Mums do travel

Travel with and without teens

  • Home
  • Destination
    • UK
      • London
      • Kent
      • Northern Ireland
      • Wales
      • Elsewhere
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Croatia
      • France
      • Gibraltar
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • USA
      • Canada
      • Carribean
      • Costa Rica
    • Africa
      • South Africa
      • Tunisia
    • Asia
      • Thailand
      • Bali
      • Singapore
    • Australia
  • Inspiration
    • Things to do in…
    • Things to do in London…
    • Where to stay
    • Language learning
    • Family travel interviews
    • The journey
    • Recipes
  • Published in
  • About
  • Contact
  • Travel shop
Home / Tips & ideas / The journey / 8 reasons why families need to sit together on flights

8 reasons why families need to sit together on flights

May 25, 2018 by Gretta Schifano 7 Comments

8 reasons why families need to sit together on flights

Apparently one in five airline passengers are separated from their travel companions if they don’t pay to choose their seat. On some airlines (I’m looking at you, Ryanair) more like one in three people are split up from their mates or family. Unless you prefer not to sit with your friends and relations, this is irritating. But if you’re travelling with kids, this is more than an inconvenience. It pains me to be writing this as it just seems so obvious (and it doesn’t really affect me directly as my kids are teenagers), but here’s why airlines should be ensuring that adults and children who are travelling together are seated together. – and why they shouldn’t be charging them to do so.

Safety

Firstly, and most importantly, it could actually be dangerous to split children up from their parents. And that’s not just my opinion – a report by the Royal Aeronautical Society Flight Operations Group (FOG) recommends that family members shouldn’t be charged to sit together, because in an emergency children will need to be helped by their adult carers, and also because parents and kids are likely to look for each other and this could delay passengers from reaching the emergency exits.

Child protection

Children shouldn’t be stuck in a confined space (i.e. a seat on a plane) with random strangers, away from the adults who are responsible for them. What if these strangers say or do something inappropriate or harmful to the child? If airlines insist on putting children at risk in this way, are they legally liable if a child is harmed as a result?

Adult protection

(I’m only half-joking here). Who wants to sit next to an unknown child who’s unsupervised by their parents on a flight (and if an adult would like to be in that position, isn’t that a concern?). What if the child says or does something inappropriate or harmful to the adult?

Oxygen masks

If the oxygen masks drop down, who’s responsible for helping a child to put their mask on and keeping them calm if they’re not with their adult carer? Is it fair to anyone concerned to expect a stranger to do that?

Toilet breaks

Generally young kids on planes go to the loo with an adult carer. How does that work when they’re not sitting together?

Cabin bags

Most young children can’t reach the overhead lockers. If they’re not sitting with their parents or carers, what happens to their cabin bags? Do the strangers they’re sitting with have to help them? Do their parents keep the kids’ luggage with them? Do the cabin staff sort it out?

Fairness to others

What if you’ve paid to choose your seat and then you have a random child seated next to you, away from their adult companions? Most people would obviously do their best to help a child in this position – but is that fair?

Profit

This policy of charging people to sit together is a recent phenomenon, and not all airlines do it. The only reason for it is to increase profits, and it’s clearly a step too far.

Charging passengers to sit together implies that it’s an optional extra, like taking lots of luggage or buying a drink on board. For parents traveling with young kids, sitting together is not an optional add-on, it’s essential.

It’s simply not OK for airlines to be doing this to children.

Ever.

And I think that it’s about time they stopped.

Over to you

What do you think? Have you ever been seated away from your child on a flight? Or has a random child been seated next to you, away from their adult carer?

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related

Categories: The journey, Travel advice
Tags: flight safety, Ryanair, seating charges

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

Facebook - Twitter - Google+

Subscribe to posts by email?

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Comments

  1. Leona says

    September 11, 2018 at 1:06 am

    I couldn’t agree with you more on all these points!
    Leona recently posted…Guide to Visiting Nusa Dua With KidsMy Profile

    Reply
  2. Agata says

    August 8, 2018 at 4:21 am

    I completely agree. Thank you for writing this as this is one area of travel that really gets under my skin. I once had to argue and practically beg to have my husband, my 18th-month-old daughter and I all seated together. They originally had her seated by herself away from both of us! (I was pregnant so we bought her a seat.) And just so you know, she threw up all over both of us on that flight. Why I even had to beg is beyond me! It was very upsetting.

    I have had many other bad experiences since then and now we always pay extra for our seat assignments as I don’t want to risk it and I hate begging the airline attendants to change seats while we are boarding or at the gate. That said, the staff on the plane are usually very helpful- but everyone else beforehand- not so much.

    Some airlines have told me that we can wait until two days before the flight when they open up the family seats at the back of the plane, but that kind of last-minute planning is too stressful.
    Agata recently posted…Reggia Di CasertaMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      August 9, 2018 at 7:38 am

      That sounds like a very stressful experience – it just makes no sense at all to seat an 18 month-old away from parents!

      Reply
  3. Cathy (Mummytravels) says

    June 5, 2018 at 7:13 am

    I totally agree – it seems just plain common sense that children shouldn’t be split up from their parents, for safety apart from anything else. Where else would we accept that happening?
    Cathy (Mummytravels) recently posted…May family travel essentials – and giveawayMy Profile

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      June 5, 2018 at 8:01 am

      Exactly – it’s just unacceptable.

      Reply
  4. Ting at MTM says

    May 27, 2018 at 7:15 pm

    Great post Gretta. You make such valid and common sense points that it’s hard to believe you’ve even had to point these out. I do hope that more and more people openly discuss their disgust at these ridiculous charges.

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      May 29, 2018 at 1:46 pm

      I do too – it’s just plain wrong to spilt children up from their parents, and I can’t believe that some airlines get away with doing it.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Search site

Follow me!

Email: gretta at mumsdotravel dot com
Follow me on FacebookFollow me on Google+Follow me on TwitterFollow me on InstagramFollow me on YouTubeFollow me on PinterestFollow me on Bloglovin

You'd like posts by email?

Booking.com

Most popular posts:

  • How to pack for an 8 kg luggage allowance
    How to pack for an 8 kg luggage allowance
  • Where to find Mary Poppins film locations in London
    Where to find Mary Poppins film locations in London
  • Thailand with teenagers: a two-week summer itinerary
    Thailand with teenagers: a two-week summer itinerary
  • What to do when your teenager doesn't want to go on your family holiday
    What to do when your teenager doesn't want to go on your family holiday
  • How to shop in the souks of Tunis medina, Tunisia
    How to shop in the souks of Tunis medina, Tunisia
  • Itinerary for a three-night Berlin sightseeing trip with a teenager
    Itinerary for a three-night Berlin sightseeing trip with a teenager
  • Top things to do in Sicily with teenagers
    Top things to do in Sicily with teenagers
  • 5 of the best: UK castles for family stays
    5 of the best: UK castles for family stays
  • 60 free things to do in London with a teenager
    60 free things to do in London with a teenager
  • Is your teenager ready to stay at home alone?
    Is your teenager ready to stay at home alone?

Recent Posts

  • How to apply for Italian citizenship: everything we’ve done so far
  • How to explore London’s top attractions from home
  • Amsterdam virtual museum & gallery tours
  • Introducing Armchair Travels
  • How to explore Florence, Italy, from home

About

  • About
  • Published in
  • Contact

Disclosure

This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.

Copyright © Mums do travel 2019
Header by Suzanne Barton
Website by
Callia Web

Sign up for my free newsletter:
Subscribe to the Mums do travel mailing list... it's FREE!
You'll receive family travel news, offers and competitions. Once you sign up you can download my tips for saving money on family travel.
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.
Sign up for my free newsletter: