Not Seating Children with Adults
Comments
-
TUI clearly state they will sit you together where possible. I checked in yesterday for a couple of flights and it states that when you go into seat selection. You can accept their default for no charge, or choose different seats.
Their free defaults has always placed us together, on the 10 or so TUI flights we've been on in the last 3 years. Some of them as a couple, and some as a group of 4 or 5 adults.
Once we tried checking in a bit late, think 4 or 5 days before the flight, and they said online checkin wasn't available, so we had to check in at the airport. Even then, we ended up together, on one of the flights right at the front in the "extra legroom" seats!
We didn’t want to take the chance on a long haul flight with “where possible”. If all the other together seats were prepaid. Then the little one might not get to sit right beside my daughter.0 -
So if the plane was on fire would you get off or go to get your kid possibly holding up other passengers? I know what my instinct would be. This money making exercise is stupid.
Heaven forbid airlines should want to make money! People whinge when they do things to make money, and complain when they go belly up because they aren't making money.
Charging for seat selection isn't stupid, it's great. The same applies to checked luggage. It gives people choice. The choice to pay for the services they do want, and not to pay for those they don't.
If the plane was on fire I would expect a 13 yr old to make their way to the nearest exit without having mummy or daddy to tell them to do so, as they would do if they were in a building that caught fire. I would also hope that mummy and daddy had brought them up to be capable of doing just that. If they haven't then it's their responsibility to make sure they can look after her, so they pay to select seats together.0 -
FtbDreaming wrote: »Id hold up the passengers and make sure I had all my kids. Thats my job as a mum.
As for the OP i would just let a 13 YO sit elsewhere rather than pay the fee. I didn't pay for seats last year just checked in the minute check in opened. All 5 of us sat together.
Your job as a mum is to make sure you've brought your children up to be responsible. By the age of 13 they should be more than capable of looking after themselves for a few hours. I'm sure most wouldn't even notice who they were sat next to. They're usually too engrossed in either a screen or listening to music.
You wouldn't be holding me up I can assure you and I would imagine other pax would feel the same. There's no way you could swim against the tide in an emergency evacuation. You want to risk your own life that's fine, but you do not risk other peoples lives, or your kids lives, just because you didn't want to pay to select seats.0 -
Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »From recent instances of planes being evacuated, it wouldn't matter anyway - the cretins and halfwits emptying the overhead lockers and filming proceedings on their phones alreeady slow up emergency egress from planes.
This has always been my greatest belief, some people would rather grab their expensive camera or passport rather than exit quickly which in turn helps the other people on the plane.ITS NOT EASY TO GET EVERYTHING WRONG ,I HAVE TO WORK HARD TO DO IT!0 -
Just look at the video in this. It's unbelievable.This has always been my greatest belief, some people would rather grab their expensive camera or passport rather than exit quickly which in turn helps the other people on the plane.
https://7news.com.au/news/disaster-and-emergency/your-bag-or-your-life-or-someone-elses-aviation-experts-furious-at-crash-video-c-95950
They really need to change the safety briefing at the start of every flight to state something far firmer about evacuation. They say something like "in the event of an emergency evacuation, leave everything behind". They should add "...if you impede the evacuation by retrieving bags you may be charged with manslaughter". That might make the pieces of c**p who think their bag is more important than someone else's life think. Is their bag worth 5 years in prison?0 -
Thirteen is a funny age, not all children are confident at that age. I don't think I would have been happy to have been sat with strangers. What if she was allocated a window seat and needed the loo, but didn't dare ask to be let out. With phones having to be in flight mode she couldn't even keep in touch with her parents if they were in another part of the plane.
I think I would pay the money if it was my child, starting off a holiday with tears and stress is not a good idea.
I haven't bogged off yet, and I ain't no babe
0 -
Booked a Flybe flight this morning. I have read stories of families being separated from 5 year olds when gambling by not Pre booking seats.
I have no issue paying for a seat for me and my wife but feel it’s a little unfair to pay for a 9 and 7 year old to guarantee they are sat next to a parent.
I flew about 5 years ago with someone who allowed for free Pre booked seat next to a paying parent.
£24 total for the kids seats so not the end of the world but the principle irks me a little.0 -
On an airline like TUI it's vanishly unlikely that 2 parents and a child will be allocated seats in different parts of the plane. Worst would be one being separated, but then one parent could still sit with the child.Bogof_Babe wrote: »Thirteen is a funny age, not all children are confident at that age. I don't think I would have been happy to have been sat with strangers. What if she was allocated a window seat and needed the loo, but didn't dare ask to be let out. With phones having to be in flight mode she couldn't even keep in touch with her parents if they were in another part of the plane.
I think I would pay the money if it was my child, starting off a holiday with tears and stress is not a good idea.
There does seem to be a misconception among some people that you must sit in the seat allocated to you personally. Swapping seats within your party is never a problem, except in rare cases like on very small planes where they weigh you to ensure correct weight distribution.0 -
On an airline like TUI it's vanishly unlikely that 2 parents and a child will be allocated seats in different parts of the plane. Worst would be one being separated, but then one parent could still sit with the child.
There does seem to be a misconception among some people that you must sit in the seat allocated to you personally. Swapping seats within your party is never a problem, except in rare cases like on very small planes where they weigh you to ensure correct weight distribution.
Sitting in the right seat helps identify you after an accident though. Considering the OPs child is literally going to be welded with fear to their seat this could be useful.0 -
Paying for 'seating together' is different to paying for 'specific seats'.No TUI only seat families together up to aged 12.
We are flying the end of October, myself, my daughter and my two young grandchildren. I’ve paid the extra for seating together as my daughter was stressed they might be across the aisle or behind, rather than actually beside. Her 5 year old wouldn’t have liked that.
'Specific seats' is obvious - you choose whether to sit in seats 12A/B/C or 25 D/E/F.
'seating together' could include seats across the aisle or even one behind the other - which is what you say would not be acceptable for your party..
I'm not sure what TUI offer (as I've never opted to pay for seats) but from their blurb I'd guess it is selecting a specific seat.
But for future flights, it might be best if you're sure of the terminology you're using.
Same as 'direct' and 'non-stop' flights - there's a difference.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.7K Spending & Discounts
- 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 608K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173.1K Life & Family
- 247.9K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards