CessnaCJM great post - interesting & raising some valid querys concerning seating issues with budjet airlines & family safety.
I personally fly both Ryanair & Easyjet and passengers can purchase priority/ speedy boarding for an extra fee .
Or if you are checking in online & taking on hand luggage only you get it free .
If you want to avoid the scrum to get a seat & don't want to end up seperated from your loved ones then buy it as an add on or travel with cabin baggage only.
I usually travel light with just a small bag in which i can have up to 10kg of luggage so if onboard a ryanair i am one of the priveledged who get free priority boarding .
If travelling alone with my grandson i always have to purchase priority boarding as i have to check in his pushchair.
When travelling in a group with a small child / children i just ensure when booking the flights that i do 2 seperate bookings .
This way it keeps the costs down and i know that at least one group of us will get free priority boarding and be able to save seats for those that don't .
Also be aware the the flight booking systems can actually cheat you out of cheaper fares.
example = I have just purchased 5 lights to Reus rtn with Ryanair .
these flights where advertised at an incredible £1 each way no tax's !
The system was saying that there where 5 seats from Liverpool out at £1 but the return from Reus was showing 5 seats at £12.99 plus tax .
So i booked the 5 flights out one way = £5
and on the return reduced the seats needed one by one untill the system showed a fare at the advertised price of a £1 = 3 seats where available at that price so i booked those and that left the next 2 seats at £12.99 so i booked those .
I would have had to pay £12.99 plus tax from reus for 5 people if i booked the flights all together ? Which would have come to £148 but because i seperated the bookings i paid £66 !
Sometimes its cheaper to do the bookings in seperate groups .
There are lots of ways of manipulating the booking & priority/ speedy & boarding procedures to benefit familys to ensure that members of the same group can sit next to each other and get a much cheaper deal .
However i must give the Cabin crew the utmost respect as they work tirelessly to get familys seated together . I have seen children seperated from their parents on many occaisions & the crew have always got some one to help re-arrange ie give up the seating so as children & parents can be together & not get distressed so usually there are no complaints & everyone is happy .
a great thread throwing up issues that can 7 do effect all of us when travelling .