TUI LGW to Barbados Parent and Child seats do I have to pre book to make sure we sit together ?

[billsat]

Hi Everyone

Although I have been with P&O before I have only travelled from Southampton.

I have a Caribbean repositioning cruise booked for next year which involves flying from LGW to Barbados.

There will be 2 adults + 10 year old twins 

Does anyone know if TUI will make sure that 1 of us Adult`s will be next to one of our Children or will I have to pay £35 each to pre book seat positions for the 4 of us just to make sure we are not separated !!

I did ask PO Customer Services but they didn`t know !!

I believe the seat config on the TUI Flight may be 3 by 3 by 3 so I know all 4 of us cannot sit next to each other

 

I hope that makes sense

 

Thanks

 

[terrierjohn]

I believe there is some airline regulations that ensure that children are seated with their parents.  Although I guess that most check in staff will not be aware of this, so search for this on google beforehand and take a printout with you.

[the english lady]

I'm sure i have seen posts where people haven't paid and had children in the seat behind or across the aisle. I guess the only way to guarantee is to pay up. At 10 years old you may be in for some "discussion" at check in if you dont pay and do not get seats together.

[davecttr]

Book the seats for peace of mind. airlines can have different interpretations on what adjacent seats mean. If I was you I would check the plane seating plan carefully and reserve a central 3 seat row and an adjacent seat on one of the outer rows. If the flight is with TUI it should be a Dreamliner which is 3 3 3 configuration. You could select a 3 seat outer row if anyone wants to look at of the window, not that you will see much.

[Eglesbrech]

The regulations apply to children under age 12 but the child can legitimately be placed across the row, in the row behind or in front,  not always right next to the parent and that complies fully with the rules.

 

If you don’t book in advance and then try to get the airline to move you together also be prepared for push back from other passengers who have paid to select the seat they want where they want it.

 

As Dave says for peace of mind book what you want.

[terrierjohn]

There is one very major problem that this could create, in the event of an emergency parents could create major evacuation obstructions, as they attempt to ensure their child is with them as they exit the plane.

 

[BrianI]

It was mentioned on BBC1 RIP off Britain today (Tue 21 Jan). They stated that the airlines have a legal responsibility to ensure that children under 12 are NOT separated from their parents or guardians. They strongly advised not to pay for booking seats.

Watch on the iPlayer - its on towards the end - at about 38mins.

Brian

Edited January 21, 2020 by BrianI

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, BrianI said:

It was mentioned on BBC1 RIP off Britain today (Tue 21 Jan). They stated that the airlines have a legal responsibility to ensure that children under 12 are NOT separated from their parents or guardians. They strongly advised not to pay for booking seats.

Watch on the iPlayer - its on towards the end - at about 38mins.

Brian

Yes, but not seperated means that the parents can be adjacent, as previously mentioned above. So you could get 4 seats, all one behind the other, which would be compliant.  

Personally, once I've paid to select my seat, I'm not moving, unless it's an upgrade! 

[Eglesbrech]

3 hours ago, BrianI said:

It was mentioned on BBC1 RIP off Britain today (Tue 21 Jan). They stated that the airlines have a legal responsibility to ensure that children under 12 are NOT separated from their parents or guardians. They strongly advised not to pay for booking seats.

Watch on the iPlayer - its on towards the end - at about 38mins.

Brian

“Families, children and infants

The seating of children close by their parents or guardians should be the aim of airline seat allocation procedures for family groups and large parties of children.

Young children and infants who are accompanied by adults should ideally be seated in the same seat row as the adult. Where this is not possible, children should be separated by no more than one seat row from accompanying adults. This is because the speed of an emergency evacuation may be affected by adults trying to reach their children.

Whenever a number of infants and children are travelling together the airline should make every effort to ensure that they can be readily supervised by the responsible accompanying adults.”

 

Above is a direct lift from the CAA regulations so as I said children may be in another row.

[wowzz]

41 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

“Families, children and infants

The seating of children close by their parents or guardians should be the aim of airline seat allocation procedures for family groups and large parties of children.

Young children and infants who are accompanied by adults should ideally be seated in the same seat row as the adult. Where this is not possible, children should be separated by no more than one seat row from accompanying adults. This is because the speed of an emergency evacuation may be affected by adults trying to reach their children.

Whenever a number of infants and children are travelling together the airline should make every effort to ensure that they can be readily supervised by the responsible accompanying adults.”

 

Above is a direct lift from the CAA regulations so as I said children may be in another row.

Key phrase in the above "should be the aim". So, not compulsory or legally necessary. 

To be fair, most airlines will try to keep families together,  but, if people don't pre-purchase seats, they can't expect to necessarily all sit together.  

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

Yes, but not seperated means that the parents can be adjacent, as previously mentioned above. So you could get 4 seats, all one behind the other, which would be compliant.  

Personally, once I've paid to select my seat, I'm not moving, unless it's an upgrade! 

I doubt that 4 seats one behind the other would be construed in law as not separated, but I imagine a half brained check in clerk might try to justify it as such.

[Eglesbrech]

I do think that it is very unfair to split up families, couples etc and to charge for what used to be just the normal seating allocation. That said as it is now what happens I tend to book to get what I want and not end up sitting rows away from my husband.

[AlanCruise]

We were on this flight recently and found that nearly all the seats were prebooked. We did not pay and at the 7 day point when TUI passengers can check in we were not able to (apparently not available once 80% of seats checked in ) and had to check in at the airport. We got two seats (for adults ) separated by several rows. The remaining seats are likely to be aisle seats, as nearly all the passengers are couples when travelling to a cruise.

[wowzz]

34 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I doubt that 4 seats one behind the other would be construed in law as not separated, but I imagine a half brained check in clerk might try to justify it as such.

Well, as has been pointed out, there is actually no law in place, and secondly,  having a parent behind a child is construed as being adjacent, so, with all 4 seats behind each other, each parent would be behind one child. Therefore, the airline is operating within the official guidelines.

The comment about "a half brained check in clerk" is uncalled for. TUI hold back a certain number of seats (20% as mentioned in the previous post,  but I thought it was fewer) which cannot be purchased or booked when OLCI opens. The checkin staff then have to try and manage everyone's expectations when only 40 or so seats are still available. Not an easy job, when, as in the OP's case, they want 4 seats together, when the only seats remaning are scattered around the cabin.  Perhaps you may wish to reconsider that particular comment.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Well, as has been pointed out, there is actually no law in place, and secondly,  having a parent behind a child is construed as being adjacent, so, with all 4 seats behind each other, each parent would be behind one child. Therefore, the airline is operating within the official guidelines.

The comment about "a half brained check in clerk" is uncalled for. TUI hold back a certain number of seats (20% as mentioned in the previous post,  but I thought it was fewer) which cannot be purchased or booked when OLCI opens. The checkin staff then have to try and manage everyone's expectations when only 40 or so seats are still available. Not an easy job, when, as in the OP's case, they want 4 seats together, when the only seats remaning are scattered around the cabin.  Perhaps you may wish to reconsider that particular comment.

No I dont think so, but I would add that I hope you are never involved in an airline incident where frantic parents are desperately trying to reach their children seated in other areas of the plane.

Edited January 21, 2020 by terrierjohn

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

No I dont think so, but I would add that I hope you are never involved in an airline incident where frantic parents are desperately trying to reach their children seated in other areas of the plane.

My feeling is that if I am that worried about my children, I'd pay to sit with them.   

[gazwag]

Its clearly a way for the airline to make free money and they will intentionally put couples/families as far apart as they can who do not pre book so next time they will choose to pre book.

 

For example, everybody flying to Malta for a weeks Oceana summer cruise this year, that's what 2,000 people flying from various airports around the UK for a cruise each paying £35 each way that's £140k pure profit (before taxes) per cruise. I realise some people will do two weeks not one but still that free money will add up over a year.

[wowzz]

16 minutes ago, gazwag said:

Its clearly a way for the airline to make free money and they will intentionally put couples/families as far apart as they can who do not pre book so next time they will choose to pre book.

Actually, apart from Ryanair, most airlines do not deliberately split families up. However,  I,  like many others, like to choose where I sit, and am happy to pay to do so. The airlines therefore have limited flexibility when it comes to seating those people who do not wish to pay to preselect their seats.  

Does it make money for the airlines  - possibly,  but it allows them to offer a cheap initial fare, which is beneficial for those who are happy to sit anywhere.