generally if they want to preserve as many "together" seats as possible, it's more sensible to allocate seats together for those who don't pay since you don't then isolate seats or split rows.

But it would appear Ryanair's policy is not an attempt to preserve "together" seats for those who want to pay, it seems more to be an attempt to persuade people to pay by splitting them up if they don't.

given most flights are about an hour I can't be bothered to be stressed about it. My relationship can survive a 60 minute break.

ElefantEd

Am I the only one who would pay to be at the other end of the aircraft from their family??:D

peachyprice

JReacher1 wrote: »

Five middle seats being taken? That is your evidence......

Cough, cough........

JReacher1 wrote: »

There is no conspiracy, people who pay for seats choose aisles or window seats (nobody wants to sit in the middle). Therefore if you don’t pay for a seat allocation you’ll probably get a middle seat as many of these will be spare.

.

Nick_C

Given that Ryanair operate narrow body planes with a 3-3 configuration, very few people should be split up from their traveling companions.

Bogof_Babe

zagfles wrote: »

From the article linked above So middle seats seem to be the most common "randomly allocated" seat. Though when we flew Ryanair in June we got allocated aisle seats, about 10 rows apart one way and 3 rows apart the other IIRC.

It would have cost about a tenner to move my seat to the one right next to my wife or a fiver for the one behind, I asked her if we should pay and she said no. Wasn't sure whether to be pleased she's as tight fisted as me, or offended she doesn't think it's worth paying a few £ to sit next to me

How does that work then? Is there not a flat rate for seat selection? You make it sound like some selected seats cost more than others?

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

zagfles wrote: »

Generally if they want to preserve as many "together" seats as possible, it's more sensible to allocate seats together for those who don't pay since you don't then isolate seats or split rows.

But it would appear Ryanair's policy is not an attempt to preserve "together" seats for those who want to pay, it seems more to be an attempt to persuade people to pay by splitting them up if they don't.

This is just not so. If the split is 3-3, then in order to preserve pairs of seats you have to split non payers up. Every pair of non-payers you place together leaves a single seat.

Nick_C

With a 3-3 configuration, they should be seating couples as 2-2-2

The couple with the aisle seats would be separated only by an aisle, which most people would be happy with. The current system puts people far apart where they can't speak or share items. Seems deliberate to me.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

zagfles wrote: »

From the article linked above So middle seats seem to be the most common "randomly allocated" seat. Though when we flew Ryanair in June we got allocated aisle seats, about 10 rows apart one way and 3 rows apart the other IIRC.

That's such a small sample as to be meaningless. Of course though, it would make sense to give middle seats to non payers as soon as the aisle and the window had been filled though, and this probably forms part of the seat filling algorithm. If the only seats taken on the plane when yours are allocated are A1, A3, H1 and H3, then you and your wife (if you don't pay) are getting A2 and H2 - even if the rest of the plane is empty. Not as a deliberate attempt to split you up but because these are the two least valuable commodities on the plane.

peachyprice

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

This is just not so. If the split is 3-3, then in order to preserve pairs of seats you have to split non payers up. Every pair of non-payers you place together leaves a single seat.

No it doesn't. window/middle - aisle/aisle - middle/window.
Three pairs seated, no single seats left.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

peachyprice wrote: »

No it doesn't. window/middle - aisle/aisle - middle/window.
Three pairs seated, no single seats left.

People don't pay to be seated across the aisle from each other. if they pay to be seated together, they want to be seated together. I would imagine far more adults want aisle seats than window seats so it makes no sense to put the non payers aisle-aisle. The non payers need to be put wherever is least saleable in the plane at the time of allocation, with absolutely no consideration to what they might like.

As for your three pairs seated, if one of those pairs hasn't paid, then what if another pair comes along afterwards and wants the seats they are in? You have to put the non paying pair in seats you know you won't be able to sell later, if such seats exist. Even aisle aisle might be more saleable than H4 and K2, so if H4 and K2 are available and single, you put the non paying couple there.