DeeGee26.2

I've decided that before I dare risk a long flight somewhere exciting with my 3 year old daughter, we should try a little hop first, as I'd rather find out she doesn't like to fly on a 40 minute flight across the North Sea than something to Florida. So I've booked the whole family (myself and the wife, a well-travelled 9 year old and our 3 year old who has never even seen a plane up close before) on an overnight trip to Leiden, flying out from Humberside to Schiphol on KLM Cityhopper. Travelling in Y.

I'm considering pre-booking our seats, in order that we can all sit together, either in two rows one in front of the other, or either side of the aisle (it's a 2x2)

Currently, I can pay to book the "Economy Comfort" seats, or rows 9-18.

On both outward and return flights, the back rows 19-23 are all blocked out either because they're already booked or will not be made available to book. Any idea why this might be? Is there likely to be a group booking or something?

Additionally, I am FB (Blue, don't do enough mileage to have anything other) and none of the rest of the family have any FF accounts. Is there any way like Avios that I can sign them up to FB and then pool their points, or are they just FB points lost?

Ditto

It's quite typical that several rows are blocked, usually at the back, to accommodate group bookings etc., they will usually open up at OLCI or maybe shortly before that.
And no, FB doesn't have a family account.

DeeGee26.2

Thanks,
(Ł8.70 x4) x2 is quite a big chunk to hand over for two forty minute flights. They'll sit each of the kids with one parent, and it's only 2x2 so they can both have a window and aisle access. I might just wait and see what OLCI provides me with. Or keep an eye on the seating allocations as time goes on.

Is there anything I might be able to credit the flight to that I might be able to pool. There's usually quite a big list of codeshares with these flights. Virgin? Or do I need to have status?

Ditto

You could have a look at other skyteam airlines (KE has one for example), but you'll have to double check the booking class as the cheaper ones might earn nothing with other airlines.

irishguy28

Forget about the miles.

If it's not worth signing up each passenger in Flying Blue, then it's certainly not worth signing everyone up in a brand new programme where you could pool the paltry amount of miles you would earn (if any) in that other programme.

I realise people hate letting miles go "begging", but going through hoops to sign up to a new account, where all miles can be claimed, isn't really achieving anything when you just end up with a tiny (and unusable) amount of miles sitting in an account which you will never be able to use for anything.

(For the record, I know of no Skyteam programme which allows "pooling" of miles like that; and besides, many of the other Skyteam programmes may grant no miles whatsoever for whichever economy fare class you may end up travelling in)

(Also for the record, Virgin codeshares on KL services from HUY are only available when buying an intercontinental ticket to certain North American destinations. This tends to be the rule for codeshares on shorthaul sectors - they are only sold in conjuction with a longhaul connection)

roberta_h

can't help w/ pooling (or the actual seat blocking question, sorry) but for now delta skymiles don't expire so while you'll have to get accounts for each flyer at least you can park the miles there to potentially accumulate...

DeeGee26.2

Thanks for this. Is there any way I can find out, now, how many FB points my flight will accrue? I'm almost tempted to get my son signed up for FB at least as he's likely to take one flight a year.

Thanks for this, I'm rather new to this whole thing, and I'm trying to see if it's worth all the faff. I've amassed a small stash of Avios and Amex points, got some IHG stuff and some Hilton points, but HUY is my local airport, I'm hoping to save points to help with a family trip to the USA in a couple of years, I take a few KL shorthaul flights a year, so I'll never amass much, but the odd drip here and there might be able to help. Especially as I've found out that there's going to be some joint working with VS/DL/KL. And that Virgin are taking over FlyBE, so my Avios will be no good for that.

I'm not convinced that any of it is worth the extra effort...

Potentially interesting as I'm wanting the miles for a transatlantic flight anyway...

Goldorak

You will earn in miles the price of your ticket before taxes x4 if you are explorer FB level (entry level).

Xandrios

So on a (Example) 129 euro roundtrip ticket, likely about 60 euro will be taxes/fees - leaving 70 euros base fare. Times 4 that means 280 miles - worth about 2,80 euro (Assuming an average value of 1 cent per mile).

If you are up for it, by all means sign up for a FFP programme. But know that, with 1-2 of such flights per year, it's going to take quite some time until you will have ~6000 miles collected (Which is about the minimum for a redemption, like Economy Comfort upgrade or one-way ticket between AMS/CDG and UK).

DeeGee26.2

This is true. However, I'm collecting Amex points as well which I can transfer. I'm not a big collector, merely trying to get something from my usual spending.

DeeGee26.2

Although I'm getting side-tracked by all these lovely Flying Blue points.

What's really interesting me is whether there's any point paying Ł36 or thereabouts to preallocate seating so we're all together, or am I likely to be able to find four across towards the back at check-in time? I don't like to sit too far back as then I barely get time to eat my tiny cheese bun and yogurt pot of water, but paying about a pound for each minute we're in the air for a seat is just beyond my value/money ratio.

Its not important that we all sit together so long as each parent is with one child.

NickB

For cheap tatl flights, it would normally make sense to book them under DL code instead of KL code so that earning is based on distance and class rather than price of ticket. With the JV, it should be possible to book at the same price under either KL or DL code.

DeeGee26.2

Thanks, I'll be looking at tatl flights once we've established from this short hop whether my daughter can cope with flying without screaming the whole journey. She's never flown, and I wouldn't want to impose a new young flyer on a transatlantic cabin, just in case...

If she can cope with this, then we can look to Eastern Europe, and if she can cope with Eastern Europe, I'll risk the East Coast USA...

My son *loves* a transatlantic flight, so I really want to get the whole family onto one sooner rather than later.

Maestro Ramen

Hi Deegee,

I'm flying HUY-AMS in a week time. Just checked the options and like you, 19-23 are blocked. Not that I would want these seats to be honest.

I do not recommend paying for seat assignment in short haul. I have never experienced being split personally (as flying blue explorer/ivory). As you are travelling with a young child it is a legal requirement (iirc) for you to be sat together. They may do a separate 2 + 2 so only pay if you want to avoid that at all costs.

Maybe the reason they block 19-23 is so they can sit families together, precisely? Would be an interesting theory!

Contrary to other folks here, I recommend getting a FF card for everyone in your family. The miles you will get are worth absolute peanuts, but, they renew automatically if you fly once every 2 years. With the low costs of short flights it's not difficult to do; on the contrary a good incentive to do a bit of travelling. The main thing is that you get a shiny card, which your kids can carry and feel proud about, and that alone is worth it. And even with explorer level you get some menial benefits like luggage price reduction etc... no reason not to hop in!

johan rebel

You do? As an FB Explorer?

Johan