How do airlines assign seats?

Most airlines assign booked seats before your flight; see Planning your flight. A few airlines do not assign seats (e.g., Southwest), but do assign you a boarding group based on how early you confirm your flight on-line within 24 hours of the flight.



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The seat assignments you select are not guaranteed and will be sent to the airline for confirmation. When your reservation is complete, if the seat numbers you selected are confirmed, they will show on your invoice.

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Yep, they sure do. At the airline I retired from, and every other major airline I've ridden on, the lead flight attendant receives a printout of every name of every passenger on the aircraft along with their assigned seat.

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Don't count on sitting together, unless you're willing to fork over extra money. It has become increasingly common for airlines to charge passengers extra to choose seats on flights in advance, making it common for parties to be separated on flights.

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Some parents assume they will automatically be seated with their kids. Others may end up separated from their families if they are rebooked due to a cancellation. Regardless of the reason, airlines are not legally required to seat families together.

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The airlines will hold back some seats for assignment so that the gate agent have some leeway to put family traveling together, passengers with special needs, etc.

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Flight attendants have the authority to move people around and the flight attendant can ask someone, she says, emphasizing that seat trades should always be equal. But Whitmore says there are two scenarios where it is “never” OK to ask for a switch.

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Speak with an agent If you don't heed our advice and find yourself at the airport with a less-than-desirable boarding group, Southwest advises that you speak with a gate agent or flight attendant. They will see if any passengers are willing to move to accommodate your family if you aren't able to get seats together.

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Tammy Nelson was flying on Delta Airlines from Cincinnati, Ohio, to San Jose, California, when she was asked to swap seats with a woman who wanted to sit next to her two children.

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Yes, the airlines know they have married couples in their cockpits and they're okay with it.

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Not most but yes, there are some. A few pilots are already married even before they're hired & some doesn't even date a cabin crew. Even the pilots that I know of dating a cabin crew didn't end up marrying the latter.

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However, there are ways you can achieve this for free.
  1. Pick your airline carefully. ...
  2. Check-in early. ...
  3. Make a specific request. ...
  4. Ask another passenger to swap seats. ...
  5. Sit near the front or the back. ...
  6. Use a seat map. ...
  7. Choose a window seat. ...
  8. Select extra legroom.


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If you want to experience as little turbulence as possible, it is best to book a seat above the wings. It has been proven that turbulence is least noticeable there. Another good choice is a seat in the front of the plane, as vibrations are also less noticeable there than in the back.

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What is preferred seating? A preferred seat is a regular United Economy seat that's closer to the front of the plane. This will put you in the first few rows behind Economy Plus. Extra legroom is not included.

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It's not abnormal — especially post-pandemic — to see passengers on a flight wearing medical masks. Flight attendants may make note of these passengers as potentially feeling sick, but they will also look for swollen or red eyes, sweating, or sweating when scanning guests.

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An adult must take the child to the departure gate and stay until the flight is airborne. When you get to the gate, tell the gate agent you have an unaccompanied minor traveling on the flight. We'll board your child early so they can meet the flight crew and learn about the plane's safety features.

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