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Post by monkey on Aug 6, 2015 15:14:19 GMT
Going away on holiday soon. Unimpressed that have to pay to check in online (and choose seats). Have watched for about a week and seats filling up fast. I was worried that we wouldn't be able to sit together and perhaps more concerned for whoever was allocated a seat next to LO  The airline in their literature says that they try to ensure that children are sat with an adult in their party but that they couldn't guarantee it in peak periods  Emailed the airline last night and lovely response early this morning. Seats are booked with no charge and a request to let them know if there is anything else they can do to help. Impressed. |
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Post by corkwing on Aug 6, 2015 15:35:25 GMT
That's good!
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Post by caledonia on Aug 10, 2015 13:03:57 GMT
what a wonderful airline!
About five years ago my parents, the kids and I went to France. There was no way to book seats until you got to the airport and we were given five single seats throughout the plane. DD was 8 and DS was 9. We were all in middle seats, nobody would swop with us and the crew did nothing to help. The woman next to DD lasted for less than five minutes before she demanded that the stewardess came to tell me to 'control my child' as DD was full of chat (inane non stop questions without listening to the answer) playing with the seatbelt, pressing all the buttons and trying to look out of the window so leaning over the lady to see out. Pointed out that as I was ten rows back and the seatbelt signs were on and she had refused to move seat there was nothing I could do. She demanded that DD was given another seat but to no avail. When she finally demanded that I swop seats with her I said I liked my seat, I was enjoying the peace and quiet and was quite happy where I was! Her face was an absolute picture and I did of course swop but I was horrified that nobody would give up their seats and the cabin crew did nothing about it.
Last year we were flying and the same happened to a couple with a four year old. The mother was in tears and the child was having a massive melt down. The three of us moved to other seats when it became apparent that none of the single travellers were prepared to move. I made a big point of checking up on the children (then 11 and 12) and saying how proud of them I was for them giving up their seats and sitting next to strangers when none of the adults had been prepared to in a very loud voice several times during the flight.
If airlines know there are families with children (and most times now when booking you have to put in the ages of children, they should be booking blocks of seats out to ensure this doesn't happen.
Enjoy the flight.
Cale
x
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Post by milly on Aug 10, 2015 13:56:57 GMT
Cale, that's terrible! I suppose we usually go on package tour flights so this has never happened to us. We were told once that children HAD to sit with their parents - dds were then 3 and 7, and the 7 year old wasn't allowed to have the single seat as opposed to the 3 together the rest of us had. Meant DH and I had a flight each away from the kids while the other suffered trying to stop them winding each other up! We have often since swapped seats with people on the return flights to let one or both of ours sit with friends they have met on holiday. When dd1 was 9, a boy's mother asked if she could sit with them- I am not sure she realised what she was letting herself in for but she seemed OK back at the UK airport!
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Post by elderberry on Aug 10, 2015 14:54:16 GMT
When I book for the cinema, I'm not allowed to choose seats that would create a one-seat gap. How hard is it for an airline to say that if a single traveller has one seat in a three, the other two seats should go together?
We are off next week and I have refused to pay for the early reservation. It is a package so I'm hoping we're okay. DD has only flown once before and I can't imagine what would happen if we were separated. There's going to be enough trouble if we don't get a window.
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Post by serrakunda on Aug 10, 2015 22:09:05 GMT
I don't understand what the issue is with paying for the reservation. I know it's a pain, but it's really only a few pounds and if it's one less thing to stress about. I wouldn't go with simba without being certain we could sit together
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Post by corkwing on Aug 11, 2015 5:43:57 GMT
We were on a long flight once and scattered all over the cabin. A couple of the seats were together and Kermit insisted on sitting next to our big girl who as persistently and violently airsick. Personally I suggested that we should put her in amongst the strangers... |
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Post by elderberry on Aug 13, 2015 9:20:12 GMT
Following Serrakunda's message, I went back and took another look at how much it would cost to book seats. For just me and DD it would be £38. I can see why Corkwing doesn't do it!
I have looked at the cabin so far and there are virtually no single seats. Hopefully the ones there are will be taken by families of four. So I am going to save the £38 to enjoy the holiday. Especially since the LA has just announced that it's stopping my adoption allowance, so this may be our last.
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Post by monkey on Aug 13, 2015 15:59:49 GMT
It would have been £80 for our family in addition to the flight costs and baggage.
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Post by lankelly on Aug 14, 2015 6:23:14 GMT
I wouldn't expect our children to sustain the social graces required for a flight full stop...let alone to sit amongst strangers on a plane. Why would my complex children want to sit alone and even if they did how fair is it to fellow passengers who had not anticipated the minion next to them squirming, farting, and spilling drink over them whilst talking loudly and intermittently crying.?
I'm all for other folk inputting to my children but feel it would be a no escape scenario for their neighbour. With mine we wouldn't travel unless certain we can afford the journey to suit us. But then we seldom travel on a long car journey as a family either due to the stress on them.if I take them to the cinema they manage but typically disrupt others or one another. But an interesting thread I didn't know the seats weren't together on a plane. Note to self....enjoy the holidays away all.
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Post by monkey on Sept 3, 2015 19:56:14 GMT
Just wanted to sing the praises of Monarch for our flight now we have returned.
We were asked at each check-in if we required any additional help, the lead steward made a point of speaking to LO, using her name as we boarded, they checked on us during the flight and were helpful with the (large) number of toilet trips whilst on board!
I wouldn't hesitate to email again ahead of a holiday. It made such a difference.
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Post by elderberry on Sept 6, 2015 11:51:40 GMT
We had no problem with seats together, and on the way out chatted happily with the man in the third seat. Four hours was a bit long for DD and she was hyper by the time we got there, but we just about succeeded.
On the way back, though, the man sitting with us said not a word, and when we took off I realised he was terrified of flying. Stuck between DD's anxieties and a man who was grabbing the seat so hard he was hurting his hands!
Once we were in the air he ordered two whisky miniatures and calmed down, started talking to us and it was much better. Except that by the time we got there he'd had four or five, plus a bottle of wine, and was almost incoherent. Flying. Such fun.
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Post by vickyvixen on Sept 6, 2015 13:33:06 GMT
I remember taking my BD to Disneyland Paris on the Eurostar when she was 2 - we were sitting at opposite ends on the train! Ludicrous and neither Disneyland Paris (booked package) nor Eurostar would do anything. I ended up having hysterics at Waterloo and it was only then they saw sense. So stressful. Last year when we flew I had to prebook seats in advance as the flight was filling up fast - it added £120 to the cost of the flights (return) which I hadn't budgeted for.
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Post by bop on Sept 6, 2015 17:29:43 GMT
I remembers taking a long rail journey with DS when he was about 10 and we had booked seats so we could be together, but there was a problem as for some reason the reservations were for the day before and I ended up with him on my lap as there was no way he could sit apart from me...in the end we were moved to first class....
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