another money making racket

[paddys dad]

Travelling to Barbados for cruise Jan 24 . Seats now availabe to book. £15 per person per journey. £60 per couple . If you want extra leg room well, £40 per person. £160 per couple. Shows up as new lay out 2-4-2.

[Kamloops50]

Fairly common on airlines that fly in Canada and the US.

[angiebabes]

We have been pre booking our seats on our hols for years.

[kersh]

I don't think it is a money making racket. I am very grateful than I can pre book my seats to ensure I sit where I want next to my husband. £15 each, each way is such a small price to pay and takes away some of the stress of flying.

 

If you do not want to prebook then you just turn up at the airport and you will be allocated seats which may or may not be together.

Edited November 22, 2014 by kersh

[angiebabes]

We fly 5 weeks on Friday and most of the sets of 2 seats together are booked, so am I pleased I have ours books. £30 well spent in my opinion. Would hate to have to sit in the middle of a group of four seats!

[macren]

Just booked our seats for 24/01/2015 Manchester, i don't think its a money making scam we too have been booking seats on flights for a long time it's part of the norm I look on it as giving You control over just where you sit ,likewise booking my cabin no it's about me being in control of my holiday !😀

[kruzseeka]

Just booked our seats for 24/01/2015 Manchester, i don't think its a money making scam we too have been booking seats on flights for a long time it's part of the norm I look on it as giving You control over just where you sit ,likewise booking my cabin no it's about me being in control of my holiday !

 

We've booked ours too - same date but from Gatwick. It's too long a flight to not know where I'm sitting or whether I'll be in the next seat to my OH. Worth it to me to pay to be sure. Went live overnight.

 

I'm a bit bemused though. I can see some seats are greyed out - I'm supposing they may not be available because they have extra leg room (which we haven't bought into so that's fair enough) but there seem to be 'ordinary' seats (blue) which come up with a red cross so can't be booked. I know they won't let you book two seats next to the aisle leaving a single window seat unoccupied - but in some rows two seats next to a window are unavailable in what appears to be the same area as some which are. I'm happy with what we've booked, but just wondered if anyone knows what the difference is and why those seats aren't available.

Edited November 22, 2014 by kruzseeka

[cruisebore]

When seats were allocated at the airport we would arrive quite early to ensure that we where seated where we wished. At that time you were then allocated the same seats on the return flight. Those who for whatever reason arrived at the airport late would be seated wherever there was space left on the aircraft.

However once on the ship some would then spend the cruise bleating, complaining and trying to get their seats changed for the return flights. So much so that some who had decent sear together on the way out would get bumped on the return flight to pacify the complainers. Looking at the seat booker for our next cruise, there appears little available together for those who have not booked a seat.

[PurpleMoonlight]

It is a racket in my opinion.

 

The airlines know that people going on holiday together will likely want to travel on the airplane together, so they abuse that and force you to pay to guarantee it.

 

It should be free on a first come first served basis.

[kruzseeka]

When seats were allocated at the airport we would arrive quite early to ensure that we where seated where we wished. At that time you were then allocated the same seats on the return flight. Those who for whatever reason arrived at the airport late would be seated wherever there was space left on the aircraft.

However once on the ship some would then spend the cruise bleating, complaining and trying to get their seats changed for the return flights. So much so that some who had decent sear together on the way out would get bumped on the return flight to pacify the complainers. Looking at the seat booker for our next cruise, there appears little available together for those who have not booked a seat.

 

That's not on is it? Agree first come first served seems a fair system and was one which seemed to prevail in our early days of fly cruises - but as others have said, now operators have these 'add-on' charges and if people buy into it (which we do as an insurance) then it's not likely to cease.

[tom_uk]

Having to pay to book seats annoys me. This is standard software for which there's no technical reason to levy a charge to use, but the airlines have decided that they will do so. When I book a train in advance I'm able to book my specific seat without extra charge.

 

And there's the price. What's their justification for £15 per person per flight? None - it's an arbitrary figure, probably just below the figure at which lots of people stop booking seats. It has nothing to do with the cost of providing this functionality, which is essentially zero.

[jeanlyon]

I booked my own seats on Virgin flying back from Dubai. Didn't have to pay anything at all. Just chose them.

[SDadw01]

It is a racket in my opinion.

 

The airlines know that people going on holiday together will likely want to travel on the airplane together, so they abuse that and force you to pay to guarantee it.

 

It should be free on a first come first served basis.

 

Don't book them then!

[PurpleMoonlight]

Don't book them then!

 

I don't. It was my opinion.

 

I don't like flying.

[richleeds]

Doesnt really bother us being split up, we have our ipads with movies or watch the provided IFE, we have been in separate cabins before.

 

Its only a few hours, but airlines play on passengers insecurity.

[jeanlyon]

Yes you're right they do. If you get there early enough and make enough fuss, you will get seats together anyway :-)

[louthebowler]

It really seems stupid that you book and pay for seats, and then have to pay to sit together. I don't normally pay the extra, but a couple of years ago Hubby had hip surgery a few months before our flight so we paid for extra legroom. Well we go the legroom but not together!! Now that is what I call a con.

[angiebabes]

Doesnt really bother us being split up, we have our ipads with movies or watch the provided IFE, we have been in separate cabins before.

 

Its only a few hours, but airlines play on passengers insecurity.

 

It would be my idea of hell sat in the middle of a group of 4 for 9 hours!!! Don't mind climbing over my husband who's aslepp for the loo but would rather not a complete stranger!!! We are happy to pay for 2 seats together to avoid this and other peoples elbows!!!!

[cruisegirl999]

Happy to pay and I am just glad that I am in the higher tier so that we can book prior to the lower tiers.

[davecttr]

I got extra legroom free once, someone had managed to book a child into a seat by the emergency exits. You can't do that so they moved the family and i got a nice seat. Not that i needed it as there is always at least a 4 inch gap in front of my knees on an ordinary seat. :D:D

 

On my last flight they were offering free exit seats as they were unoccupied. i was not fast enough :(

[Bluesky2012]

As I am tall I will always pay for seats with extra leg room, especially on long flights.

 

I am flying from Vancouver to Sydney next year and was happy to pay the extra $127 for the extra leg room seat.

 

But I do feel it is a bit rude if you have to pay just to sit next to your travelling companion

 

Julie

[Denarius]

It IS a racket. As the flights are charter flights carrying only P&O cruise passengers there is no reason whatsoever, apart from money making, why all seats cannot be allocated prior to check in, placing cabin occupants together. I often fly on scheduled flights with Titan Tours where seats are allocated this way. If Titan can do it on scheduled flights why cannot P&O do so on their charters? Answer - to screw yet another extra charge out of their passengers!

[Daftlad]

The seeming 2-4-2 layout is going to present me with difficulties when we become available to pre-book in a few weeks time.

We generally opt for adjacent aisle seats in order that, in my case, allows me to stand and stretch my legs during the flight to ease the pain I get in my knees. This is normally no problem on 3-3 layouts.

I anticipate that if I am not quick off the mark and dont get window seating, the configurator would not allow for my preferred aisle seats.

As for the question for charging extra, then I along with thousands of others, have really just had to accept it with regards charter flights at least.

[richleeds]

The seeming 2-4-2 layout is going to present me with difficulties when we become available to pre-book in a few weeks time.

We generally opt for adjacent aisle seats in order that, in my case, allows me to stand and stretch my legs during the flight to ease the pain I get in my knees. This is normally no problem on 3-3 layouts.

I anticipate that if I am not quick off the mark and dont get window seating, the configurator would not allow for my preferred aisle seats.

As for the question for charging extra, then I along with thousands of others, have really just had to accept it with regards charter flights at least.

 

Will never suit everyone but the majority will much prefer 2-4-2 not only does it make the whole plane all 2's as such it also takes a seat out of every row and gives every seat a bit more width, plus it drops the planes capacity without reductions in crew levels so you get a more attentive service.

[caber]

If you don`t pre book your seats can you check in online, 24 or 48 hours before? We are on a Thomson`s flight to Barbados.

On a recent Thomas Cook package holiday I checked in online and could, at that time, change to another seat allocation without charge.