Frontier Airlines experiences with not prepaying for seats?

[ruadisneyfan2]

In the past, when our kids were early teens, we had a return flight from Orlando flying Frontier. We opted for letting them choose our seats for free at check in and we were all seated together. I realize this isn't guaranteed so when helping my niece book a trip for her family of 4, I bought the seats so she wouldn't have such anxiety. She is a nervous flyer and her youngest is 7.
In looking at the seating chart, it seems only 3 other people chose to buy seats. Am I crazy for buying seats? Do they usually seat families together anyway? We only flew them that one time and that was in around 2015 so that's not exactly reliable data.

Thanks!

 

[Lewisc]

. She is a nervous flyer and her youngest is 7.

Don't second guess yourself.
Most Frontier pax don't pay for assigned seats and wind up sitting together BUT 7 is old enough to sit by himself. Frontier GA and FA are unlikely to move pax if they wind up separated

 

[_19disnA]

If you want to be sure to sit together on any airline I would pay the extra charge and choose my seats ahead of time. There is no guarantee the flight won't fill up closer to your travel date. Orlando is obviously a big vacation destination, so it isn't like traveling to/from cities where there is very little demand.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

If you want to be sure to sit together on any airline I would pay the extra charge and choose my seats ahead of time. There is no guarantee the flight won't fill up closer to your travel date. Orlando is obviously a big vacation destination, so it isn't like traveling to/from cities where there is very little demand.

It’s actually a flight to Miami for a Disney cruise.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Don't second guess yourself.
Most Frontier pax don't pay for assigned seats and wind up sitting together BUT 7 is old enough to sit by himself. Frontier GA and FA are unlikely to move pax if they wind up separated

Of course he is. It’s a matter of perceived value and taking a chance. If she were ok with either outcome of taking the chance that they might be separated, that would be different.
I think it’s more that she needs her family to be together more than the 7 yr old needs his mommy.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I was more curious of other Frontier passenger’s actual outcome, whether they were kept together or not. I’d probably get more feedback on flyertalk.

 

[Mle8308]

I was more curious of other Frontier passenger’s actual outcome, whether they were kept together or not. I’d probably get more feedback on flyertalk.

They won't make other passengers move to keep a family together, so if that is a priority you did the right thing by purchasing seats. They can ask, but they won't force people to move.

 

[notatallmagic]

We often didn't get seated together - group of 3, one parent and two kiddos. I always bought seats so we'd be together. Now that they're older, I don't always, and when we don't, we typically get split into a 1+2 grouping.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

They won't make other passengers move to keep a family together, so if that is a priority you did the right thing by purchasing seats. They can ask, but they won't force people to move.

I would never ask others to move. First, my
lack of planning/paying is not someone else’s problem and second, it is highly likely that the other people being asked to move have already paid to sit where they are.
We always prefer to sit together, even when it’s just me and dh.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We often didn't get seated together - group of 3, one parent and two kiddos. I always bought seats so we'd be together. Now that they're older, I don't always, and when we don't, we typically get split into a 1+2 grouping.

Thank you. This was the kind of answer I was looking for, someone's past experience with taking a chance and not buying.

The flight that I’m questioning is less than 8 weeks from now and besides my niece’s family, only 3 other seats are showing unavailable.
I’m certain that I did the right thing for her to ease her mind but I also wonder if there’s 20 other families on that flight that will be seated together anyway.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

When thinking about all of the other costs on a trip (especially a Disney one) the cost of assigned seats is 1 meal, or a 2 buckets of popcorn, or at most a pair of Mickey ears. In other words a drop in the bucket vs everything else you are going to spend. Personally I would just be thankful I didn’t need to worry about flight seats and move on.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

When thinking about all of the other costs on a trip (especially a Disney one) the cost of assigned seats is 1 meal, or a 2 buckets of popcorn, or at most a pair of Mickey ears. In other words a drop in the bucket vs everything else you are going to spend. Personally I would just be thankful I didn’t need to worry about flight seats and move on.

I was just curious. I am gifting her this cruise and would rather use that money toward something more fun but it's necessary spending.
I could buy a LOT of popcorn for $105. (4 seats, one way)