All I know is that it wasn't a problem when none of these things were chargeable extras. Check in staff were conscientious enough to know the layout of the plane and the seats and do the best with them that they could. If someone had real issues like being extra tall etc. then they would make special arrangement with the airline OR they would turn up early at check in to get seated where they preferred if possible.

The number of families not sitting together on a flight is surely minimal unless the check in staff haven't been trained properly in utilising the seating available. Charging for meals and segregating the passengers accordingly has only served to make it more likely that you won't be able to sit where you want. To the extent that you either all have to order the meal or sit separately. Seems like they took the meals out of the equation yet it hasn't made for cheaper flights anyway.

This is a matter of principle for me I'm afraid.

Thomsons allocate all non prebooked seats prior to check in. They are done the previous day using a best fit model. Thomas Cook still allocate at check-in.

In my experience of flying with Thomas Cook from Stansted (June 2009) they pre-allocate seats.

We'd not paid for specific seats or 'seats together'.
We were one of the first passengers to check-in and we requested a window seat.
We were told that seats were pre-allocated by computer and couldn't be changed.

On my last trips with Thomas Cook in Jan 2010 and last November I hadn't pre-booked seats, and they had already been allocated. We were second at check-in in January, and weren't able to have aisle seats. Not enough of an issue to persuade me to pay to pre book.

We were second at check-in in January, and weren't able to have aisle seats. Not enough of an issue to persuade me to pay to pre book.

Pity we weren't on the same Thomas Cook flight, Meerkat2505 - you could have had our aisle seats and we'd have been pleased with your window seats.

I wouldn't pay to pre-book seats either.

I just wondered if the OP actually got his refund for his pre-booked seats on his outbound & inbound flights.

When we went to Vegas for our wedding/honeymoon my dad paid for sitting together seats.

On the way home it was a 3 legged flights, we checked in about 12 hours before our second leg.

On the first & second leg they had us sitting all over the plane apart from my 15 year old brother next to my mum.

When we got to the boarding gate for the first leg the woman sorted it out and bumped us up to first class to sit together for the 5 hour flight to Chicago and told us we could do the same in Chicago.

When we got to Chicago to clerk flat out refused and was very very rude to my father.

Luckily it worked out that my brother was seated next to my parents, but the newly weds were seated 7 rows apart for an 8 hour transatlantic flight.

My dad was none to happy, reported the man to the airline on got a refund in the end.

Helen

hi all, we don't book pre booked seats as that £30 can be a nice meal out in resort, we normally get a window seat flying out or back home thats just fine to us, we would give up our seats to a nice family if they wanted/need to sit together. but probably not to a gobby/ demanding family, if they want to sit together put them all in together in one loo , but on the other hand if you pay for seats together you should be sat together you pay extra for this ,
as long as we all get to our hols who cares x

Please note, Thomas Cook do pre allocate for most flights too.

On our first holiday abroad with our little one - then 3, First Choice said there was no need to pay to pre-book seats as they never split families up.

Low & behold we were 2nd in the check in queue and guess what - they had no seats together. As I was the mother, my daughter had to stay with me. They upgraded my husband to an extra legroom seat for the inconvenience. You can imagine how happy I was when trying to shuffle up the aisle to get my little one to the toilet whilst passing my hubby reading the paper relaxing!!

My husband asked the grumpy man who had the aisle seat next to us if he would like to swap for the extra leg room seat but he declined and then just tutted all the way through the flight because my little ones crayons kept rolling of the table!! Fun Fun Fun!! Luckily it was just a short haul flight.

Always booked seats since then till last year!! We were all sat together with Thomas Cook but just dreadful seats, especially on return flight. The check in desk had allocated people all over the flight - chaos on board. We were one of the last to reach our seats and we hadn't even got a window!! The crampest row of seats ever!! Looked on flight plan this year and they are not even noted as bookable seats!!!

We have def paid for bookable seats this year!!

YEP, on our way back me my husband and my 5 year old son had seats that does not make sense. Me and hubby next to each other and my 5 year old seat a row back on the end. How can they expect my child to sit on a 4 hour flight by himself? So we had to swop seats in order for him to sit next to me and hubby a row back. I dont know what they were thinking??? Air Mauritius really sucks!