Article: How to Beat Budget Airlines at Their Own Seat Selection Game

[AFF Editor]

Canonical URL

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/budget-airlines-seat-selection-game/

How to Beat Budget Airlines at Their Own Seat Selection Game is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

How to Beat Budget Airlines at Their Own Seat Selection Game

Some budget airlines deliberately allocate middle seats to passengers who don't buy seat selection. But there's a trick to avoid getting a terrible seat, without having to pay.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[clifford]

I had an experience with easyJet a couple of years ago where, like you I didn't bother paying for a seat, as the flight was fairly short.

I fully expected to receive a middle seat at the back, but instead it turned out to be 3C on a 320, I don't recall checking in all that late, but I was a little surprised (and pleased). The flight wasn't completely full either, so maybe easyJet isn't one of the worst offenders.

 

[OZDUCK]

I am too cheap to pay the extortionate fees QR want to charge me to select seats in J when booking "Classic" seats. They try to punish me by booking my wife and I into adjoining seats - the horror! So far I have been able to escape this fate on the day of travel but one day they will catch up with me.

 

[kpc]

Jetsmart from Aep to Asn assigned me a middle seat 1/2 way back and +1 ( on same booking) in middle seat in last row...was forced to pay for seats!

 

[aikman]

I've flown many budget airlines and I don't think that Viva example is a common one. Unfortunately most budget airlines are much less predictable.

 

[Duffa]

How about Ryanair when some bloke posted that he didn't care if his family got split up if he didn't pay - in fact, he said he would pay to NOT sit with them.
See their response below

 

[brucemoon]

Wizz Air take the punishment approach one step further - booked together on one booking without seating payment - my wife and I were allocated away from each other; she up front (middle of course) and I up the back (middle as well). As the plane was only half full, the hosties 'rearranged' us to extra leg room seating.

 

[Beer_budget]

I'm a tad nervous about this, as we're almost certainly flying Norwegian later this year, and the only time I've ever flown an LCC was when my boss booked us on Jetstar and then had to pay $70 when they weighed his laptop bag and found it overweight

Hopefully, by the time I buy a high enough fare class to get actual luggage allowance, seat selection will also be included.

 

[Flashback]

I've been doing this on FR for years. Unfortunately I got caught out once as I left it a little too late, as their OLCI closed a little earlier than me attempting it at the servo fuelling up before I dropped the rental car back, so with the only option then being airport check in that was €50 or so that was a win for them. Got the exit row though to myself, though.

 

[Qantas747]

I've done this many, many times - including on QF, SQ, CX, GA and VJ. I very rarely check in online beforehand as I prefer the physical boarding pass. It's happened at least 10 times in the last few years.

The only issue is that I don't like the exit row seat if you can't use the IFE before take-off (such as on CX's widebodies). I wish I had been put in an average seat!