To Book or not to book advanced seat reservations for a family of 3
 

I was wondering if families in general tend to book advanced sear reservations while booking their tickets with Air Canada for trans-atlantic travel to ensure that they are seated together or does Air Canada generally seats families together if the tickets are booking under one booking?

Thanks for your opinions in advance
Mash

There's no reason not to make advanced seat selections for your family. It's free and ensures that you sit together without having to relocate others or add to the an agent's workload at the airport:

I don't know what families "tend" to do, but you should definitely make advanced seat reservations.

I have 4 kids, so my experience might be different, but I ALWAYS pay for advanced seat selection. It's not that much incremental $$, and it gives you the piece of mind that you will be seated together. There are no guarantees if you do not buy advanced selection. You might be able to get seats together at check-in, but if not, then you have to plead/argue/etc with either the gate agent or fellow passengers, either of which is not appealing to me at all. I see countless examples of families getting into heated discussions with gate agents during boarding trying to get seated together - but I have no sympathy. Everyone has the opportunity to ensure they are seated together by paying for that privilege.
So, yea, I advise paying the extra dollars for advanced seats. :)

Wow - I had no idea it's now free with children. Haven't traveled transatlantic in a while. When did this change?

I don't remember exactly when, but I believe it was sometime in (early?) 2017.

All depends if you like your children or not. If you do, pay the seat fee, if you don't, then don't, however not paying may subject other innocent people to your children. We have always paid it so we can keep an eye on them.

If it is 2 adults and one minor, and you don't go for seat assignment, you could end up with 2 seats together, and the 3rd seat wherever. If you want 3 seats together, don't risk it.

So remove "pay the seat fee", my other comments still apply about wanting to spend time with your children or not!

Yeah I believe if it's one child you get one seat next to child. The other one is open to chance.

There was a recent thread about this also related to preferred seats I believe; I don't think it differs for 'standard' seats.

In December, I travelled to Cancun with my wife and son (20 months old with paid seat), all three of us were offered free seat reservations on all flights. I did make the reservation over the phone with AC, so they made all of the reservations at once. Obviously that doesn't include preferred seats, and for the longer flight, paying the extra $50/seat for the preferred seats on a Rouge plane felt like fantastic value for the extra space. I realized that extra space is that much more appreciated when travelling with family than solo.

Of course, IRROPS can throw a wrench into your plans. This happened on one of the YOW-YYZ legs, where a last minute aircraft change from an E190 (2x2) to an A320 (3x3) meant we were stuck in an exit row with our son (not allowed) and the only remaining seats on the plane were middle seats (because of how they re-distribute seated passengers when going 2x2 -> 3x3). AC reservations was no help, and we solved this one by standing by for an earlier flight with more empty seats.

On the way back, we self-inflicted the same situation by standing by for an earlier flight (YYZ-YOW) that didn't have seats together. My wife and son found seats together at the back, and I was at the front. Once the seat belt sign was off, I moved myself to an empty seat closer.

Moral of the story: Don't expect AC to do anything to help you sit together if you haven't already. Even if you have, things happen...

hahahaha THIS

Oh it’s not just IRROPs. Even an aircraft change days out can screw it up. I’ve been shifted around myself from a preferred and even a pod to a domestic J, but my colleagues four preferred seats for two kids got the kids thrown half the cabin back.

If you book seats, it’s worth checking there are no changes a few days out. I don’t know if cows app would be helpful here?

I fly transoceanic routes a lot with my family. With minors, seat booking is free in non-preferred seats.

I haven't flown domestic or transborder since having the second kid, but with one all three of us could select together for free.

April, 2016 as noted here.

When it's free like UA/AC, ALWAYS pick the seats.

When it's not free, just think of it as part of the ticket and pay. Because I'd hate for another "should I switch my good seat for a crap seat because someone has a kid" thread.

I booked TATL last summer for a family of four on AC's website. I was not able to select seats without incurring a fee. I called in after the the reservation was made and the agent gave me the seats. I tried changing my seats online a month later and it wanted to charge me the fee, so I had to call in again to move.

Did you by any chance book four adult seats or when booking did you properly identify the kids as such?

I booked as two adults and two kids. If they are not booked as kids, you don't get the discount. I believe date of birth was included.
Edit: Just looked it up, the kids' tickets were each $170 less than the adult ticket.

TIL that not all AC INTL flights have free seat selection. I thought they did, I knew you had to pay for domestic and TB flights, but then I booked a flight last night YYZ-CPH and FRA-YYZ and both came up on a list on the AC site of places you gotta pay for. Bummer. Of course all of this is based on Tango, at least the prices aren't too bad, not that I paid them anyway.

Anyone know why they pick the destinations they do? I don't remember the whole list but it seemed like the TPAC flights are free and that the TATL ones are not.

Thanks everyone for their suggestion. It looks like booking advanced seats is the go-to option.

I also tried a dummy booking and somehow it also wanted me to charge me for the kids seat selection. But I have to say that the booking was made on the European Air Canada site, not the Canadian site. Maybe that has something to do with it?

Would people recommend flying premium economy over economy? The biggest issue is that the seat dividers are non-movable preventing the kid to nap across the seats onto one of the parents laps. (unless people have some tricks?)

I believe you need to call in for the free kids seat selections - AC's website may not be able to do it. Make the booking, then call AC reservations...or just make the entire booking over the phone. That said, immediately check your confirmed emailed itinerary very carefully if you do it over the phone - agents have a bad habit of mis-hearing things. You only have 24 hours to make free changes if they messed something up.

Premium Economy, as you point out has the non-movable seat dividers which would just get in the way with a little one. For the size of the premium economy seats, I also found the under seat storage limited compared to regular economy. You're also a bit less likely to get 3 seats together (check the seat map before booking). Frankly, even when flying solo, I'll only shell out for premium economy if it's not that much more (the seat reclines a bit further, you get a domestic business class meal and bigger TV screen).

Economy Plus / Preferred seats definitely yes though - the extra money is usually well worth it. The extra space is great for moving around kids things, and it also prevents my son from kicking the seat infront.

My wife has the same issue with the seat dividers in PY

For free seats, I have to call in .