Well that was a shock

[papamouse]

Originally Posted by Kitkat81

I am having same problem, but what annoys me it seems couples are booking for example a window and aisle seat hoping for middle seat free making only middle seats available so can't seat my family even near each other - across aisles from each other. This is on American Airlines where we can pre-book our seats for free from when we book. Their plan won't work to well when they have an upset 5 year old between them. It should just go back to when airlines assigned seats.

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id book that seat and stick my 3yo in there

that'll teach em,

meanwhile me and mamamouse will have the middle seat free in the row behind for our sweets - top tip, thanks KitKat... mmmmm kit kat

[7SeasSailor]

Originally Posted by k100dmk

I really wish airlines would stop doing this and just factor in how many people on average pay for seats and split the cost across tickets. I know it would up ticket prices but it seems more of a bitter pill to swallow when extras start getting added on.

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I don't agree, but each to their own

[SMAX]

I never pre-book and have never been split up.

[Soexcited2804]

I wonder if I hadn't already paid £200 to reserve our seats each way with Virgin for our trio wether 72 hours before u could have got the same seats or similar for free
Just not worth the risk with me as I book them as I'm a nervous flyer and like to choose where I sit the nearer the front the better

[andyhen]

it is a hidden charge because it used to be free. you book your holidays early you should get first choice. I too wonder why people argue with others just because they are willing to pay or can afford it.

[nattyk]

when we flew last year (family of 5) I contacted Virgin as my daughter has a medical condition so wanted to ensure we at least sat together = and the lady at vVrgin was really nice and waved the cost for us all to prebook on both flights...

[Mo&Chris]

Originally Posted by Kitkat81

I am having same problem, but what annoys me it seems couples are booking for example a window and aisle seat hoping for middle seat free making only middle seats available so can't seat my family even near each other - across aisles from each other. This is on American Airlines where we can pre-book our seats for free from when we book. Their plan won't work to well when they have an upset 5 year old between them. It should just go back to when airlines assigned seats.

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Apparently that's a known trick when they have a child that's young enough to have as a lap baby where they don't need to pay, so they can try and get a free seat.

Honestly, even as a solo traveller I've been happy to pay to book the seat I want. In my case I wanted an aisle seat so I wasn't bugging anyone to get past for the loo all the time.

Different people have got different reasons for wanting specific seats - look at all the threads about Dibber Row for example. I'm happy to factor the cost into my ticket, that's my choice.

/Mo

[Bellasmummy]

Originally Posted by SMAX

I never pre-book and have never been split up.

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Same here.

I do take advantage of flying club etc to book for free as early as I can, not been a problem yet.

Also I often find that with ba when I go into my booking a week before they've allocate seats for us as we're travelling with a child. Dd is 7, don't know what age they'd stop doing that.

[Guest]

My husband and I book the aisle and the window seat every time we fly. Someone is welcome to sit in the middle seat. He wants a window, I want an aisle and we're willing to pay if necessary. He sleeps, I don't and don't want to be asking every time I want to get up.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Mo&Chris

Apparently that's a known trick when they have a child that's young enough to have as a lap baby where they don't need to pay, so they can try and get a free seat.

Honestly, even as a solo traveller I've been happy to pay to book the seat I want. In my case I wanted an aisle seat so I wasn't bugging anyone to get past for the loo all the time.

Different people have got different reasons for wanting specific seats - look at all the threads about Dibber Row for example. I'm happy to factor the cost into my ticket, that's my choice.

/Mo

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Yes I'm sure that's what happens! It should just go back to how it was when the airlines assigned seats e.g if you were a family of 4 and were flying a jumbo with 4 seats in the middle you were assigned them. Now a family of 4 might book a window and a aisle in 2 rows leaving 2 single seats which if done many times causes problems.