Planning a holiday with children this year? Understanding airline seating policies is crucial for families who wish to sit together on the plane, especially when travelling with young children. Each airline has specific rules regarding seat bookings, and sometimes an extra fee may be required. Here, we outline the guidance for Jet2, easyJet, Ryanair, and TUI, following a recent Jet2 reminder to passengers flying with young children.
Jet2
Jet2.com encourages passengers to pre-book seats to reserve preferred spots for their travelling party, either during booking or via Manage My Booking. For those with assisted travel requirements, the airline refers to its Assisted Travel and Medical FAQs. As a family-friendly airline, Jet2 makes every effort to seat families together, aiming to seat children under 12 next to an accompanying adult. However, this may only be arranged at the airport or on board if seats are not pre-booked.
In a recent social media exchange, a passenger travelling with a three-year-old via a travel agent found the family seated separately. Jet2's social media team reassured that children under eight must sit with an accompanying adult, and the check-in team could amend seats at the airport. They advised contacting them via direct message for further assistance.
easyJet
easyJet advises passengers to inform the airline when booking if travelling with children, adding the number and ages of children and infants during the process. To maximise the chance of seating together, check-in as early as possible—check-in opens 30 days before departure, and early check-in (at least seven days before) is recommended. Seats are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and while the system tries to seat families together, last-minute check-in may result in separate seats. Each child under 12 will be seated close to an adult, but this may only be possible at the airport or on board, causing delays. Infants must sit with adults, either on a lap (for a fee) or in a purchased seat. Up to one infant per row of three seats is allowed, and each adult can travel with a maximum of two infants (requiring an additional seat for at least one).
Ryanair
Ryanair offers free reserved seating for children aged 2 to 11, allowing them to sit beside a parent when an adult purchases a reserved seat. Adults can select up to four children's seats beside them free of charge. However, if an adult chooses a seat outside specific rows (depending on the aircraft), a price difference applies, and children's seats in those rows incur the full reserved seat price. If no seats are available together for a family, Ryanair advises selecting a different flight.
TUI
TUI Airways ensures that children under 12 on a booking are seated with at least one adult. To guarantee that everyone sits together, TUI recommends reserving seats at the time of booking or later via Manage My Booking. If the Select Your Seat service is not used, seats are automatically allocated during online check-in.
