$15pp to book early seat assignment on plane?

[Are we there yet?]

A friend just told me that is what she had to pay every time they did this. Is this true for ever airline? Hers was "WestJet".

Thank you:)

[ab0si]

No, it is not true for every airline. It is, however, becoming increasing common, particularly with the low cost airlines.

 

Some mainline airlines have started doing simialr things. For example, Northworst (sic), charges $15 (or something like that) for the "best" cattle car seats. If you have some level of frequent <sitting on the tarmac waiting to be a> flyer status with them, you can book these seats sans addtional cost but only 24 hours before the flight. British Air doesn't allow pre-selection of seats except for frequent fliers. KLM doesn't assign cattlecar seats for intra-Europe flights. The list goes on. I think Southwest started this trend with its no pre-assigned seat program way back when.

 

Paul

[Are we there yet?]

Thank you Paul, I appreciate your quick reply.:)

 

We definitely are not frequent flyers.......have not flown in 27 years, but I just didn't remember ever reading anything about this fee anywhere on these boards. I was mainly curious since we will be flying next year (if they can drag me on, lol) and my friend happened to mention this fee today at work.

 

Oh, and with just my luck, I think we are flying with Northwest!!!

Apparently they are one of the only carriers that flies non-stop from Detroit to Los Angeles that Princess deals with.:rolleyes:

 

Thanks again:)

[paul929207]

I flew Delta and American recently, oth gave seat advance seat assignments we no extra cost.

[Payd]

Air Canada does the same thing!

 

Payd:)

[jasl]

You'll find that Air Canada will also charge the $15.00 for each seat assignment on their lowest fares.

I see you are from Ontario and if you are close to Buffalo, you might like to try JetBlue, their fares are good and I understand service is excellent.

Don't count on a direct flights from the cruise company, they could use multiple connections !!!!!

[FlyerTalker]

Regarding NW's "Coach Choice" seating: This applies to usually less than a dozen seats on the entire aircraft, and includes both exit rows (some of the seats, not all) and some aisle seats toward the front of the aircraft. Overall, no more than 5% of the total NW seat capacity is allocated to this program. Plenty of seats to pick other than these.

 

One of the main reasons was to allow last minute ticket buyers (high-yield fares) to get decent seating aboard aircraft that would otherwise be just middles. It has been a decent compromise by most accounts, after an initial fury by elite FF members on FT.

 

Full details can be found HERE.

[Are we there yet?]

Paul929207: Thank you, I will make a note of them for future reference.:)

 

Payd: Thank you:)

 

jasl: We are going to pay the deviation fee so that we can fly non-stop. I don't trust Princess to not fly me all over the country! lol I will make a note about JetBlue though, thank you.:)

 

FlyerTalker: Thank you for the link......as usual you are a wealth of information!:)

[JJPNYC]

AirTran also charges a premium if you want seating assignments at time of purchase.

 

But as a frequent business traveler, I'm typically peeved to be paying a king's ransom in airfare for a lousy middle seat in which I can't even open up my laptop to get work done. This is one of the great discrepancies of air travels - those who are paying top dollar for the seats are usually getting the worse seating assignments.

 

Of course on airlines like JetBlue they mitigate this somewhat by having the rows with 36" inches pitch which makes up for a middle seat. But on the legacies, nothing stinks worse than being in the back of a trans-con 767 in the middle seat of the middle section while paying top-dollar for that seat.

[Are we there yet?]

JJPNYC; I am completely ignorant about airfare, but what you are describing sounds very unfair. I always thought that business travelers had their own section? Coach, business, then first class. Is there a reason why they would always put you in a middle seat? I'm sorry, but I was a teenager the last time I flew, so this is all new to me.

Thank you though for adding AirTran to the list. I hope you have better luck in the future with your seating assignment.:)

[megr1125]

Thank you Paul, I appreciate your quick reply.:)

 

We definitely are not frequent flyers.......have not flown in 27 years, but I just didn't remember ever reading anything about this fee anywhere on these boards. I was mainly curious since we will be flying next year (if they can drag me on, lol) and my friend happened to mention this fee today at work.

 

Oh, and with just my luck, I think we are flying with Northwest!!!

Apparently they are one of the only carriers that flies non-stop from Detroit to Los Angeles that Princess deals with.:rolleyes:

 

Thanks again:)

 

Depends on the airline.....AND, get this....you have to pay even more for LOUSY SERVICE!!! just kidding, i couldn't resist.

 

Ick, Northworst.....poor thing......but US-scare-ways is even worse IMHO.....they REALLY squash you in......

 

Seriously, some airlines are starting to charge you to check bags too...airtran maybe?

[megr1125]

AWTY.....flying just isn't much fun anymore..and I LOVE flying......it isn't bad, but US carriers are in such bad shape financially, you are lucky to get a bag of nuts.

 

Oh, yes, since you haven't flown in a long time, you may want to pack a lunch! or buy something in the airport.....just no liquids...since you are up in Canada eh?? (yippee! love Canada!) you should check out http://www.tsa.gov

 

to read all the US rules...which change often....so read them a few times...

 

 

I try to stick with Southwest and jetBlue, then American...

 

Again, not all airlines charge and some charge for so-called 'premium' or economy-plus seats..

 

another thing to check is http://www.seatguru.com

 

they have seat maps of all the carriers and you can roll over the map with your mouse and a little box will tell you about the seat...it's color coded too..green for a great seat, yellow for a good seat with caution (i.e. an exit row which is good, but the seat doesn't recline which isn't so good...and red for skip it!)

 

hth

[Are we there yet?]

Depends on the airline.....AND, get this....you have to pay even more for LOUSY SERVICE!!! just kidding, i couldn't resist.

 

Ick, Northworst.....poor thing......but US-scare-ways is even worse IMHO.....they REALLY squash you in......

 

Seriously, some airlines are starting to charge you to check bags too...airtran maybe?

 

:) Thank you for the heads-up on charges for checked bags.....do they stay awake at night trying to find ways to charge you more!:D

[Are we there yet?]

AWTY.....flying just isn't much fun anymore..and I LOVE flying......it isn't bad, but US carriers are in such bad shape financially, you are lucky to get a bag of nuts.

 

Oh, yes, since you haven't flown in a long time, you may want to pack a lunch! or buy something in the airport.....just no liquids...since you are up in Canada eh?? (yippee! love Canada!) you should check out http://www.tsa.gov

 

to read all the US rules...which change often....so read them a few times...

 

 

I try to stick with Southwest and jetBlue, then American...

 

Again, not all airlines charge and some charge for so-called 'premium' or economy-plus seats..

 

another thing to check is http://www.seatguru.com

 

they have seat maps of all the carriers and you can roll over the map with your mouse and a little box will tell you about the seat...it's color coded too..green for a great seat, yellow for a good seat with caution (i.e. an exit row which is good, but the seat doesn't recline which isn't so good...and red for skip it!)

 

hth

 

Yes I did hear they weren't feeding you much anymore.....thats OK since we are on our way to a "floating food barge" as someone so aptly posted on another thread.:D

 

Thank you very much for the links to seatguru and tsa. I will check the tsa regularly, and the seatguru will come in handy for sure.

 

Thanks again, everyone has been very helpful.:)

[DanJ]

A friend just told me that is what she had to pay every time they did this. Is this true for ever airline? Hers was "WestJet".

Thank you:)

 

Your friend is mistaken, or being charged a fee by a travel agent. Westjet doesn't charge for advance seat selection. In fact, they don't offer advance seat selection unless you do online checkin within 24 hours of departure.

 

Air Canada charges $15 for advance selection any time after booking, for their lowest level "Tango" fares. But I also beleive you can pick a seat for no extra charge during online checkin within 24 hours prior to departure.

[ladysheri]

Regarding NW's "Coach Choice" seating: This applies to usually less than a dozen seats on the entire aircraft, and includes both exit rows (some of the seats, not all) and some aisle seats toward the front of the aircraft. Overall, no more than 5% of the total NW seat capacity is allocated to this program. Plenty of seats to pick other than these.

 

 

My husband pays for this all the time....he is over 6 feet tall and thinks it is well worth it to pay $15 for an Exit Row for a little extra leg room. If I am not mistaken, I believe he also gets a Frequent Flyer bonus on the trip when he does this...50% more miles.

[Globaliser]

JJPNYC; I am completely ignorant about airfare, but what you are describing sounds very unfair. I always thought that business travelers had their own section? Coach, business, then first class. Is there a reason why they would always put you in a middle seat?

Business class (where it exists - not on most US domestic flights) is a completely different cabin with its own fare structure. Plenty of business passengers have to fly in economy or coach, if that is the only cabin in which their company's or client's travel policies allow them to travel.

 

The reason that so many business travellers end up in rubbish middle seats is that all the good seats have already been taken by the once-a-year leisure passengers who've booked their flights 11 months out. First come first served is not a good business model, particularly when the business traveller typically pays fares that are many times what those early bookers paid.

[DanJ]

My husband pays for this all the time....he is over 6 feet tall and thinks it is well worth it to pay $15 for an Exit Row for a little extra leg room. If I am not mistaken, I believe he also gets a Frequent Flyer bonus on the trip when he does this...50% more miles.

 

You don't get extra miles for it, but it is well worth it to me. The exit row on the A320 for example has at least 6 inches more legroom than the first class seats. I'm 6'5 and when I stretched out, my feet just barely went under the seat in front.

[FlyerTalker]

NW gives its lowest level elite FF members a 50% mileage bonus for all flights. Perhaps that is what he is receiving - as a Silver Elite on NW. "Coach choice" definitely doesn't get any kind of bonus FF miles - if it did, the mileage junkies would be ALL over it.

[cindep]

Regarding Air Tran, it depends on the fare whether or not you have to pay to select the seat. The cheap fares you pay extra. We will check in early on our outbound flight, but I went ahead and paid for our seat selections on the return since I can't guarantee being able to check in online from the ship (never know if you'll have an internet signal). It all comes down to economics and convenience.

[Are we there yet?]

DanJ: I printed off your reply and gave it to my friend this morning.......she was not pleased. Someone has been charging her every time she does this so she is going to double check tonight to make sure it was WestJet, but she thinks it is. It will be interesting to see what she comes up with.

 

Globaliser: Thank you for clearing that up for me. Not fair at all if you ask me. Well whoever sits with us will either get the window or aisle seat if that makes any difference. If they look like a business person I will ask what they would prefer.......I don't want to feel daggers in the side of my head the whole way there. lol;)

 

cindep:thank you, I appreciate all the information I can get.:)

[Payd]

Payd: Thank you:)

 

 

Your welcome. I hope everything gets sorted out!

 

Payd:)

[Payd]

Yes I did hear they weren't feeding you much anymore.....thats OK since we are on our way to a "floating food barge" as someone so aptly posted on another thread.:D

 

 

On your way isn't a problem...mmm thinking of lunch on the ship:D

 

However on the way home you will be starving...I swear I was starving by 10:45 the morning of debarkation and had to have an early lunch at the airport:eek:

 

Payd:)

[jimc_usa]

NW gives its lowest level elite FF members a 50% mileage bonus for all flights. Perhaps that is what he is receiving - as a Silver Elite on NW. "Coach choice" definitely doesn't get any kind of bonus FF miles - if it did, the mileage junkies would be ALL over it.

 

:D :D :D

[dog]

In Canada, Westjet lets you choose your seat online at 24hours prior to flight at no extra charge.

 

Air Transat and Skyservice charter airlines here in Canada do offer a pre selection for around $15 for economy. In the club seats/premium economy seat selection is included.

 

Air Canada does offer pre seat selection for a fee.