Pre-Booking Plane Seats?

Soldato
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I've just booked a holiday to Orlando and haven't done many long haul flights in recent years so don't really know what options are worth taking with the airline. The travel agent mentioned that there's no guarantee of getting seats together if we don't pre-book seats, although we should be ok so long as we're at the airport in plenty of time.

Is it worth paying the extra to make sure we're together and not in really awful seats? My boyfriend is 6'2 so needs a decent amount of leg room and middle seats make me claustrophobic, but it's £25 per person to book.

Also, does anyone have any tips for things I may not have thought of? We're going to scan our passports and send them to one of our hotmail accounts, and my mum already has our insurance information.

Thanks :)
 
Associate
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As long as you get to the check in relatively early, they'll always ask you what seats you'd prefer, in my case they tend to do so.

If your bf needs leg room, an isle seat, or one just infront of the emergency exit will be helpful.
 

POB

POB

Soldato
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Its a Small World
The travel agent mentioned that there's no guarantee of getting seats together if we don't pre-book seats,

They just say this to make you pay to pre-book.

Unless your booking for the next days nearly full flight, the computer booking system is not going to randomly place people around the plane.

Who are you flying with? It may be the case that the type of plane the airline puts on would mean your happy in any seat.
 
Soldato
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We went with Thomas Cook last year and I usually need extra leg room on normal flights as I'm also 6ft 2", but there was plenty of reg room on the plane in the normal seats. We didn't pre-book and got seats together.
 

POB

POB

Soldato
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Its a Small World
Already done :). I feel very organised!

We're flying with Thomson from Manchester, mid-May. I've looked at a few sites that show seat layouts but can't find which plane our flight will be.

Should be a Boeing 767.

Can be 2-4-2 or 2-3-2 depending on the plane.

So there is good chance you will be seated next to the window based on the size of your group.

http://www.seatplans.com/airlines/Thomson-Airways/seatplans/B767-300ER-(258)

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=47950
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
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Already done :). I feel very organised!

We're flying with Thomson from Manchester, mid-May. I've looked at a few sites that show seat layouts but can't find which plane our flight will be.

It will be a B767-300ER and will either have a seating configuration of 2-4-2 or 2-3-2 depending on which aircraft is used on that route. (most likely 2-4-2) Both have 33" seat pitch which may just about be enough for someone of your boyfriend's size.

I'd advise that you book the seats in advance as you really don't want to be squashed in the middle row. Getting to the airport early won't make a difference as all seats (apart from ones people have pre-booked and paid for) are pre-allocated in advance, so you will have to sit where they say. Whilst it's done using a 'best fit' method, there's no gaurantee that you will be seated together unless you pay extra for that.
 
Soldato
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I never prebook seats and not once have my wife and I had to sit in the middle. We've never even had to sit apart. Simple secret is just getting to the airport early enough that you check in the moment check in opens. You also get the ease of mind knowing that even if you get into a minor accident, forget something or there is horrible traffic, you should still make your flight.
 
Don
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Notts
Already done :). I feel very organised!

We're flying with Thomson from Manchester, mid-May. I've looked at a few sites that show seat layouts but can't find which plane our flight will be.

Thomson long haul planes have a 33inch seat pitch so legroom is actually quite good, they are better than BA and Virgin

If you get an ex First Choice plane then seat width is also good, they use a 2-3-2 config where ex original Thomson planes are 2-4-2 ( assuming it's a 767 )
 
Don
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
41,732
Location
Notts
Thomson long haul planes have a 33inch seat pitch so legroom is actually quite good, they are better than BA and Virgin

If you get an ex First Choice plane then seat width is also good, they use a 2-3-2 config where ex original Thomson planes are 2-4-2 ( assuming it's a 767 )



oops just seen most of this has alreasdy been said, teach me to read whole thread before I reply
 
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