Know why airlines charge extra price for preferred seats and if its even legal
Know why airlines charge extra price for preferred seats and if its even legal
Buying a plane ticket frequently doesn’t translate into an easy boarding procedure. When asked to choose a seat during the check-in process, many passengers run into difficulty. Many times, this step entails extra fees for the majority of available seats, which irritates travelers who believe it’s unjust to pay more after buying a ticket.
Concerns were raised about the matter and it was eventually brought before the Lok Sabha. The ministry of aviation was asked to respond to questions regarding the legitimacy of additional fees being charged during online check-in after ticket purchase.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation responded to the problem by highlighting the right of passengers who have paid for their tickets and related fees to obtain a boarding pass free of charge and without having to pay extra for a seat assignment.
According to an official, the airline will assign a seat at no cost through auto-assigned seat mode if a passenger does not want to select a preferred seat. A few hours prior to the departure of the flight, the passenger will receive an email with their boarding pass and auto-assigned seat.
To use the auto-assigned seat option, go to the airline’s website or app and select “auto-assigned” as your seat preference. The passenger then receives the boarding pass via email six to twelve hours before departure.
The official defended the fees for preferred seat selection by pointing out that they are a component of the unbundling strategy used by airlines, even though this solution provides a complimentary seat assignment for individuals who are unwilling to pay for a preferred seat. In order to lower the cost of basic fares, he pointed out that some services, such as preferred seat assignment, are unbundled and charged separately on an opt-in basis.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)’s Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) supports airlines’ unbundling of services, giving customers the freedom to pay for the services they want to use.
