The convenience of purchasing a flight ticket often doesn’t translate to a hassle-free boarding process. Many air travelers encounter a predicament during online web check-in when they are prompted to select a seat. This step frequently involves additional charges for most available seats, causing resentment among passengers who feel it’s unfair to pay extra after already purchasing a ticket.
The issue raised concerns and was eventually brought before the Lok Sabha, demanding a response from the aviation ministry about the legality of charging extra fees during online check-in post-ticket purchase.
Do we have to pay every time while selecting seats?
In response to the issue, Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation Gen (Dr) VK Singh addressed the matter, emphasizing the right of passengers who’ve paid for their tickets and associated charges to receive a boarding pass without additional expenses for seat allocation.
“If a passenger chooses not to opt for a preferred seat, the airline will assign a seat free of cost through auto-assigned seat mode. The boarding pass with the auto-assigned seat will be emailed to the passenger a few hours before the flight departure,” Singh explained, ET reported.
The process of using the auto-assigned seat option involves accessing the airline’s app or website and opting for the ‘auto-assigned’ seat selection. The boarding pass is then sent via email to the passenger 6-12 hours prior to departure.
Can we get preferred seats for free?
While this solution offers a cost-free seat allocation for those uninterested in paying for a preferred seat, Singh justified the charges for preferential seat selection as part of an unbundling strategy implemented by airlines. He noted that certain services, including preferential seat allocation, are unbundled and charged separately on an opt-in basis to make basic fares more affordable.
The Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) endorses the unbundling of services by airlines, which allows passengers the flexibility to pay for the services they desire to avail, the report further stated.