chr1sarter

Just tried to book my tickets with Singapore Airlines, as they mention you can book your seats when booking online, but they would not allow me to reserve the bulk head seats. Contacted Singapore in London, but the chap was not helpful. Just said that you cannot book these seats as they are reserved for familes. I am a family of 2 young children, 4.5 and 18 months, and wanted the bulk head seats so they can play in front of us, and maybe lie down and sleep. I told the chap this and was willing to pay for the infant seat, but he said, i could gurantee you the seat for one adult and infant, but i would have to sit elsewhere with my older son. The only way to get the seats is to book now and gamble when you get to the airport they may give you the seats.

Not helpful. As anyon else managed to get their bulk head seats reserved prior to departure? May now have to change airlines.

NKSK

This seems standard procedure to me. When we've travelled with them before, we've only been able to reserve bulkhead when we've had an infant (because of the need for bassinet). Having said that I've never heard of the airline splitting a family up before. They certainly didn't when we've travelled before. Request a bassinet and contact the head office if they insist on splitting the family up.

karenjc

This may be a concern as we wished to book these seats as well for the same reason of having a 13month old and a 5 year old. I surpose that we will give them ago closer to the time and if no good change airline. All the best i hope you can get them.

bondipom

Seems like the skycots are very popular and they are reserving them for infants.

Juniper

When we booked skycot seats when my daughter was a baby, my husband had to sit behind with our other children and the same happened to our friends when we returned from Dubai recently. She had the bulkhead seat for their baby and her hubby had to sit further back with their 18 month son and we had pre-booked seats. If someone requests a bassinet/skycot they get preference, even if you've pre-booked.

Nikki

Hi

We flew with Singapore when my daughter was 14 months old. I paid for a seat for her so that when she was awake she could sit in her own seat rather than on my knee! But I also booked a bassinet for when she was sleeping! My husband and 2 older children had to sit accross the aisle, so we were on the same row, kind of! We could not all sit on the row together as someone else had booked the bassinet next to my Daughter.

I think it all comes down to how many infants are on the flight, which I suppose they cannot tell until the flight is fully booked. On one leg we did not have a bassinet as there were obviously infants much younger than my 14 month old.

I understand your concern, but if they promise you seats and then someone books with an infant, you wouldn't be impressed if they moved you.

I have flown twice with Singapore Air with 3 children and I cannot praise them enough.

Regards

Nikki

movetoperth

airline regulations these days are that infants and up to 2 accompanying passengers can use bulkhead seats, as the ratio of basinets to seats is 1 to 2, this is obviously to accomodate as many babies in basinets. As a family you may find it inconsiderate of them, but you will usually find that when you come to check in they will have ammended your seating requests to get you all together, unless all the basinets are being used. Its not that the airlines want to split families up but that they want to accomodate infants in basinets, without one a journey with a small infant would be awful. Bear in mind too that you may not get much use from a basinet if your baby is over 1.

So long as you ask the res staff over the phone to book the basinet and request that all family members travel together, although they wont guarantee it they will try their best. The only way around it is to book a seat for the infant, at a child price, and take their car seat to put inside the aircraft seat.

Lynn

Nikki

Hi Lynn

I couldn't agree with you more. Our daughter was over 1, and her toes were touching the end of the basinet when sleeping. She mainly used it at meal times, when I would sit her in it whilst I eat and gave her finger food. It was more of a play pen with her toys, but with that length of flight even half an hour in the basinet, is half an hour less off your knee, where my Daughter mainly was rather than her paid for seat!!!

Also, a point to note with the basinet, is just as you get them to sleep the turbulance will come and out you have to get them!!

We also had the car seat in her own paid for seat, but the novelty of this wore off after an hour, and she would prefer to sit in the basinet rather than her car seat! It was more of a pain carrying it around Singapore when connecting flights! Unless you have an infant and it is a seat with a carry handle.

I think all children are different, my experience will not necessarily reflect anothers. But Singapore cabin crew are excellent with children and any requests we made were met, as I said before, there was one leg where we could not have the basinet, but I understood that order was that of the children's ages on the flight which is fully understandable.

Nikki

RichS

I used to live in singapore and had to fly with them a lot for working purposes. There are a couple of things that might help you.

1. For flights leaving Changi, you'll need to do a bit of research or maybe post a question on the expat singapore website, but there is a phone number which you can call 48 hours prior to the flight and book your seats. I used to use this all the time. You can also get a seat plan of the aircraft I think from their web site. I used to have to fly economy and being a bit anal I managed to find out what seats were the emergency exit seats - featuring large leg room. You might wish to try that.

2. I don't know when you are flying, but you may find that not all the flights are full. Ask if the flight is full. If not, take up your 1+1 seat offer for the infant and then request a 3 seat aisle block. Tell them to block the empty seat. Trust me, if the flight isn't full they'll do it. You'll then have 1 spare seat to yourself.

Homer

With singapor you can check in on the internet 48 hours before you fly and if you join krisflyer wich is free give you membership number to the people you booked your ticket with you can change you seat when you do internet checkin do know for sure that you will be able to get the exact seat's you want but it's worth a try

JJJHM

Hi Chris,

When we returned from Florida with BA they did exactly the same, we had 2 bulkhead seats in the middle of the plane, with Bassinet and a seat in the row behind, another family of 4 were in the same position, but with one seat in the bulk head with bassinet and 2 seats behind...

We argued at check in but they are very choosy who they give those seat to, and won't make guarantees, going out was great bulk head window seats (3 in a row), and room for a bassinet .. fab..

Good luck...

When are you going!

chr1sarter

Julie,
We booked the flights yesterday for 6th of August. Complained on line, and they rang me back next day, and appoligised, and explained why they cant book the seats for us. I now understand . Also we had trouble booking our 18 month a seat, as the online process wont allow under 2 years to book. You have to give a birth date which makes gthe child 2 at time of flying, and then ring them to so they can make the changes. 40K each allowance, plus you can take your car seat, if your owner manual quotes "can be used on a aircraft". No luck on house yet, but we going to go anyway. only 4 months, and so little time. Hope all is well with you and house sale.