Round Table China Are you paying twice for one airline seat?
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Dec 10, 2025 Guo Yan, a guest contributor and consumer advocate, uncovers intriguing findings about airlines locking away a staggering 20–60% of preferred economy seats. He highlights how this practice forces travelers to pay extra or use miles, disadvantaging occasional flyers. The discussion extends to global trends, revealing that fees are prevalent in the U.S. and Canada too. As high-speed rail becomes a more appealing alternative, the hosts emphasize that airlines must enhance services, focusing on comfort and customer relations, to remain competitive.
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Preferred Seats Locked Behind Fees
- Airlines in China lock a large share of preferred economy seats behind fees or mileage redemption, averaging nearly 40% across carriers.
- The restricted seats are mainly front rows, window, and aisle seats that passengers prefer and expect to choose freely.
Passengers Share Frustrating Seat Stories
- Miss Chen found the first three economy rows grayed out and needed miles or money to unlock them during online check-in.
- Miss Zhang calculated that buying points to redeem a front-row seat could cost about 400 yuan (~$56).
Seat Fees Are A Global Trend
- Seat-selection fees are widespread internationally, with U.S. carriers collecting billions and some airlines now auto-assigning basic fares.
- Airlines may be monetizing seats more than luggage and making free assignments conditional or charged to change later.