Going on holiday is a hugely exciting time, but it can often have a massive impact on your wallet.
Flights, accommodation and food all come into account when booking a trip away, and the last thing you want is to be hit with extra costs - like booking seats on the plane so the whole family is together.
It's not ideal being split up, especially if you're travelling with youngsters. Most airlines will now ask for a fee when it comes to booking specific seats, but according to one flight attendant, there's a trick you can do before boarding that might solve the problem for free.
The Mirror reports that budget airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet often randomise seat allocations, meaning that groups who don't reserve a seat don't always get to sit together.
Even when the plane isn't full and there appears to be room for split up families or groups of friends to be reunited on the aircraft, often staff stop switches to keep the plane balanced.
But Kristie Koerbel, a flight attendant with more than 20 years of experience, says people should take action when it comes to any seating issues they may have.
"If your family is split up on the flight, the chaotic rush of boarding is not when flight attendants can solve it for you," she wrote in the Irish Times.
"The gate agents have access to the seating chart and family reservations, so please ask them first if it is possible to change your seats. Some airlines even have a policy that families with children under 13 must sit together, so the gate agent is the best place to address the issue.
"Or even better: call the airline before coming to the airport."
Kristie has also shone a light on how passengers can be more mindful whilst on board a plane.
This includes being gentle when reclining a seat so you don't spill the drink or the meal of the person behind you, and cleaning up after your children.
She also reminds people that overhead bins are given out on a first-come, first-serve basis and you don't have any particular right to the one above you.
For armrests, the expert said that the person in the middle is entitled to the two either side of them, since they're the one being squeezed between two other people.
And if the person next to you keeps chatting incessantly, Kristie suggests putting in your earphones to make them stop.
These are all acceptable ways to behave, but taking off your socks isn't.
Kristie says that it's fine to take your shoes off on a long flight, but it's not wise to go barefoot in case your feet smell.
She also suggests that the call button should only ever be used in certain circumstances, such as when a passenger needs medical help or someone is being disruptive.
Use it too much and you risk alienating the flight attendant for the duration of the journey.
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