Hi raterfly

It tends to be the same with all airlines, however I booked with thomas cook airlines recently and not only could you prebook your seats but also pick your seat number so you could actually guarantee where you are. The problem is with prebooking is that due to the configuration of the seats in the plane there are bound to be instances where people are either across the isle of behind one another.

I recently came back from cuba in premium class and one couple in front of me in the queue were playing hell as premium guarantess you are next to each other, but as with you, it meant they were behind each other as they were one of the last ones to check in.

It depends how much of a priority it is to be close or next to each other, to be honest I would rather pay to be next to my partner either across the isle or behind than sit at the other end of the plane!!

I dont have the option to pick the exact seats. As I am travelling on my own with a 6 year old being across the aisle from or one seat behind him is NOT an option! Tell me, would you like to be sat next to a 6 year old you didn't know whos mummy was not next to him for an 11 hour flight? I am sure not many people would be. Actually he will probably be as good as gold, he usually is and has only ever flown long haul flights but that is beside the point. I jsut feel it is a waste of my money to pay £22.50 for something tht is not really any gaurantee at all.

I normally pre-book as we travel as a party of five. We have been split up in the past so now feel that by pre-booking, at least we will be in the same area of the aircraft. They haven't let us down yet! Depending on aircraft type, we normally get either 5 seats in a row, across the isle, or 2 blocks of 3 and 2 one infront of the other. I can understand your worry, but the airline will do everything it can to seat you together. By pre-booking, it guarantees two seats together but as you mentioned, there is no guarantee whether this is across the isle or not. Chances are though, you will get two seat together. As you are flying with Excel (on one of their 767's) you'll probably be allocated a window and isle seat as they have a 2-4-2 configoration.

I was once travelling back from Tenerife with my dad (I was 9 I think at the time) and we were late checking in to the airport, just made the flight before it closed. Virtually all the seats had been allocated at that point and the only seats available were single seats as oposite ends of the aircraft. I was sat next to an older couple for the flight who looked after me for 4 hours!

All I can suggest is you get to the checkin desk soon after it opens so plenty of seats are availalbe and you have a 90% chance of getting sat where you want. I wouldn't count on other passengers moving seats for you either if the worst comes to the worst. Once people are seated, they are often reluctant to move as they are also sat with friends and family. You'll have a great time holiday in DR. I wouldn't worry about the seating too much as you'll probably won't have a problem, they'll try their best.

Darren

I was separated from my son for a 9 hour flight to Florida with BA once. There was another family on board with really young kids - about 4 or 5 and they were split up. The staff didnt give a stuff!
I think you really need to get there early for your own peace of mind.
Good luck
Bridd

Thanks for the responses. Blimey that really does suprise me that they would split parents from little ones. I will make sure I get there in plenty of time to get seats together.

Claire

I think Dazbo is right, get to check in really early and you should get your seats together okay. ive been on a flight before where people have been separated and the cabin crew have put an announcement over the tannoy asking if people would be prepared to move seats to allow parties to sit together....needless to say no one volunteered

surely its a safety issue separating parents from young children........i for one would definately not travel if i were separated from my six year old.

I am obviously too nice.. if I was on a plane (long or short haul) where they requested for someone to move seats so a mother could sit with her child I would volunteer. Maybe that is as I am a mother myself. I couldn;t do this if my son was with me though.. but surely there are people out there who would move.

Mind you if people wouldn't move and then he played up the whole flight (which he wouldn't because I take a very well prepared bag for him with goodies in) I would love for the people he was near to complain when I went to collect him on getting off the plane... I would have a few choice words. hee hee.

Never mind.... flight is at 10:10am so will make sure I am at the airport for 7am at the latest and I am sure we will be fine.

We pay £30 each for extra legroom with First Choice and they can't guarantee that we will be sat together,although they say they will try their hardest to accomodate us! last year outbound we were sat together but inbound we were across an aisle!!!! eventhough when we checked in both ways they were still asking people if they wanted to buy the extra leg room seats.We were sat next to a guy who had arrived late and got the only seats left....extra legroom ones........Just upsets me when I pay an extra £60 and someone who hastn't get the seats......luck of the draw I suppose.............

That once happened to us on our way back from Tenerife in 2001 with Virgin Sun (now that was a brightly coloured Airbus!). We checked in as normal and they allocated us 4 bulhead seat; 1C - F, very nice! We hadn't paid for them and we didn't check in late or anything, they were just allocated to us for some reason. Like you said, luck of the draw.

Darren

being 6 makes your son a minor, they HAVE to seat you together, so do not waste your money booking seats together.

Vegasone

Unfortunately, being 6 and being a minor does not mean airlines HAVE to sity the child with its parents.

Regulations are in place, but they state that the child and the parents may not be separated by more than one row ideally.

I would either prebook the seats or turn up at the airport well in advance.

Hope you have a nice time.

I pre booked seats and asked for two windows seats for four of us. i have just got our tickets and the plan for the plane is three seats together on both sides. does anyone know how they seat you will it be three together and one on their own or two together with a spare seat at the end. thanks Toni

Normally, pre-booking seats does no more than guaranteeing that your party sits together; so if the plane is configured 3 x 3, you may get 3 and one across the aisle, or even the two pairs of two either side of the aisle. I don't think they guarantee window seats!

We have always pre-booked our seats and the set up is always the same for the 4 of us.
3 in a row and then 1 on the outside row adjacent to our row.

gail...................

I've never heard of asking for window seats when you pre-book seats. I usually try to get to the airport a little earlier than check-in time to get to the front of the queue and then ask for window seats when boarding cards are issued at check-in.
I know with Thomas Cook you can actually choose exact seats but you have to pay quite a bit extra for this.

if you book prebooked seats for 4 pax and req 2 window seats
your likeky to get two rows, 2 pax in each, and the 2 aisle seats on each row will be empty or someone else sat there.
dont forget they are usually request only so you 'may' get a row of 3 and one opposite the aisle.
have a nice hol
jem

Travelling to Menorca with spouse, five year old and 1 year old on Thomas Cook airlines.
1 year old will be on a lap.
So we will need 3 seats, me, spouse and five year old.

My question is: do we prebook seating?

It seems a lot of money for what airlines used to do anyway ie seat families together.

If we don't prebook, what are the chances of splitting us up? I cant really imagine they would want a five year old sat on his own.

Simple answer, no
If everyone refused to pay this charge airlines would have to drop, the day this happens the better for all of us. It really is another way to get cash out of us.