Originally Posted by
Fiordland
AC does not provide its SE free preferred seats on every flight. It lets SE pick from preferred seats that may be available at the time the SE picks a seat.
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I don't think this is any different than a non-SE customer choosing and paying for a preferred seat when they book, which may or may not be available. Either way that's the deal when you pay for your ticket. It's just that with SE you've paid enough already that we're back to square one.