When did Aer Lingus start charging for seats?

tea and coffee · 01-01-2026 03:19AM #1

I was in London in October and could choose my seat at online check in, 48 hours in advance.

Checking in for flight again today and all seats were chargeable. To get a free seat, you had to do the Ryanair thing and allow them to assign you a seat.

Since when is that in place,

finbarrk · 02-01-2026 02:40PM

A year or 2.

Marty Bird · 02-01-2026 02:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058430516/when-did-aer-lingus-start-charging-for-seats

Last EI flight I checked in for allowed me to pick the standard seats 48hrs before flight. That was back in November. What you described is definitely a change.

Cosmo Kramer · 02-01-2026 02:58PM

Aer Lingus are basically the wolves of Ryanair in sheep's clothing. Their selling point is that they're less **** than Ryanair and therefore worth paying the extra for, along with a dash of green to appeal to Irish people and Irish Americans. But really they and Ryanair are much of a muchness and you're probably more likely to be on time on a Ryanair flight.

Deagol · 02-01-2026 03:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124110851#Comment_124110851

You really fell for the Ryanair nonsense advertising?

Aer Lingus are more often on-time, they cancel less flights and I can tell you from experience which airline I'd rather be flying with if there's any issues.

https://businessplus.ie/news/aer-lingus-ryanair-on-time/

VG31 · 02-01-2026 04:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124110811#Comment_124110811

Only a limited number of seats (the cheapest ones) are selectable for free at online check-in. If these are all selected then you have to pay to select a seat or you can be allocated one for free.

VG31 · 02-01-2026 05:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124110871#Comment_124110871

Ryanair being more punctual than Aer Lingus has been a myth for years now. I've seen punctuality statistics for EI and FR at Dublin Airport this year and EI are significantly better. The last few months EI have beaten FR by > 10%. Even anecdotally, I've been on a lot more delayed FR flights than EI ones over the last few years and I fly EI more.

Deagol · 04-01-2026 07:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124111138#Comment_124111138

More impressively - or more surprisingly depending on your POV…. Since Ryanair predominantly fly to smaller less busy airports and EI fly to large hubs like LHR you'd expect Ryanair to be able to be on time more routinely.

Which reminds me, do Ryanair still fly to Cork or is it Dublin South now? 😉

fitzparker · 05-01-2026 04:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124111108#Comment_124111108

This is exactly it

tea and coffee · 06-01-2026 08:30AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124111108#Comment_124111108

I trued to check in when free check in opened, at 48 hours out. That would mean there were very few free ones

In the flight to London I didn't check in until that morning and managed to get a free seat.

I wonder does it depend on the flight destination?

fitzparker · 06-01-2026 10:18AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124121807#Comment_124121807

Depends on destination popularity at the time id presume.

The likes of UK flights or "City" flights midweek, you'd expect are mostly business trips, so travellers will not pay and get a free seat when check in opens or just have one assigned (or if they do pay its the "premium seats" as the business is paying for them).

Where as a flight to Majorca in summer, which you'd expect families to be on would pay and pre book their seats to guarantee sitting together (majority of them you'd expect to pay for the cheapest seats (which are the free ones @ check in), so that means the free could all be gone.. its also a bonus that your % of getting a "better seat" if allowing random allocation has increased

Tombo2001 · 06-01-2026 10:44AM

For me, I would rarely ever book with Aer Lingus. Its routinely 50% more expensive than Ryanair. Planes and service are much the same. I havent experienced any noticeable lateness with Ryanair. Regardless - if you are flying to Europe, its a 4hr journey or more from point to point. An extra 20 minutes on that it is no big deal.

The only reason to go Aer Lingus would be somewhere like Paris, where its way more convenient from CDG than BVS. Or because for example they arent charging for seats or bags, so it evens out.

Tombo2001 · 06-01-2026 10:54AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124117568#Comment_124117568

Ryanair is more likely to flies into smaller airports whereas Aer Lingus doesnt.

But it doesnt 'predominantly' fly into smaller airports. Stansted, Gatwick, El Prat, Schipol, Brussels, Malpensa, Berlin Brandenburg, Dublin, Vienna…..these are not small airports, they are 20mn plus passengers.

tea and coffee · 10-01-2026 08:50AM

https://www.thejournal.ie/aer-lingus-free-seat-selection-6922066-Jan2026/

They are charging now. Foolish imo.

beggars_bush · 10-01-2026 10:32PM

Don't like the new aer lingus pricing for family groups.

1/2 price check in luggage for the children.

Except, the adult has to purchase a check in bag first to avail of the discount!

When did Aer Lingus start charging for seats?

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