Airline seating: How to get around seat charges and sit with your family for free
FAMILIES can end up spending hundreds extra if they want to guarantee seats together on a flight.
But while worried parents think nothing of forking out to be with their kids, there are actually ways to get around these seating charges so you can sit with your family for free.
How do I dodge reservation fees?
has published a guide to dodging seat reservation fees – and highlighted how much it could save a family jetting off on holiday.
To select seats at the point of booking, passengers will have to fork out at least £3 per person each way.
At the top end, Virgin Atlantic charges £30 each way for passengers to select their flights.
It means for a family of four, return flights quickly add up to £240 on top of the fares they've already paid.
But as it happens, you might be able to dodge paying extra for your seat if you’re savvy with some clever airline hacks.
If you're going to try the route of checking in as early as possible to get seats together with the rest of the people in your booking, then you'll need to find out when your airline's check in opens.
Ways to avoid paying airline seat selection fees
Money Saving Expert has revealed their top tips for avoiding paying to choose your seats on a plane
1. Check in as early as possible
There are no guarantees, but many airlines say that their booking systems will always try to seat those who booked together with each other.
2. Check in at the last minute if you’re a solo traveller and want extra legroom
Airlines often don’t sell their priciest seats – the ones with extra legroom.
If these are left over, they may be handed to those who check in last, although there are no guarantees.
3. If you're travelling with a child, you should be able to sit with them
Airlines such as British Airways, TUI, Virgin Atlantic, Air France, KLM and Thomas Cook guarantee children under 12 will sit with an adult.
4. Disabled people should be allocated or allowed to select their seat for free
Those with reduced mobility, disabilities, difficulties with communication or the elderly should have the right to special assistance when travelling. However, you will have to contact the airline before you fly.
5. Choosing the right airline can make all the difference
Some airlines, such as Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways, will let you choose your seats as soon as you book.
It’s worth setting a reminder on your phone to check in as soon as it does.
Depending on when your flight is, this might be in the middle of the night - and you'll need to wake up and check in then to guarantee you're one of the first.
But setting an alarm can save you money in the long run.
Having the airline's app on your phone could also speed up the process as usually you will also receive an alert on your mobile.
When it comes to Ryanair though, it's a whole different ballgame.
Sun Online previously revealed that families booking on Ryanair have a 1 in 17,578 chance of getting seats on the same row.
And according to a Which? investigation, it's the only airline where it's actually worthwhile to pre-book seats if you're travelling with kids and want to sit with them.
Ryanair for seating families together.
The airline requires that children under 12 must be seated with an adult - and each adult is allocated up to four seats for children.
But in order to pick these seats, the adult in question must pay a mandatory four euro (£3) fee to reserve their seat first.
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Sun Online previously revealed where you can find the best seats on different airlines.
We also reveal how you can get an entire row to yourself on an economy flight.
And if you're bumped off an overbooked flight this summer, you could be due compensation.
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