Legal rights for families
UK and EU rules require airlines to seat children under 12 (some carriers extend to 16) next to an accompanying adult free of charge when booked on the same reservation — applies to BA, easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, and TUI. Contact the airline if auto-assignment splits the group before paying for seats.
UK and EU rules require airlines to seat children under 12 (some carriers extend to 16) next to an accompanying adult free of charge when booked on the same reservation — applies to BA, easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, and TUI. Contact the airline if auto-assignment splits the group before paying for seats.
Adults and teenagers without minors have no legal right to adjacent seats — only commercial options below.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic
BA short-haul: free seat selection opens 24 hours before departure at check-in; Basic economy long-haul may charge for advance seats — Club World and premium cabins include selection earlier. Families: use "Manage My Booking" to confirm child adjacency without fee.
BA short-haul: free seat selection opens 24 hours before departure at check-in; Basic economy long-haul may charge for advance seats — Club World and premium cabins include selection earlier. Families: use "Manage My Booking" to confirm child adjacency without fee.
Virgin Atlantic: economy seat selection included on most fares at booking; Upper Class and Premium select at booking. Flying Club Gold may unlock preferred seats earlier.
Tip: check in exactly when the window opens for best free seat maps on BA short-haul — aisle/window pairs often still available.
easyJet, Ryanair, and Jet2
easyJet: paid seat selection from booking; "Inspire" bundles may include seats. Without payment, random allocation at check-in — couples often land same row on quiet flights but never rely on it peak season.
easyJet: paid seat selection from booking; "Inspire" bundles may include seats. Without payment, random allocation at check-in — couples often land same row on quiet flights but never rely on it peak season.
Ryanair: paid seats only for guaranteed together; cheapest fares randomise. Priority boarding plus reserved seats is the budget airline norm for groups needing overhead space together.
Jet2: seat allocation at check-in unless pre-purchased — package holiday customers often add seats at booking for peace of mind on family trips to Mediterranean resorts.
Tactics without paying on every leg
Book one PNR for the whole group — split bookings never guarantee proximity. Select seats immediately when free windows open.
Book one PNR for the whole group — split bookings never guarantee proximity. Select seats immediately when free windows open.
Check seat map frequently after booking — aircraft swaps change layouts; paid seats sometimes reassign to equivalent rows.
At gate: polite ask works on empty flights only — agents cannot override weight-balance or paid-seat inventory on full aircraft.
See /guides/airline-carry-on-baggage-rules and /guides/best-budget-airlines-europe-2026 for total trip cost including seats and bags.