How to Avoid Collecting Nonsense for Choosing a Seat on an Airline
While many airlines have removed change and cancellation fees, there is still a hidden “seat selection” fee that you shouldn’t notice when choosing a seat. However, you can avoid it altogether – here’s how.
How seat fees work
It’s no secret to most consumers that the airline’s quoted price per seat does not include things like checked baggage, on-board meals, or Wi-Fi access. These additional services are usually very self-explanatory when you book them because you understand what you get for what you pay for.
However, the booking process makes the “seat selection” fee less understandable, which simply reserves a seat for you (at an additional cost), even if the ticket is in the same class as the seat in front of or behind it. … However, consumers tend to overlook this because the location selection screen doesn’t make it obvious that you can skip this step entirely, but you can.
Instead of choosing a seat, simply skip the seat selection screen and the airline will automatically grant you a seat at no additional cost. To do this, as Airfarewatchdog recommends, find an interactive option that reads “Skip seats on all flights”, “Continue with basic economy class ” or “No thanks, I’ll take everything,” usually in the bottom corner of the screen.
Request your preferred seat at the boarding gate
It is still possible to request specific seats if you politely ask the exit agent upon arrival at the airport. CNTraveler recommends that you show up an hour early to do this, as gate agents will be less willing to do this the closer you get to your departure.
There are some trade-offs in not seat selection
Although the seat selection fee is only charged in cash, you might argue that it has some value. Without manually selecting a seat, you can:
- You will end up separate from your fellow travelers (although Airfarewatchdog reports that couples and families usually sit together when seats are allocated by the airline).
- Stuck in a terrible middle seat.
- Play in your favorite spot, such as the front of the plane.
According to Nerdwallet , seat prices range from $ 0 to $ 23 depending on the airline. For some consumers, the choice of location is worth the cost, but if you prefer to put that money in your pocket, you can avoid it entirely.