India Puts on Hold New Policy Making Flight Seat Selection Free
Photo Credit: An Akasa Air-operated flight. Akasa Air
Skift Take
The move to make seat selection free of charge was meant to make travel more convenient for passengers. But the government's decision to put it on hold has once again pitted flight economics against traveler satisfaction.
Less than a month after it ordered airlines to make seat selection free of charge for 60% of capacity, the Indian government has put the reform on hold.
Following airline protests, the Indian Ministry of Civil aviation reviewed its order to allow passengers to select seats without any additional charge, and last week provided a notice that it was setting the policy aside. However, it said that other passenger-centric reforms, including co-seating passengers booked on the same PNR and transparent policies for pet carriage, musical instruments, sports equipment, would continue to apply.
Before the government’s decision last week, the policy was set to take effect April 20.
In March, the ministry introduced new passenger-first reforms, including an order that asked airlines to ensure that 60% of seats on flights were available to select free of charge, up from the current standard of about 20%.
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