Commentary: Why must passengers pay to reserve standard seats on full-service airlines?

SINGAPORE: At the start of July, Singapore Airlines (SIA) quietly hiked its seat selection fees, with Economy Class passengers having to pay up to US$15 more to reserve a standard seat, depending on the route.

Rolling out a fee hike of any kind, especially in the wake of record profits and bonuses, could ruffle feathers. But wrapped up in the furore is a bigger question: Why charge for standard seats in the first place?

Airlines usually segment their Economy Class seats into extra legroom, forward zone, and standard. Most passengers would probably not object to paying for the first two categories.

Extra legroom is a valuable commodity, especially in Economy Class, and while the definition of the forward zone can often be arbitrary, there are those who value priority disembarkation and a shorter queue at immigration.

Standard seats are basically everything left over, and while charging for these might be acceptable on a budget carrier with cheaper fares, on a full-service airline it - quite literally - does not sit well. These seats don’t benefit from additional space or an advantageous cabin location. If you’re ultimately going to be assigned a standard seat anyway, why pay?

MONETISING ANXIETY

The cynic in me says that airlines who charge seat selection fees, even for standard seats, are simply monetising anxiety.

Air travel is already a cause of great stress for many, and the last thing you want is to worry about your seat. What if I get the last row and miss my connection? What if I get sandwiched between two burly individuals who picked today to skip deodorant? What if I’m split up from my family and seated with a stranger who wants to make small talk?

In that sense, you’re not paying because there’s anything particularly desirable about a standard seat; you’re paying because you fear what happens if you don’t.

It’s classic loss aversion bias, and the entire booking process seems calibrated to play on this unease. At numerous junctures, you’re nudged to add a seat so your group can be seated together, almost as if the airline is whispering in your ear, “But what if?”

And in the end, those “what ifs” are reason enough for some to bite the bullet and pay. Might they have ended up with the same seat for free anyway? Possibly. It’s in essence a game of chicken, with the airline and passenger seeing who blinks first.

THE "UNBUNDLING" OF AIRFARES

Unfortunately, SIA is far from an outlier when it comes to charging for standard seats. This is part of a larger trend known as “unbundling”, where things that were previously offered free (or at least rolled into the base fare) are now being stripped out and sold separately.

In fact, the airline was a relative late mover, introducing these fees in January 2018 when other carriers had been charging them for close to a decade. And while SIA’s decision to hike seat selection fees without notice may not be a good look, it has to be said that they’re hardly the worst offender.

For starters, SIA’s fees for standard seats are noticeably lower than the competition’s, even following the hike.

Moreover, only SIA passengers who purchase the cheapest Economy Lite fare type are subject to standard seat selection fees. Economy Lite passengers can also enjoy a waiver of seat selection fees if they’re elite members of the KrisFlyer or PPS programme, or travelling with an infant or child.

With that in mind, SIA’s approach towards seat selection fees is relatively restrained compared with other airlines.

In the US, for example, six out of 10 major carriers still do not guarantee that parents can sit together with children without fees. China Airlines and Vietnam Airlines further segment their standard seats, charging extra if you want an aisle or window. Air France, British Airways, KLM and Qatar Airways even charge seat selection fees in Business Class.

A SILVER LINING

For those hoping that this nickel-and-diming trend will pass, I don’t have much good news. Airlines are notoriously good at squeezing extra money out of passengers, and there’s little reason to believe this will change.

If it’s any consolation, airlines will usually do their best to seat groups together, simply because it’s bad publicity to split up families or separate caregivers from their charges. The catch is that this may not always be possible, especially on full flights, and the only way of being absolutely sure is to pay up.

For SIA passengers who are unhappy about this development, here’s a little tip: You might not need to pay a single cent at all, because you can select any available seat for free once online check-in opens, 48 hours before departure.

If you don’t mind rolling the dice, you could snag yourself a free seat anywhere in the cabin - even the extra legroom seats, if available.

But what if, though?

Aaron Wong is the founder of travel website The MileLion.