Can airlines make you pay for seats?

Each airline ticket comes with a confirmed seat, but if you want to choose your seat location, most domestic airlines will charge an additional fee. These extras are not new.



People Also Ask

They want to show the lowest fares possible on search results, then upsell you during checkout. This drip-pricing tactic is a pain for passengers. Charging for seat selection is one way airlines try to make a buck at the last minute.

MORE DETAILS

Airlines like American Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines charged high fees for both window seats near the front of the plane and middle seats near the back. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines only charged for the nicer seats. Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines charged nothing at all.

MORE DETAILS

In general, obese passengers on airlines who require a seatbelt extender and/or cannot lower the armrests between seats are asked to pay for a second seat on their flight, unless there are two empty seats together somewhere on the plane. Special size passengers have little to no choice when it comes to this rule.

MORE DETAILS

Don't fall for it. You can always skip seat selection and save the money, but do keep a few things in mind: Skipping seat selection doesn't mean you won't get a seat on the flight. You might get stuck in the middle seat if you don't pay for one.

MORE DETAILS

Here are some guidelines:
  1. Avoid the middle seat. The best seats are the window or aisle seats toward the front of the plane. ...
  2. Sit over the wing. Sitting over the wing may help you feel less turbulence.
  3. Choose emergency exit rows. ...
  4. Take a seat in the first row.


MORE DETAILS

The gate agent has supreme power of seating assignments for every flight and dictates who sits where. If they ask you to move, do it.

MORE DETAILS

Southwest is probably the most unique and quirky airline in the world. If you don't understand what the question is referring to, instead of being assigned a specific seat on Southwest, you are given a specific spot in line to board. Once onboard, you simply pick any seat and sit there.

MORE DETAILS

How fat is too fat to fly? Even though there are no weight limits for fat passengers, there are normally three basic requirements for flying while overweight: Passengers must be able to sit with both armrests down. Passengers must be able to buckle their seatbelts.

MORE DETAILS

Most likely, it won't be comfortable, but you'll still fit at 300. Try and book next to an empty seat, if you can. I assume you already do that anyway, but I don't know how often you travel, or whether this is your first time.

MORE DETAILS

While Delta allows plus-size passengers (even those who need a seatbelt extender or can't lower the armrest) to fly without purchasing an extra seat, they reserve the right to ask travelers to move to a different seat or take a later flight if they encroach on another passenger's space.

MORE DETAILS

If there are not enough passengers who are willing to give up their seats voluntarily, an airline may deny you a seat on an aircraft based on criteria that it establishes, such as the passenger's check-in time, the fare paid by the passenger, or the passenger's frequent flyer status.

MORE DETAILS

So, yes, the flight attendants know which seats in business (or first) class are supposed to be empty, and if someone is found in one, they'll be asked to move... (and if you're on a US-based carrier, it might be a little stronger than just a request!)

MORE DETAILS