Originally Posted by
calvinshuhfc
That's exactly what I am dealing with.
Apparently, in the front section of the Y cabin, all the aisle and window seats are "preferred seats" and the middle ones are free; and in the back section of the Y cabin, they are all standard and free seats.
Could I change to those "preferred seats" for free when I drop off my baggage at the airport if no one is sitting on those seats?
So essentially it is not that you "need to pay to choose a window seat" as you mention in your OP but rather that you need to pay to choose a window seat at the front of the cabin.
In effect, different fares can give you access to different parts of the cabin, and preferred seats will typically be given to people entitled to them (elite status or people who pay for them). You can ask at the airport or at the gate but in practice, AF-KL is reasonably good at estimating how many preferred seats they will need and it is unlikely that many will be free by the time you arrive at the airport unless the flight is really not busy. Effectively, if you want a window, I'd recommend that you either pay or take a free one at the back of the plane. Windows are the seats that go fastest on any plane so I personally would not expect them to remain free if you don't get one while you can.