but what if there hadn't been,any willing passengers? where would you have been sat then? iv'e seen plenty of passengers,that have refused to move,thank goodness,you didn't have that experience.
tracy

Hubby and myself went to Cuba with First Choice from gatwick - did not pre book seats - booking in staff were not very helpfull - we were in different rows going out and coming back - not a very good experience.

but what if there hadn't been,any willing passengers? where would you have been sat then? iv'e seen plenty of passengers,that have refused to move,thank goodness,you didn't have that experience.
tracy

That's why I couldn't understand why he was so sure he could sort something out. I know we take a risk by not pre-booking but it's a risk I'm prepared to take. It wouldn't have been the end of the world if we weren't seated together. I will continue to take my chances and hold on to any money I'd have to fork out for pre-booking - at least until such a time when we don't get seated together. In all my years of flying we've never been separated.

glad you had a positive experience
we are flying to mexico,with them in oct,so it is nice,to hear you enjoyed your flight.
tracy

Having read through all of these posts I thought I'd add my $0.02.

People like to sit together (on the whole), but isn't always possible due to the seating configuration of the airctraft and the varying sizes of the groups travelling. A such, I think that it is perfectly acceptable for airlines to charge people who want to sit together - as there is potentailly a limited supply of such seating arrangements. As with all comodities, where there is limited supply, the value of that comodity will increase.

In this example, the cost of your ticket will be higher if you want to guarentee that you sit together, because there are only so many seating combinations available.

If you are unwilling to pay for this, you may not end up sitting together, which is why you will be paying a lower cost. This is the risk that you are willing to take by choosing not to pay for this facility.

Obviously, as stated by others above, some of those who didn't pay still got seated together although there was a risk that they may not have ended up like this.

Therefore it is up to the individuals involved to determine how much they value being able to sit together and compare this to the charges for guarenteeing that you can. It is fairly simple economics.

However, you cannot really complain if your party do not end up sitting together if you have not paid for this facility.

Personally, I enjoy the flight and think of it as a part of the holiday. As such I am willing to pay more (even to select a specific seat) to enable me to enjoy the flight as best as I can and keep my mind at ease before I go away - without the need to fret about not sitting together or getting to the airport really early (even though this may not help you any more anyway).

Cheers

PE

Hi all just returned yesterday from the Dom Rep and flew with TC, i have to say i am not sure that they do preallocate seats. We had a party of 12 on three seperate bookings and when we got to Manchester i asked if it would be possible for us all to be sat together and she did it!! Then on our return from the Dom Rep yesterday we again all got sat together including the family we had met there so that was all 15 of us sat together. I dont know if i was just lucky but have to say i was very happy with TC!

On the otherhand on my recent flight to and back from Cancun with TC, there were plenty of couples with glum faces in Premium because they weren't sitting together!.Including one couple at check in giving staff a real hard time because they were allocated seats across the aisle from each other.
For the sake of £6 per seat each way I think It's well worth pre booking seats.

Denny

I must be one of a few passengers who will move to let families sit next to each other.
I did it on 2 XL flights 3 years ago,once on a First Choice flight to Sharm so the girl over the aisle from us could sit next to her boyfriend who was sitting next to my husband and this May I moved over the aisle on a Thomson flight,so a 8 year old girl could sit next to her mam.She fell asleep on my husbands shoulder. The girl not the mam.
I am not bothered where I sit and if I am allocated a seat I dont like I move if there any any vacant seats.
As long as you are in your original seat for take off and landing the stewards dont have any objections.

Not an expert on charter - but I can see the point for many pax travelling in so called premium or premier class seats. Seems not quite right to me that they cannot (at least as far as I understand it) book seats at time of booking flights (while those can and pay for it when travelling economy).....may be I am wrong just sounds like a starnge policy when premier seats can cost a few hundred pounds.....

Nivsy

On the otherhand on my recent flight to and back from Cancun with TC, there were plenty of couples with glum faces in Premium because they weren't sitting together!.Including one couple at check in giving staff a real hard time because they were allocated seats across the aisle from each other.
For the sake of £6 per seat each way I think It's well worth pre booking seats.

denny53
Even if you do pay for 'sitting together' across the aisle is classed as 'sitting together'.

The only way round it is to book specific seats.

Hi. We never used to prebook seats together but we do now. We had the misfortune to be caught in a 6hr hold up on the motorway some years ago and arrived at checkin with literally a couple of minutes to spare before it was closed. We ended up me towards the front of the plane and my husband virtually at the back of the plane. We are not too worried about sitting side by side on the plane but it is nice to be within talking distance. My husband said he did not mind to much, he got a lot of sleep in! At the time we consideed ourselves very lucky to be even on the plane.

Prettypollycat,

Exactly my point!

Denny

A lot of charter airlines charge you for 'sitting together' and then extra again to choose specific seats.

I'm not sure if that's how First Choice work.

If it really IS only an additional £6 per person per sector to select specific seats, I'd be inclined to pay - assuming that I'd been happy to pay the extra for 'sitting together' in the first place - which I wouldn't have done.

we are not bothered if i'm one end of the aircraft and OH is the other end as long as we get the flight times we require [anyway if it happens i will have a few hrs peace ]

Prettypollycat,

Prettypollycat wrote:

I'm not sure if that's how First Choice work.

There Is No First Choice Airways Now, It Is Now Thomson Airways, And As Such:
You Can Pay For Seating Together
You Can Pay To Select Specific Seats (More)
Or You Can Not Pay And They Will Allocate Your Seats On A "Best Fit Model"

Gower

There Is No First Choice Airways Now, It Is Now Thomson Airways, And As Such:
You Can Pay For Seating Together
You Can Pay To Select Specific Seats (More)
Or You Can Not Pay And They Will Allocate Your Seats On A "Best Fit Model"

Ok, Gower - it doesn't matter anyway because denny.53 was talking about Thomas Cook.
I think I probably picked up the reference to First Choice from JayTrip's post.:duh

I can see why people may wish to pay extra to secure a specific seat, but I would never pay for just 'Seating Together'.

But is that the case for premier (premium) seats?

I was of the impression that you cannot book your choice of seat on line - or that you have to phone up the tour company (Airline) and hope that the seats (premium) you want can be allocated.

All seems a bit of an ordeal if so, considering you may have paid up to 500 each for return premier seats.

Nivsy

nivsey,

You can now book specific seats in premium class with both companies.Thomson Airways are taking bookings for flights from November online now, but Thomas Cook you have to phone them to book specific seats in premium.

Angie

We don't usually bother if its just us two and we're on a short haul flight. We are two of the few people who enjoy the whole airport experience, and are always there by the time check in opens. I know this doesn't always mean you sit together, but so far we have been lucky. I like to sit together because he has the money for the "drinkies"