A single mother of two says she was left ‘stranded’ in Gran Canaria after discovering Ryanair had allocated her children seats away from her on a flight home – including her two-year-old daughter.
Sophie Lux, who was travelling alone with her son Ronnie, nine, and daughter Scarlett, two, booked alternative daytime flights for their trip home after a week’s holiday.
She had become concerned that overnight travel would disrupt her children’s routines and leave them exhausted.
However, after completing the booking, Sophie discovered that she had been allocated a seat near the front of the aircraft.
Meanwhile, her two children had been placed around 23 rows away towards the back of the plane.
The seating arrangement meant her two-year-old daughter Scarlett would be separated from her mother for the duration of the flight.
Despite contacting Ryanair immediately, Sophie claims she was told there were ‘no alternative seats available’ and that she would simply need to board the flight and ‘hope’ cabin crew could rearrange seating once onboard.
Sophie Lux was holidaying with her son Ronnie, nine, and daughter Scarlett, two
She says she booked a Ryanair flight home from Gran Canaria – only to find out she would not be seated with her young children
Even more shockingly, Sophie says she was informed she was not ‘entitled to a refund’ despite booking the flights less than 10 hours earlier and being unaware before purchase that she would be separated from both children.
Sophie, a businesswoman, who founded the Hair & Beauty Awards, said: ‘As a single mum, travelling abroad alone with two children is daunting enough.
‘I specifically booked daytime flights because my youngest is only two and I knew travelling through the night would completely disrupt her routine.
‘I couldn’t believe it when I saw we’d been seated separately. My two-year-old daughter was allocated a seat away from me, and my nine-year-old son was also seated elsewhere.
‘I immediately called Ryanair and was basically told there was nothing they could do and that I’d have to get on the flight and hope someone moved.
‘That’s not a plan, that’s a gamble that I’m not willing to take with my two children.
‘I wasn’t told before booking that we wouldn’t be seated together and now I’m being refused a refund despite raising the issue almost immediately.
‘I feel completely stuck. We’re now stranded in Gran Canaria trying to find alternative flights home.’
Sophie says she is now stranded in Gran Canaria – as she couldn’t travel separately from her young children, especially as her daughter is only two years old
Sophie says the situation has left her stressed, out of pocket and unsure how she will get home with her children.
Sophie added: ‘No parent should be expected to board a flight not knowing whether they will be seated next to their young child. I’m calling for greater transparency from airlines when allocating seats to families travelling together.
‘My experience raises fresh questions about airline seating policies and whether parents travelling alone with young children are being adequately protected when booking flights.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Ryanair for comment.