Mum slammed for asking stranger to swap £22 TUI plane seat with scared child

A mother has been criticised online for asking a passenger to swap seats with her child on a TUI flight.

While there are many cheap airlines offering flights to and from the UK, inexpensive trips do come with their downsides.

Unless you’re willing to fly with just a backpack and take any seat on the plane you could end up shelling out extra cash for hold luggage, food or to choose your seat.

But, one woman was surprised when flying out to Gran Canaria, a sunny Spanish island, when she was asked to move seats by a mum who wanted to sit next to her daughter,

It appeared the child was afraid of flying, but they hadn’t spent extra money to ensure they were seated together, reports EdinburghLive.

Posting on parenting website Mumsnet, the woman asked fellow users who was in the wrong as she revealed that she had refused to move.

In the section called “Am I Being Unreasonable” she said: "Last week I was travelling to Gran Canaria with TUI.

“I had booked mine and boyfriend's seats, when we booked and paid £22 for both. I had the window and he had the middle.

"A lady sat on the end and her daughter was in front. She asked could they have our two seats and we have hers/daughters or my boyfriend switch with her daughter.

"I politely said no, which she wasn't happy about.”

The woman continued: "We got: ‘What difference does it make? You're adults, my daughter is scared of flying and is a minor.’

"Anyway we wouldn't move."

She asked: "Was I in the wrong ? Surely if she was that bothered she could have paid like us."

Most of the posters agreed that the mum was being rude to ask and that she didn’t have to move as she had paid for her seat.

"You are completely in the right in my opinion! I wouldn't have moved either. She was just trying it on", one replied.

Another added: "TUI has never seated me separately to my kids and I never pay extra.

“But then they're also under 10 so I expect that is their policy.

“If her child was presumably older, she should have paid.”

And, a third noted: "I wouldn't have asked but I would have swapped if I had been asked."

"This really bugs me – I have lost count of the number of times there have been parents on flights with small children who haven't paid to sit together and expect people who have to move!"

Others blamed the airline, such as one mum who wrote: "Airlines need to make it clear they can't guarantee that children will be sat directly next to their accompanying adults.

“Would make the whole scenario a lot less common."

Get all the biggest Lifestyle news straight to your inbox. Sign up for the free Daily Star Hot Topics newsletter

But others thought she was in the wrong and needed to have more consideration for others.

One woman noted: "I would have quite happily moved. This thread is making me think I'm nicer than I thought I was, and that's saying something!"

And, another said: “Not unreasonable. Just uncharitable. Personally I would have swapped for the sake of a child.

“My partner is an adult and can survive a whole flight without me holding his hand.

"You value money and the entitlements it gives you more than a stranger's child's feelings."

TUI's terms and conditions regarding seats say: "Seats are assigned separately for outbound and inbound flights, and you’ll need to make each seat reservation by looking at a digital aircraft seat plan for your flight.

“Remember to make sure seats are assigned for each leg of your journey.

“Please note, if you leave empty seats between the ones you’ve chosen, or you leave a single window seat unoccupied, we won’t be able to confirm your seating request and you will be asked to re-select."

It adds: "We’ll attempt to accommodate your party together wherever possible, although this can’t be guaranteed.

“Seats together means seats that are alongside each other, immediately in front and behind each other.

“Parties may be separated by an aisle."

Source: Read Full Article