Seat selection in advance is a convenient and useful facility provided by almost all airlines in the world. Seat selection is allowed for passengers with confirmed bookings. Some airlines allow seat selection based on the fare while some airlines provide seat selection option for all passengers.
Free or Paid Seat Selection
Seat selection is either free or chargeable as specified in the reservation terms and conditions. Seat selection charges can be different for different seats like Front Row, Emergency Row, Extra Legroom or Bassinet seat. Middle seats can be selected free of charge.
Passengers can select seats on the airline website or at any of their offices. Passengers also have the option of not selecting any seat in advance. Such passengers will be assigned any random seat at the time of check-in or as per passenger preference if vacant, which is very remote, unless of course the load is light.
Let us look at the points to keep in mind when selecting a seat:
Seat Preference-Points to remember
- Is the seat selection for one person, family or a group?
- Are all passengers adults or any child or infant traveling with adults?
- Any elderly, differently abled, expectant mothers?
- Any passenger with special or medical needs?
- Any passengers with connecting onward flight?
- Check if seat is reclining or non-reclining before seat selection
- Front row and some emergency row seats can have extra legroom
- Some emergency row seats can be non-reclining
- Passengers with separate bookings can select seats together
Let us now look at various seat selection options and policy of airlines. This must be understood and followed by all passengers.
Seat Selection Policy and Options
- When making a booking, passengers must specify passenger type
- Passengers can select a seat in their class of travel only
- An able-bodied adult can select any seat in his class of travel
- Child, infant, expectant mothers, elderly, differently abled passengers are not allowed emergency row seating due to safety reasons
- Expectant mothers, elderly and differently abled passengers can preferably take a seat near a cabin crew station for assistance
- Passengers with onward flights can preferably select an aisle seat near the aircraft exit
- Passengers with an infant can select a bassinet seat for convenience
Meal preference is an option to select the meal to be served on the flight. This preference can be selected when making the flight reservation. Meal preference must be specified by the passenger in the reservation to ensure the desired meal is uplifted and served on the flight. If meal preference is not specified, the passenger will be served the meal that is available on the flight.
All airlines do not provide complimentary meals and beverage on board their flights. On such airlines, passengers can request a meal by paying for it.
Some of the common meal options provided by airlines are:
Meal Preference Options
Vegetarian Meal Code VGML
Asian Vegetarian Meal Code AVML
Non-Vegetarian Meal Code NVML
Child Meal Code CHML
Baby Meal Code BBML
Fruit Platter Code FPML
Diabetic Meal Code DBML
Gluten-free Meal Code GFML
Low Calorie Meal Code LCML
Low Fat Meal Code LFML
Low Salt Meal Code LSML
Special Meal (SPML)
If the desired meal option is not specified, then passengers can select Special Meal with code SPML and mention the required meal in the details. This needs to be done at the time of booking or requested well in advance (at least 24 hours in advance) or as per airline policy.
Specify your Seat and Meal preference, at the time of booking for a comfortable and enjoyable flight.
Vivek enjoying your blog systamatic information is provided
Thank you very much Adesh for your time and comments
Nice info. Your blog is covering the full details required by a new as well as old passengers the basics of air travel.
Keep it up sir
Thank you for your comments. Yes useful info for all passengers. Like a refresher for frequent fliers.
Very good detailed information. Normally in our domestic airlines Seats ABC are known as port side seats and
seats DEF are known as starboard side seats. If one wants to see fuelling and catering luggage loading activities must opt for seat F window seat. Those who wants to observe aerobridge, ladder, passenger buses should opt for A window seat. You can observe these activities for about 15 minutes from the time you seated and aircraft is pushed back for take-off.
Thank you very much for your detailed comments and info shared. Yes starboard and port side of the aircraft. These terms are taken from shipping
Useful information for flyers. If I were comment on my experience on seat selection/ preference, I have often observed that most of the time very few window/aisle are shown as available at the time of booking, probably to induce the flyer to go for paid seat selection. However, if you skip seat selection and ask for window/ aisle seat at the airport on the day of travel, they are often available. Is this the practice of the airlines to fleece the customer.
Thank you very much for your comments. Paid seat and other paid services are revenue generating options for the airline. Airlines all over the world have suffered losses due to the price war started by low cost airlines. The air fares in most parts of the world are not sustainable. Hence such measures by airlines.