So frustrated with booking airline tickets to Europe

[Anonymous]

I think the airlines need to change their phrasing because there’s a difference between “picking seats” vs “basic economy = middle seats only.” Though it depends how full the plane is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would your 9yo freak out? That is not a baby or toddler. By age 6 or so my kids have been totally fine sitting alone if necessary. You’re still on the same plane.

In the small chance that the plane crashes, you should be next to your child to hold their hand as you go down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would your 9yo freak out? That is not a baby or toddler. By age 6 or so my kids have been totally fine sitting alone if necessary. You’re still on the same plane.

In the small chance that the plane crashes, you should be next to your child to hold their hand as you go down.

in the infinitesimal chance that happens I doubt you’d even realize.

[Anonymous]

OP I’m not sure if you booked it, but the same thing happened to me. Book the entire trip through Lufthansa! Do not book on United even if that is the carrier of your first trip Lufthansa gives you the option to select your seats on both flights. At least it did for me!

[Anonymous]

I bought spring break Europe tickets and i paid far more than that, so consider yourself lucky. Ye olde orange dude is bringing those European ticket prices down since Europeans don't want to end up in the clink.

[Anonymous]

I can't speak to those airlines specifically but this is one of the reasons I have liked booking with the budget airline "Play airlines" to Europe. They do NOT charge you extra to sit with your children. You don't get to pick your seats, so you will likely be in the back but they have rows of 3 and will sit at least one adult with a child. I've traveled solo several times with my 2 children and they ALWAYS sit us together.

You have to pay extra for food/drinks or just bring you own snacks but the prices are usually great. I don't think I ever needed to pay extra to sit next to my kids when I flew SAS airlines as well but that was a while ago. I've seen some great deals with them for this summer.

I'm not sure if that will be helpful for this trip but in the future, maybe it will be helpful. I'd also just get on the phone with the airline and find out what you need to do to make sure you are seated together. Most international airlines do sit children with at least 1 adult (you just don't pick your seats). I think it is mostly US based airlines that require you to pay more to just sit with your child and then screw people over when there are delays, ect. resulting in crazy passenger situations.....it's absurd. Anyways, happy traveling! I'm traveling with my 9 year old too and it's a great age to travel Enjoy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You booked basic economy you don't get to pick seats

This is not a basic economy problem. I run into this problem when flying business even. It is the airlines being lazy and not coordinating the seat assignments

This. I feel like code-share has gotten much worse in the past year or so.

Book directly but sometimes people try to be cheap and use those sketchy resale website like edreams but that's the risk you take

[Anonymous]

This is why they are cheap, genius.

[Anonymous]

They will likely
Sit you together once they assign seats, and I understand this is your preference but why can’t a 9 year old sit by themselves? Give them snacks, a book, an iPad and get up to check in every now and then. It’s not like they’re gonna get lost.

[Anonymous]

I always book basic economy. If they want to make someone else babysit my 3 year old for 6+ hours, have at it! c

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you for all your input. I was able book the tickets through KLM airlines for 3 of us for $3500 with assigned seats ( I paid some extra money for it). KLM airlines on their websites actually had a note that they pretty much guarantee to sit kids with at least one family member together for no extra charge.

[Anonymous]

My anxious 9 year old sat by himself on a long trip to South Korea and in business (so we were close but not in the line of sight because of the privacy dividers). He was fine. I think you should work on normalizing sitting somewhere not next to you; our six year old wouldn’t have been ok, he’s too little. At 9, the kid should be able to sit by himself for a couple of hours, and you could ask the flight attendant to check on him frequently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You booked basic economy you don't get to pick seats

OP here. I understand that part. I don't care what seats we get, I just want to make sure that our 9 year old will sit next to me or my spouse in any row on the plane.

Ok but that's a premium service and you need to pay for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You booked basic economy you don't get to pick seats

OP here. I understand that part. I don't care what seats we get, I just want to make sure that our 9 year old will sit next to me or my spouse in any row on the plane.

Ok but that's a premium service and you need to pay for it.

I'm not OP

The thing is, airlines can and will move your seats for whatever reason they deem necessary--even if you paid for a specific assignment.

Last fall, my husband and I flew Iceland Air. We paid for two aisle seats across from each other when I booked the flight (several months before.) We checked in 24 hours before the flight, and everything was fine. A few hours before our flight, when we were eating dinner at the airport, they changed our seats. Now each of us were in middle seats, one behind the other.
We went to the gate, and the gate agent told us it was because "the payment didn't go through." Obviously, that does not make sense-if my payment for the flight didn't go through, why were they letting us fly at all?
Then they said it was because of a change of aircraft. Again, as the plane was already at the gate, we knew that was not true.
Finally they said it was because the seat my husband was assigned was broken. Ok, fine--we understand why you would need to change his seat, but why change mine? They said it was because they wanted to keep us together--except, we weren't "together," we were one row apart--and only a couple rows away from the original seats we booked and paid for.

They refused to refund the fee we paid, saying that all seats cost the same (true, if you reserve a middle seat on Iceland air it's the same price as aisle and window seats.)
They told us that when we got on the plane we could ask other passengers to switch with us (who would agree to move to a middle seat? Obviously we didn't ask other passengers.)
I have to get up to go to the bathroom a lot, which is why I specifically booked an aisle. I'm sure the person in the aisle next to me was annoyed that I kept asking her to get up, oh well.

Like I said, I understand why they had to change my husband's seat but there was absolutely no reason to move me from the seat I paid for too. And before anyone suggests it was to seat a small child next to a parent-no. The person they gave my seat too was traveling with someone that they were also separated from--their travel companion (no idea their relation) was about 20 rows ahead in the front of the plane.
I wrote to them several times asking them to refund the money I paid for the seats and they refused. I will never fly Icelandair again.

[Anonymous]

It's absolutely abominable that airlines are allowed to do this. Those of you who think it's okay are like the frog in the pot of boiling water.