It's often a waste of money to pay for seats next to loved ones on a plane, Which? reveals

It’s often a waste of money to pay for seats next to loved ones on a plane, Which? reveals. Here’s why…

By Ailbhe Macmahon For Mailonline

Updated: 11:16 EDT, 15 June 2023

You’re likely wasting your money if you pay for seats next to your loved ones on a flight, Which? has revealed.

The consumer champion discovered that most major airlines will automatically seat you with the people you booked with, even if you don’t pay up.

This means there are big savings to be made if you’re booking a family holiday. When Which? checked, a family of four on a British Airways flight from London to Tenerife would have paid £112 to pre-select standard seats. For extra legroom, this rose to £192.

However, in the watchdog’s recent survey of the best and worst airlines, 94 per cent of BA customers who didn’t pay for seat selection ended up seated with their travel companions anyway.

EasyJet is also likely to seat you beside your loved ones – 93 per cent of people found this to be the case, Which? reveals. If you pay for a seat with the airline, you can expect to pay between £6.99 and £8.99.

You’re likely throwing money away if you pay for seats next to your loved ones on a flight, Which? has revealed

Meanwhile, 90 per cent of Jet2 customers who didn’t pay for seat selection – with seats priced from £10 and £13 – got to sit with their loved ones regardless.

The chances of being separated in the cabin are higher if you fly with Ryanair or Wizz Air, however.

Which? reveals that only 66 per cent of Ryanair passengers who booked in groups or pairs, without paying for seat selection, said they ended up together. It costs from £10 to £19 to choose a standard seat with the airline.

For Wizz Air, the same figure was just 61 per cent, Which? reveals, with the Hungarian carrier charging between £14 and £21 for seat selection.

Which? recently discovered that 94 per cent of BA customers who didn’t pay for seat selection ended up seated with their travel companions anyway

The watchdog notes that there’s no legal obligation for the airline to seat you right next to your family, not even children.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says: ‘Young children and infants who are accompanied by adults should ideally be seated in the same seat row as the adult. Where this is not possible, children should be separated by no more than one seat row from accompanying adults.’

However, Which? says that most airlines will automatically sit you next to your offspring.

That said, the watchdog points out that Ryanair does this by insisting that an accompanying adult has to pay for seat selection.

THE COST OF SITTING TOGETHER – AND YOUR ODDS OF BEATING THE SYSTEM

BRITISH AIRWAYS

Airline cost per person, per flight, to reserve a standard seat – £14 to £24

Percentage who sat next to travelling companion – without paying – 94 per cent

EASYJET

Airline cost per person, per flight, to reserve a standard seat – £6.99 to £8.99

Percentage who sat next to travelling companion – without paying – 93 per cent

JET2

Airline cost per person, per flight, to reserve a standard seat – £10 to £13

Percentage who sat next to travelling companion – without paying – 90 per cent