Paying extra to sit together on flights is likely a waste of money, says new study

Family of four could save at least £112

Many airlines charge extra to sit with your travel companions (Getty Images)

Paying extra to select seats on a flight to ensure travellers are sitting with their party could be a waste of money, according to a new study.

Analysis of leading airlines found the majority of passengers will get seated together even when they haven’t stumped up for specific allocation, found Which?.

The consumer champion’s research suggested that 94 per cent of British Airways passengers who didn’t pay to select their seats were still placed next to each other.

This means families could save a significant amount when booking flights if they choose not to add on seat allocation.

For example, a family of four would end up paying £112 extra to pre-select standard seats on a London-Tenerife flight, rising to £192 to select seats with extra legroom.

EasyJet, meanwhile, seats 93 per cent of customers together, even when they haven’t paid the £6.99-£8.99 fee to pick where they sit.

And 90 per cent of Jet2 passengers who hadn’t splashed the £10–£13 to guarantee their place on the aircraft also ended up with their loved ones.

The exceptions were Ryanair and Wizz Air, both of whom seat far fewer parties together if they’ve neglected to pay for the privilege.

Only 66 per cent of Ryanair passengers who hadn’t added on seat selection, priced £10-£19, were seated with companions; this figure dropped to 61 per cent for Wizz Air, which charges £14-21 to decide where you sit.

“Our research suggests that, in most cases, passengers are wasting their money by paying for seat selection on the plane – which can be upwards of £100 extra for a family of four,” Jo Rhodes, deputy editor of Which? Travel, told Mail Online.

“Most airlines will almost always seat you with your travel companions even if you don’t pay – the only real exceptions to this rule are Ryanair or Wizz Air.

“For those trying to make their holiday budgets go further this summer, this is an easy way to make some substantial savings.”

There’s no legal obligation for an airline to seat passengers directly together, including families travelling with young children, according to the UK’s aviation watchdog.

“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,” says the Civil Aviation Authority.