Jetstar with Kids - no seat selection

[wendlle]

Just wanted to share my experience.
I decided not to pay for seat selection, 2 adults and 2 children aged 5 and 8. On the Jetstar website it stated if I didn't choose a seat "don't worry Kids under 18 will always be seated with an Adult" it was a quick 1.5 hour flight and I was happy for one of the Adults to have the kids with them and the other Adult could sit anywhere they put them.

I checked in online and lo and behold, they placed the 2 adults together and the 2 kids together 3 rows away. I waited and got to the airport and was told, nothing we can do.

Didn't matter, we just put one adult with each kid, we didn't have meals paid for so it didn't matter - but WTH??
Not good that it says they will seat kids with an adult and then put two kids under 10 next to a random stranger and 2 adults together 3 rows away.

 

[bam71]

You were all I the same booking? If so its pretty bad form..

 

[Saab34]

Jetstar have always had terrible form with the Adults/Kids being separated and I’ve seen dramas on many flights.

No idea why they haven’t fixed this issue. It’s been going on since they updated the software about a decade ago.

I’ve also seen vulnerable elderly split away from family members, really annoyed me watching these people try to negotiate new seats while boarding.

I’ve not seen this on any other airline unless anyone else has?

 

[aikman]

This is a problem easily solved. Buy allocated seats.

 

[Hvr]

So your group got two pairs of seats.
Can't see the problem.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This is a problem easily solved. Buy allocated seats.

Potentially, but it can add $$ to the fare.

This is a safety (operational) issue and should be managed by airlines free of charge. You can’t have an adult going against the flow of an evacuation looking for a child.

Agree in this case not an issue, simply swap one of the adults for the child and no issues.

 

[serfty]

Agree in this case not an issue, simply swap one of the adults for the child and no issues.

It's not that simple,

Can you imagine what would happen if @wendlle said nothing and all four sat in their specific allocated seats on boarding?

 

[JohnK]

This happened to us on JQ once or twice when daughter was younger but luckily they were able to fix at check-in.

This is a problem easily solved. Buy allocated seats.

Why exactly?

If I'm travelling with wife and daughter on same booking then I'd expect we are seated together and not separated. (If on separate booking then I pay to pre-allocate seats)

If wife and daughter are travelling together then I also expect they'd be seated together.

Daughter is only 8 years old so shouldn't be be seated away from parents.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It's not that simple,

Can you imagine what would happen if @wendlle said nothing and all four sat in their specific allocated seats on boarding?

Simple in the sense that it can be easily sorted. Or if only picked up by the crew once on board, can be easily sorted.

Better than the alternative of having to ask random pax to move once they have sat down.

 

[wendlle]

You were all I the same booking? If so its pretty bad form..

yes, we were all on the same booking

This is a problem easily solved. Buy allocated seats.

if their own website just before purchasing seats says "don't worry children under 18 will always be seated with an Adult" then no I don't think I do need to purchase allocated seats.

So your group got two pairs of seats.
Can't see the problem.

the kids were put away from the adults and you don't see a problem?
It was easily fixed by us by just putting an Adult into one of the Kids seats, but we shouldn't have had to do that. If their system says "kids under 18 will always be seated with an Adult" then that is what the system should have done.

 

[DC3]

I see where you are coming from. And it seems like it was the airline that didn’t see a problem

 

[Cubiscus]

This is a problem easily solved. Buy allocated seats.

So parents should have to spend more to sit by their kids?

The airline should have that as a rule.

 

[wendlle]

So parents should have to spend more to sit by their kids?

The airline should have that as a rule.

I don't mind paying more. My issue is that they specifically say that they will ALWAYS sit kids with an Adult - and then failed to do so.
If they just said "if you don't purchase an allocated seat now, you may not sit with your kids" I would have done this.

 

[im.daniel]

Ok so I've had a few experiences with JQ the last few weeks - ADL-SYD v.v a few times. Always a party of 3, 2x Adults, 1x 3yo. Never bothered paying for allocated seating.

1st flight ADL-SYD - Kid in 3E, Mom+Dad in 6E+F with online check in T-28,. No worries, worst case scenario, kid can with with Dad and Mom to 3E. Went to ADL to a kiosk to print out BP. Seats changed to 16 D,E,F. Great.

2nd flight ADL-SYD - Mom+Dad in 15 E,F, Kid in 7E with online check in T-40. Logged into MMB to check status of flight at T-4. Noticed that we have all been moved to 20 D,E,F.

3rd flight SYD-ADL - all 3 allocated to 21 ABC at online check in T-30ish. No issues.

Seems like JQ playing games to scare people into buying seats next to each other. Smart/cheeky!