Question “How to book seats on an airplane” Many travelers are interested, because this opportunity provides an excellent chance to make their trip more comfortable. This is due to the fact that not all seats on airplanes meet the requirements that a particular air passenger places on them. Below we describe all the options that allow you to book exactly those seats in the aircraft cabin that, in your opinion, will provide the maximum level of comfort during the flight.

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Detailed information about what kind of seats there are on airplanes, the advantages and disadvantages of such seats for various categories of passengers can be found on the page. Having determined, based on the available information, which option is most preferable to you, you can choose one of three options, each of which is likely to allow you to book the seat on the plane that suits you best.

Selecting a seat during check-in

The classic way of choosing a place, which was the only possible one before the opportunity arose. The idea is to arrive at the airport at the start of check-in for your flight, to be one of the first to go to the counter and ask an airline employee (usually girls) for the seat you want to get. Sometimes the check-in desks themselves are interested in your preferences in this regard, but it is better not to risk it and, without hesitation, immediately tell us about the seats where you would like to sit during the flight. In most cases, your wishes will be fulfilled and you will get the place you asked for without any problems. For example, near the window at the front of the plane or near the aisle at the rear of the cabin.

The easiest way to book seats is as described, provided that you are flying alone or as a couple. It is more difficult for three or four people to choose seats nearby, but it is possible: again, provided that you arrive early for registration, before all the best seats have already been taken. If you are flying two or three people, I advise you to approach the check-in counter together and present all your passports at once (if you approach one by one, someone else may well take the seat on the plane next to the first passenger, having booked it at another check-in counter or online).

As I already wrote, usually, if there are free seats, airline workers at the check-in counter meet passengers halfway and provide them with the desired seats, however, in order to increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome, I advise you to be polite and smile. In other words, try to win someone over with your personal charm. But it’s better not to give a bribe, because now airlines often control their employees in this regard, and no one wants to lose their job because of an extra 500 rubles (that’s how much they used to put in their passport to book the right seat).

A few years ago, it was early check-in that I used most often and usually got the desired seat. However, in connection with the development of the electronic check-in system and online purchase of air tickets, there are ways that provide a greater guarantee of getting your preferred seat on the plane.

Reserving a seat on an airplane when purchasing a ticket

If you purchase a plane ticket on the official website of the airline, even before payment you will be offered a map of the plane with free seats marked on it. Of course, the earlier you purchase a ticket before departure, the more comfortable seats there will be, so in a situation where there are several weeks left before the flight, airline websites often no longer have designated available seats at the window (the most interesting thing is that later, when choosing a seat at the check-in counter , they “appear”).

So, right on the airline’s website you can select seats for all parts of your trip at once. For example, when purchasing air tickets departing from Moscow using special offers from airlines from the Persian Gulf (Emirates, Etihad or Qatar), with the help of which it is often possible, you have the opportunity to pre-book seats on four planes at once. For example, Moscow-Dubai, Dubai-Bangkok, Bangkok-Dubai and Dubai-Moscow. Later, during the check-in process, just tell the airline employee (just in case) that your seats have already been selected when purchasing air tickets.

However, in addition to the advantages of this method, there are also some disadvantages. For example, some airlines, when purchasing a ticket, do not allow you to choose seats located near emergency exits, where there is more legroom, preferring to give these seats to tall and well-tracked passengers only at the check-in counter. Therefore, if you want to book exactly these seats in the aircraft cabin, you will still have to contact the check-in counter.

Additionally, some airlines charge extra for the ability to select your seat on the airline's website. For example, British Airways prices a similar service from $16 to $32 for choosing a seat in economy class for medium and long-haul flights, respectively. If you choose a seat in business class, you will have to pay almost $100 (IMHO, a waste of money, because all the seats in this class have increased comfort and are located only in the front part of the plane).

Increasingly, online air tickets at the best prices can be purchased not on the official websites of airlines, but using a special service (the search form is located above) that searches 728 airlines at once, including low-cost airlines. As a result, in the process of purchasing air tickets, you have to deal with intermediaries - special agencies. As a rule, this does not increase the cost of the air ticket (and sometimes makes it cheaper), it just eliminates the possibility of choosing your own seat on the plane. The best way out in this situation is to write in the notes about your requirements regarding the selection of seats during the process of applying for a ticket on the agency’s website or inform the agent about this by phone.

Booking seats on an airplane with online check-in

More and more people do not use the classic check-in for a flight, which I wrote about above, but the more convenient, in some cases, online check-in. To do this, you can either use special online check-in counters at the airport where you are flying from (pictured above), or you can perform such check-in and select a seat directly on the airline’s website. This opportunity usually appears one day before the departure of your plane or another period of time depending on the policy of the airline you choose. For example, Etihad allows this procedure to be done 24 hours before departure and blocks this opportunity two hours before the aircraft takes off according to the approved schedule.

On the one hand, the advantage of the latter method is obvious: there is no need to come to the airport several hours before departure and stand in line to register there. You can arrive an hour before departure and immediately go through the necessary procedures (passport and customs control). Just don’t forget your boarding passes at home or at work with your selected seats, which you need to print after completing the online check-in procedure.

However, there are also disadvantages: online check-in with some airlines is not possible for passengers with small children, for passengers with luggage and for passengers carrying animals on the plane. On the other hand, some airlines, on the contrary, provide bonuses for online registration. For example, Etihad allows you to increase the maximum baggage weight by 7 kg (though not for all airports and Minsk is not included in this list). By the way, in any case, I recommend arriving at the airport early, because if online check-in with baggage is allowed by your airline, this same baggage will still have to be weighed and checked in at a special counter, so it’s better not to be late, because nerve cells are poorly restored.

At the end of the article, one more useful tip: before online check-in for a plane with a choice of seats, familiarize yourself in advance with the layout of these seats directly in the model and modification of the aircraft that is declared for your flight (usually such information is provided in the printout of your electronic ticket). As a rule, similar diagrams (on which rows and seats are numbered, emergency and regular exits are indicated, the location of galleys and toilets) are available on the websites of all major airlines.

Booking airplane seats through a mobile application

In our time, when information technology is rapidly developing, and most people can no longer imagine their lives without the daily use of smartphones, it would be wrong not to mention another way to check in for a flight and select a seat on the plane . We are talking about using mobile applications from airlines. Most popular airlines have such branded applications: Aeroflot and S7 in Russia, Ukrainian UIA, Middle Eastern Emirates and Etihad, etc. You can download such applications for Android and iOS directly on airline websites, and their use is not limited only to check-in for a flight and booking seats in the cabin.

Today, mobile applications from airlines offer almost a full range of basic and related services: searching and purchasing air tickets, obtaining insurance, online check-in for a flight, providing information on the status of all flights in real time, delays in departure and arrival, airport services, accrual of bonus miles and ways of using them. Therefore, having such an application on your smartphone (especially if you travel more than once a year) can be very useful. Applications do not take up much disk space, which is also convenient, because you probably want to bring as many photos and videos as possible from your trip.

Aeroflot mobile application - allows you to select seats in the aircraft cabin

The only caveat is that, as in the case of purchasing air tickets on the official websites of airlines, when using a proprietary application for this, the price turns out to be higher than when purchasing from intermediaries. Therefore, if you want to save money, it is better to use branded airline mobile applications not to purchase air tickets, but to search for dates with minimum fares, and only then check these dates in the metasearch. I constantly use Aviasales and over the entire period of use I have probably already saved on a free flight to Thailand. By the way, this metasearch also has, by installing it on your smartphone, you will always have access to air tickets at minimal prices, which include all taxes and fees (at the top of the page you can select a device (iPhone, iPad, Android or Windows Phone smartphones or tablets using the link) ).

Unsuccessful seat reservation

If for some reason you were unable to book a seat on the plane that you thought was comfortable (you didn’t have time for online check-in, you forgot to notify the airline employee at the counter, or she didn’t meet you halfway), then all is not lost. After boarding is completed, when the flight attendant announces this (“Boarding is complete” or “Boarding is over”), you can take a more comfortable seat on the plane, if there is one in sight. You can ask the flight attendant about this, or even better, warn the latter that you would like to change your seat immediately upon boarding and politely ask her to find such a seat for you if possible.

Another possible option is to immediately take a comfortable empty seat: it is quite possible that no one will sit in it. In the end, you will always have time to take your “rightful” place. Thus, there are several ways to reserve seats on the plane according to your preferences. Use them wisely and all your future flights will be pleasant and comfortable. I wish you pleasant air travel and soft landings!