This depends on the airline and other factors, such as the class or fare you have purchased to travel. Every airline has its own different policies or rules and regulations that you must know before booking a flight ticket. Suppose the passenger is traveling on a low-cost airline or has a basic economy ticket, Then they will be charged extra for the seat selection. You can also contact airline customer service to get the required information. The executive will help and provide you with the required information.
The seat selection process can also be done free of charge within 24 hours of the booking. Other than this, if you select the seat after 2 hours of booking, you have to pay some charge for it. If you do not want to pay any charge, don't worry; you will get the free-of-cost seat assigned by the airline. But if you want any preferred seat, you can do it through various methods such as an online process through the manage my booking option, via a call to the customer service of that particular airline, and also at the airport.
Select the seat online: To select a seat online, go to the manage my booking option. After filling in the required booking details, you will reach the booking summary page. The option to select the seta will be provided there. Go to the option to proceed with the process; pay the amount asked, and you will complete the seat selection process.
Select the seat via call: To select the seat through the call, connect to the customer service of that particular airline by dialing the customer service phone number. Then, you must follow the further basic instructions given on the call and press the keys accordingly for the seat selection. After carefully following the instructions, you can connect directly with the airline's customer service executive. You can request that the executive provide you with the preferred seat. The executive will help and provide you with the seat according to your preference. Pay the charges if asked and the process will be done.
Select the seat at the airport: Visit the nearest airport and then reach the customer service executive present at the airport, requesting the executive to provide you with the preferred seat. The agent will help, and you will get one bit, depending on the availability of the seats. If your desired seat is available at that moment, you will get one after paying the charges applied for the seat selection process by the airline.
Few airlines know not to charge or ask for very little fees for the extra seats. These airlines include alaska, hawaiian, and jetblue. These airlines charge very little or nothing for choosing the seat on the flight. And only in the worst case will you end up in the middle seat. In the best case, you can also get the seat with the extra legroom.
There are a few ways through which you can avoid paying money for seat selection; read all the possible ways which are mentioned below:
Check-in early: Checking in early can enhance your seating options and increase your chances of getting the preferred seat. The check-in process can be online and typically opens 24 hours before the flight. You can set a reminder to check in as soon as possible to get the desired seat.
Get the assigned seat: If you do not want to pay the airline any money for the seat selection, do not worry. The airline will assign you the seat, and you will get the desired seat if luck works.
The airlines charge more money from the people for the seats to make more money from those who want to reserve a seat in advance. The other rationale behind this charge is to enable airines to offer even more competitive ticket prices to passengers indifferent to their seat allocation.
Conclusion: Hope you have received all the required information and answers regarding the seat selection process and the charges that the airline asks for if you want to select a preferred seat on the flight.