The fees charged for seat selection by airlines are among the most hated surcharges in the travel industry. It costs nothing for an airline to reserve a seat. However, passengers shell out anywhere from $25 to over $100 for a confirmed seat reservation or to sit next to their friends and family.
But if the “FAIR Fees Act,” a bill proposed by Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, is passed by Congress, seat selection fees will disappear.
Airlines charge for seat selection even from families with small children. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation threatened to create a new regulation to allow families to sit together on flights without having to pay extra for it.
But these new rules won’t help you this summer, as they haven’t even been approved yet. So for now, how can you avoid paying more for adjacent seats? Is there a way to avoid seat selection fees?
What is the seat selection fee?
A seat selection fee allows you to reserve a seat in your service class. Each airline ticket comes with a confirmed seat, but if you want to choose the location of that seat, most domestic airlines will charge an additional fee.
Airlines began adopting seat selection fees in 2008. Over the years, these fees have been rising, sometimes increasing the final cost of a ticket by hundreds of dollars. Last year, U.S. airlines collected $4.2 billion in seat selection fees.
How to avoid the seat selection fee?
If you are traveling with a group, the best way to avoid the seat selection fee is to purchase tickets at the same time. When the airline assigns seats for you, it usually accommodates people with the same booking locator number together. Within 24 hours before departure, the airline will assign a seat to passengers who have not yet chosen theirs.
Find seats together
ExpertFlyer, a subscription service for frequent travelers, has a service called Seat Alerts with an option “Any Two Seats Together” that monitors airline seat maps and notifies you when two adjacent seats are available.
“If you need more seats, you can also create an alert for specific seats around the ones you have already chosen, in case one opens up,” says Chris Lopinto, founder of ExpertFlyer. Then you can claim both seats, but in this case, you may have to pay more for them.
Be the last to board
This tip only works if the flight is not full and you don’t have much carry-on luggage. After everyone boards, look for two empty seats in your service class.
Ask another passenger to swap
Asking a passenger to swap seats so your travel companion can sit next to you can be problematic because many passengers paid extra for their seats. Kate Zuckerman, CEO of Thrive Family Travel, which offers travel coaching services for families, says there is a right way to swap seats.
“Try offering something of value in return, like an aisle seat instead of a mediocre middle seat or a seat further up the plane,” she says.
She recounts that some travelers have offered gifts, snacks, or even cash. But she says she usually finds someone who offers to give up their seat. And when she travels alone, she is always the first to swap seats with someone who wants to sit next to a friend or family member.
Should you ask an airline employee for a better seat?
Asking a gate agent for a seat next to your girlfriend can be a waste of time. Karen Villano, a gate agent for a major airline, says airlines always pressure airport staff to charge for a seat swap.
“If I change your seat to a better one without charging, the company is alerted,” she says. “It goes on my permanent record of non-compliance with company policy.”
However, Villano says airlines waive the rule of charging for seats in the case of families with small children.
Source: Seattle Times