Originally Posted by capedreamer

A couple months ago, I booked an Air Canada Latitude (Flexible Economy, B fare class) ticket for BER-FRA-YUL-YOW return, with the BER-FRA and FRA-BER operated by LH as an AC codeshare.

At the time, I was able to select and confirm seats for the LH legs via the LH app / website with no additional charge (it said "included in fare").

Now that my BER-FRA flight is only 4 days away, I noticed I have lost my previously selected seat, and selecting any seat will result in a charge. For the FRA-BER let in August, the previously selected seat is still there.

1) Should I ever have been able to make these advanced seat selections in the first place?

2) Will I lose my seat on the return as well?

3) Will I be able to select a seat for free at check-in?

Originally Posted by capedreamer

FWIW, after experiencing my version of this, I called LH and was told that all economy and premium economy tickets on LH, regardless of fare class / band and *G status, are subject to an advanced seat selection charge. When I asked why I was able to select seats with a clear "included in fare" label originally for both the outbound and return (and with the return still showing confirmed), the agent had no explanation and attributed it to a "glitch".

Then I called AC's concierge line (I'm a SE member with AC) and explained the situation (reminder that this was an AC ticket and the two LH segments are AC codeshare flights), the AC agent was able to select a seat for me on the outbound LH segment without charge. Later, I received an automated receipt e-mail from AC showing that the seat selection would have cost CAD31, but that it was somehow waived with a "AO_TRAVELING_WITH_TOP_TIER" code and "AASFREE" as the form of payment.

Don't know whether the LH agent was right and AC worked some unique magic here, but if so, it feels dumb that LH won't allow any free seat selection even for fully flexible economy and premium economy fares.