Swiss Air charging for seats

[OscarMeir]

Anyone have experience with Swiss Air's economy seating policy?

I have tickets booked for my family of 6 for Pesach, TLV-YUL with a layover in ZRH. I must have missed this when I booked at Swiss.com but to reserve an economy seat - without status - will cost you $30 per leg. (In my defense my brain prob processed that extra cost as a preferred economy seating option.) In my case that adds up rather quickly to $720.

Swiss Air says seats are free from 23 hours before the flight, and obviously at check in. Pesach is serious peak season for Israel. Is there any way Swiss will respect a group reservation and seat us together or will my children be entertaining random people in random locations? Is it worth buying 2 seats - for the parents, and thereby pressuring Swiss to seat the kids near us?

While I would love to fly without my kids on top of me... Is there any way around this? Spoke to the Canadian and Swiss office, both were adamant not to give away seats for free. Either pay up or hope for the best.

With all due respect to Swiss, international tickets aren't cheap to begin with, is it really necessary to tag on another $30 to have a regular economy seat? Not an exit, aisle or bulkhead just a regular seat. This isn't a Southwest flight from Baltimore to Cleveland...

Thanks,
O.

[SearchGuy]

They are not the only ones that charge, QF also charges

[SPLP]

They are not the only ones that charge, QF also charges

BA too

[OscarMeir]

Fair enough. Everyone deserves to make an extra buck.

Any advise?

[elya]

BA too

BA charges in business class as well!

[shmooz]

Not specifically swiss, but in general airlines  will try to seat you together. Maybe some kids near you and some with your wife. Its a risk i would take rather than pay.

Dont see how buying two seats pressures them.

[chucksterace]

Don't buy two seats. Don't buy any seats.

When checking in, the airline will try to put you together. It won't want a kid sitting by him/herself, and some stranger definitely won't want a kid sitting next to him without his parent nearby.

[shmoe joe]

And DL too....    based on my experience wait till boarding and agent at the boarding counter will get you those seats free of charge and tell them its one family and they'll make sure you sit next to each other

[greatdeals]

I am planning on flying Swiss Air this summer to TLV on Swiss air website it says $30 for each seat thats $60 each
person each way (stopover).
on Travelocity website it doesn't say anything about paying for seats. If I book through travelocity and don't pick seats
will I still be charged for the seats?

[Yoel]

can i do check-in 23 hours before the tlv flight and choose seats for the zurich-jfk flight also? which is more than 23 hours in advance?

[travel agent]

yes