I Have To "buy" A Seat Selection?

[dalidali]

Cebu Pacific Air basic ticket price does NOT include an actual seat.....wow.

 

I had to pay, in addition to the stated fare, another 200p for a run of the mill seat. Not a so called "premium seat" mind you.

 

I had to laugh.....I booked very early and took advantage of the promo fares.

Ticket promo price was 199p from Manila to Cebu and that is where the fun stuff begins.

 

The final price, which included the taxes, fees, seat selection and one, under 10K bag was 1700P.

 

I have been flying to SE Asia for several years with international carriers and never had to pay for a "seat" that was an add-on to the published prices.

 

It boggles my mind that CP or others, who charge for a "seat", don't just raise the base price of the ticket rather than have people yelling FOUL!!

If that flight was promo priced at 399p including a real seat, I would not be whining about this.

 

I never did see an option to "opt-out" of paying extra for a seat.

Which makes me wonder.....what would happen to you if you choose not to pay for a seat?

 

 

 

 

 

[Bruce]

No you do not have to buy a seat. But they do not tell you this. If you show up to check in  with out buying a seat online, they will assign you a seat. The bigger airlines make MILLIONS a year with add on fees. American Airlines is the worst with 70 add on fees depending on what you want to do. Fees for seats of course if you buy online, but also fees for bicycle or scuba tank or other stuff you may want to fly with.

 

The websites are designed to make you think you must but a seat. If you do not, you would mostly likely get a middle seat as the window and isle seats are bought by others when they buy their ticket. Who cares on a short flight?

[JJReyes]

I pay Cebu Pacific the P200 to reserve a seat of my choice (aisle). Without the seat reservation, you take whatever is still available at check-in.

 

I read somewhere about an airline industry joke that the airlines can afford to give away free beer provided passengers are charged to use the toilets. Pay toilets might be a new revenue source for airlines. Another under consideration is to charge heavy set passengers above a standard weight.

[dalidali]

Ok now I get it......don't prepay a seat and you get the dregs of seat selection on check in.

 

Although I don't like it one damn but.....I would rather pay the 200p for a pre-selected seat than I would to get stuck in the middle.....from Afghanistan to the far reaches of the world or just down the tarmac on taxi.

 

$5 US bucks is worth every dime to avoid the dreaded middle. At least with the aisle seat,  I can get one leg down that aisle and preserve one knee from the knocks and bangs on the seat back.

[JJReyes]

I am not sure if the airlines are still doing it, but you might be able to volunteer for a seat next to an emergency exit. The airlines require passengers who can assist the crew with the emergency exit in the event of an evacuation. In exchange, you get better leg room.

 

My son always requested for a seat next to an emergency door when he was a student in Denver, Colorado. He would also select the most popular flights to Hawaii and then be added to their "bump-off" list whenever the flight was overbooked. They placed you on the next available flight and some reward like $400 cash or a free round-trip ticket. Students didn't mind the delay or sleeping in the terminal building if necessary. The airlines preferred the "bump-off" list than having to use the PA and ask for volunteers.

[OnMyWay]

I am not sure if the airlines are still doing it, but you might be able to volunteer for a seat next to an emergency exit. The airlines require passengers who can assist the crew with the emergency exit in the event of an evacuation. In exchange, you get better leg room.

 

I think most airlines have started treating exit row seats as premium seats, and charging accordingly.

[Bruce]

 

I am not sure if the airlines are still doing it, but you might be able to volunteer for a seat next to an emergency exit. The airlines require passengers who can assist the crew with the emergency exit in the event of an evacuation. In exchange, you get better leg room.

 

I think most airlines have started treating exit row seats as premium seats, and charging accordingly.

 

 

 

$50 on PAL for their LA-MAN-LA flights (each way). Well worth the money for me. But you can not book on line. Must be in person. So I book seat 62C which is an isle seat next to the CR and then at the check in counter, I pay for seat 61A which is the window on the exit row, also next to the CR.  

[OnMyWay]

 

 

I am not sure if the airlines are still doing it, but you might be able to volunteer for a seat next to an emergency exit. The airlines require passengers who can assist the crew with the emergency exit in the event of an evacuation. In exchange, you get better leg room.

 

I think most airlines have started treating exit row seats as premium seats, and charging accordingly.

 

 

 

$50 on PAL for their LA-MAN-LA flights (each way). Well worth the money for me. But you can not book on line. Must be in person. So I book seat 62C which is an isle seat next to the CR and then at the check in counter, I pay for seat 61A which is the window on the exit row, also next to the CR.  

 

 

This reminds me of a funny old story, deemed to be true by Snopes!  See attached pdf for full understanding of the story!

 

seat29e.pdf

 

http://www.snopes.com/travel/airline/seat29e.asp

[JJReyes]

I think most airlines have started treating exit row seats as premium seats, and charging accordingly.

 

$50 on PAL for their LA-MAN-LA flights (each way).

 

Thanks. You mean the airlines want to charge me for the privilege of helping their flight attendants in the event of any emergency? What will they think of next? Charge me for my luggage? Oops! I forgot they are already doing this.

[Dave Hounddriver]

I never did see an option to "opt-out" of paying extra for a seat.

 

Its one of their gimmicks.

 

You have to click on a seat of your choice, and then click on it again to remove the selection.  I have never paid for that particular gimmick and have always managed to get my preferred choice of an aisle seat on check in.  It has been my experience on Cebu Pacific that as soon as the plane is in the air then 10% of the filipino passengers change seats from whatever they were assigned to whatever looks comfortable or close to someone they know.