Flight check-in question

acer911

I am flying in the morning with Aer Lingus and went to check in online and there are only 2 "unpaid" seats left for selection (not together). There are about 20 "paid" (top seven rows and emergency exits) seats available. There are two of us travelling.

If I leave this until later or if I leave it until the airport to check in, will I be assigned a "paid" seat?

VG31

They usually leave the premium seats until last in the hope that people will pay for them. They will have to allow you to select them in the airport though. They won't force you to pay for a premium seat. You should be able to select them on the check-in kiosks tomorrow.

coylemj

VG31 wrote: »

They usually leave the premium seats until last in the hope that people will pay for them. They will have to allow you to select them in the airport though. They won't force you to pay for a premium seat. You should be able to select them on the check-in kiosks tomorrow.

What's to stop someone with a physical infirmity from booking and paying for a seat by the emergency exit? Does it ask you any questions about your physical ability if you select one of those seats on the website or at the self-service kiosk in the airport?

Just wondering if they hold those seats for assignment at the check-in desk for able-bodied passengers? In which case the OP might be as well off getting to the check-in desk as early as possible.

VG31

I was referring more to the first few rows that airlines sometimes charge extra for rather than emergency exit row seats. I don't know how exactly it works for them.

miezekatze

coylemj wrote: »

What's to stop someone with a physical infirmity from booking and paying for a seat by the emergency exit? Does it ask you any questions about your physical ability if you select one of those seats on the website or at the self-service kiosk in the airport?

Just wondering if they hold those seats for assignment at the check-in desk for able-bodied passengers? In which case the OP might be as well off getting to the check-in desk as early as possible.

This is OT, but no, there's nothing stopping anyone from paying for these seats. They might move you though if they don't think you should be sitting there. I was on a flight last year though where members of a band had booked 2 emergency seats each, one for themselves and one for their guitar/bass. They showed up late and the flight was fairly full so we took off anyway, with instruments occupying emergency exit seats!

VG31

acer911 wrote: »

I am flying in the morning with Aer Lingus and went to check in online and there are only 2 "unpaid" seats left for selection (not together). There are about 20 "paid" (top seven rows and emergency exits) seats available. There are two of us travelling.

If I leave this until later or if I leave it until the airport to check in, will I be assigned a "paid" seat?

Did this work out OK for you?

grogi

coylemj wrote: »

What's to stop someone with a physical infirmity from booking and paying for a seat by the emergency exit? Does it ask you any questions about your physical ability if you select one of those seats on the website or at the self-service kiosk in the airport?

Nothing. They will be moved from those seats by the crew in the plane.

grogi

miezekatze wrote: »

This is OT, but no, there's nothing stopping anyone from paying for these seats. They might move you though if they don't think you should be sitting there. I was on a flight last year though where members of a band had booked 2 emergency seats each, one for themselves and one for their guitar/bass. They showed up late and the flight was fairly full so we took off anyway, with instruments occupying emergency exit seats!

I would complain to the iaa. https://www.iaa.ie/contacts/voluntary-reports-1

acer911

VG31 wrote: »

acer911 wrote: »

I am flying in the morning with Aer Lingus and went to check in online and there are only 2 "unpaid" seats left for selection (not together). There are about 20 "paid" (top seven rows and emergency exits) seats available. There are two of us travelling.

If I leave this until later or if I leave it until the airport to check in, will I be assigned a "paid" seat?

Did this work out OK for you?

Went to check in again after making the OP and there were no "free" seats only paid seats. When i selected the available seats it was making me pay either 12.99 or 19.99 for the relevant seat so I didn't check in. I waited until the airport and got an emergency exit seat when checking in at one of the self service kiosk! There was an option to 'ramdomally assign a seat' which I could have selected when trying to check in online which probably would have given us a 'premium' seat without paying for it but I didn't bother selecting it.

Fred Swanson

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