Unless you want to pay for extra legroom seats I think its a rip off.If you get to the airport as checkin opens you should be able to request where you prefer to sit.If you check in late you have less chance of getting your prefered seats.I have heard people say if you didnt want the meal you were allocated at the rear of the plane but I sat next to a woman near the front who had her own food.

we pay every time to sit together,but we have never been given a choice as to where abouts on the plane,having said that ive never asked.the only stipulation ii have is not at the back of the plane in non reclining seats(not that we recline)but you dont want everyone sat in your lap either. mo.

Being 6ft 5inch I always prebook seats and I always get to pick seats.
As a firefighter they always put me by the emergency exit so as I can help in an emergency.

Trigger

I appreciate that some people feel it's a bit of a con to pay. But one of the advantages is that on a flight to Egypt you have to check in 3 hours before departure if you don't book your seats and 90 mins before if you do.
This was as attractive to me as the seats together, as we have an early flight.

The other thing I was considering asking for was 2 x 2 seats behind each other, to get 2 window seats. Rather than a 3 and 1 across the aisle.

Many thanks for all your comments.

We have travelled many times with our friends and have nearly always been given 3seats together with 1 across the aisle.The only time we got 2 and 2 behind was when we went to Cancun on a Thomson flight with a company called the Holiday Place who asked us what number seats we would like and they pre booked them for us at no extra charge.I think it differs with each airline.People complain about Excel but they are the most accommodating airline I have flown on.They asked if anyone would move seats so a large group could be together.It was like musical chairs and everyone was happy in the end.They also shuffled everyone around so 2 very very overweight people could have 3 seats each!

we paid to get seat numbers last time with thomson holidays, it was so much easier.

Thanks for all the replys. This is an odd booking as it's through my travel/going places but they are using a thomsonfly plane, don't suppose that will make any difference though.

I'm just as interested in being able to check in 90 mins before rather than 3 hours before as the flight is so early. But being able to pick seat numbers/location would be good to.

we booked our seats once had received the tickets as it gives you a layout of the plane.
hope this helps

I know when our tickets usually come there a bit in them about picking your seat!
This expense is usually on top of a sitting together charge!
I think if the seats together charge alone covered this then you'd find it hard to book your seat numbers as others would already have them!

We've never booked seats together or picked numbers and we've always ended up sat together!
Last year on the way back we even had the extra legroom seats for free! Didn't even ask for them!

Hi
We booked with Thomson online and they charge you extra 'for sitting together' and if you want to choose a particular seat, then you pay extra again.

You can only choose the 'specific seat' option if you've paid the 'sitting together' fee.

I think it worked out something like £70 extra between the 2 of us.
We didn't pay, got to the airport early and got window and aisle seat (it was a 767).

As we usually travel to Gatwick from North East Midlands (we go long-haul and prefer Gatwick to Manchester) we need to allow plenty of time for travel so usually arrive at the airport at least 4 hours before departure.

dont pre book. !! when travelling with my wife i try not to pre book . we then end up at opposite ends of the plane. and i get to travel in peace. bliss
p.s . only joking love

There are normally four of us who travel together. We have never pre booked seats but we always manage to get a row of three and one on the other side of the aisle. I always blag the seat on it's own as although we are all together I'm just that little bit further away from the kids

Regards Jackie

Hi Jackie

Your a woman after my own heart. That's what I do as well if I can get away with it. Main reason I will pay is to check in 90 mins before and not 3 hours., to save having to get up at stupid o'clock.

Can't believe how many responses I've got to this thread, many, many thanks to you all.

It has now become clear that bascially you pay twice, once just to get 4 sets together somewhere on the plane, and then again to actually specify your seat numbers ( I should have realised, they don't miss a trick these TO's )

Jackie - another one like me - anything for a bit of peace and quiet. This year it's just me and my husband so it shouldn't be a problem getting two seats together.

Last year the three of us chose the 'early check in' option at Gatwick and checked in the evening before an early morning flight and stayed the night at a hotel. This way we got the pick of the seats as not many people knew you could do this.

According to the BAA Gatwick website, this option is available again this year for certain flights so we will go for it again!

Sue

ThomsonFly offer 'Extra Seats', Seats Together, and 'Select Your Seat' services:-

Extra seats

Seats either with extra legroom, at the front of the aircraft (this may be by the "bulkhead") or by an emergency exit, "Extra Seats". £15.00 per passenger per flight.

Seats Together

"Seats Together" £5.00 per passenger per flight (availability and price varies by route). "Seats Together" is very popular with family groups. This service is available online on many routes as part of the booking process.

Select your seat

Select your actual seat number £5.00 per passenger per flight (availability and price varies by route). Seats with extra legroom can also be reserved for £15.00 per passenger per flight. The cost of these services may vary by route though.

Premium seats and service

On selected Short-Haul flights. Premium Seating at £40.00 per passenger per return flight: Wider seats with extra recline. Up to 5 inches extra legroom.

I'm not sure if I have done my maths right, but the way I see it is this, if you fly with ThomsonFly and you want to ensure you are all sat together in seats that you have personally selected and with extra legroom then you are looking at paying an additional £35.00 per passenger, or £75.00 per passenger if you opt for the premium seat package on top as well.

I personally think that is extorniate and a bit of a rip-off (IMHO) and simply not worth paying. And I would not pay it, certainly not on a short-haul flight anyway.

Unfortuanately the old saying of the earlier you check-in the more choice you have does not really apply now in this age of Pre-Booking and Pre-Selecting seats.....if you have not prebooked specific seats then you basically get assigned whatever is left at the check-in desk.

At least that has been my own personal experience.

Click HERE for further information.

I can't remember the airline but my parents flew to New York. They didn't book the 'sit together' option thinking they would be ok and ended up apart from each other. My Dad didn't mind though, a bit of peace and quiet for him!

We reckon he did it deliberately...!

How early did they get to check-in? As I said, with many people paying these extra supplements there is often very little option left for the Check In Staff to assign you whatever seats are left.

This happened to my family when we arrived at Humberside Airport a couple of years back. We were there as soon as the Check-In Desks had opened and we were about the fourth in the queue. So you would think we would have been ok and got seats tother, right? No, wrong.....we were separated and I ended up sat in the rear of the aircraft whilst my parents were right up at the front.

Now are the Airlines deliberatley doing this in order to force passengers to pay these extra supplements? When I complained to the Check In Operator, she said there was nothing she could do about it as our seats numbers would have been allocated as soon as we confirmed our booking at the Travel Agent and there was nothing she could do about it. She asked if we had paid for the 'Seats Together' service, and when I said no, she said well that is the reason why she could not offer us seats together as it was no longer under thier control.

And that actually happened to us.

Apart from our very first trip abroad (when we were a little "green" about traveling and the TO recommended it as a good idea!), we have never pre-booked our seats together and I must say, have never been separated even by an aisle. I guess we have been really lucky. We have even traveled in a group of 8 and were seated together in one whole row and two seats in front. We have never actually chosen our seat numbers though. I didnt even know you could.

I have to admit that we have pre-booked our seats for our holiday this year, but that is only because we used a promotional code to book the trip and needed to be over a certain figure to use it. Pre-booking the seats and in-flight meals took us over that limit and we still got a bargain

For peace of mind to ensure you all sit together it is a good idea to pre-book but in the end, all it really does is line the TO's pockets. If you are willing to take a chance, why give them the money when you could have an extra sangria or two (obviously depending on where you are going ) when you are on holiday.