AC charging for seat selection during OLCI (launched, then paused)
 

Adam, please move if there's a more appropriate thread already.

I'm seeing reports on social media today that AC has started charging for seat selection during check-in. In one case, this anecdotally happened to someone travelling on a standard fare. Initially I dismissed this as user error, but the AC website now says, under "When you check in: To change your assigned seat, choose from the remaining seats. A fee may apply depending on the seat you have selected and the fare you purchased".

If true, my non-status family members traveling on standard fares will want to know there's no benefit to waiting until OLCI if this is the case. Can anyone on FT confirm if this is indeed a new policy?

It seems like people on Reddit are experiencing the same thing, which CS confirmed

https://www.reddit.com/r/aircanada/c...ange_on_check/

I was all ready to reply saying "Were they trying to select a Preferred seat?"

But I guess it's interesting. You buy a fare that doesn't include seat selection, why should that change at T-24?

TBH, as someone who often books extremely last minute flights, this is finally a positive for me. All the good seats won't be gone at T-23:59.

In theory if you checkin and don't like the assigned seat could you remove your self from checkin, then re-checkin and see if you get a "better" seat?

How can you remove yourself from checkin? Do you have to do that over the phone or with an agent?

I'm not surprised. AC certainly wasn't the first airline to do this. It's all part of unbundling to make fares look cheaper. Until we force consumer-friendly disclosure of these fees in Canada, expect more of these 'surprises'.

After completing the checkin process if you try to access the checkin page again, you'll have a "remove from checkin" button

It depends how they do it. I wouldn't count on the seat changing. Once you are accepted the system may 'lock' that seat selection for you. Amadeus has lots of capabilities in its departure management system to manage seat assignments, including theoretical assignments and seat shuffling.

When I flew AY J last year, you had to pay for seat selection, and it was the same experience during OLCI .. you were assigned a seat and if you wanted to move you had to pay. Be thankful AC doesn't charge for seat selection in J (yet).

I can't say I'm surprised either, and I don't necessarily disagree with it in principle, for reasons discussed upthread. But it's a rather significant policy change that hasn't been communicated, and that's what's confusing/surprising/annoying people.

WestJet gets around it by assigning you the seat prior to the start of OLCI. You'd open OLCI to see 29B (or whatever), then you need to pay to change it to anything else.

Has it ever been stated in the fare rules that seat selection would be no charge after check-in? Or was it simply a loophole practice that now being policed?

YYZ-PUJ tomo, asked to pay $30 to select a seat at OLCI
I guess one less reason to pick AC over West Jet in some cases.

I didn't know AC flew to Sri Sathya Sai Airport from YYZ. And even more surprised WS does.

Sorry was a typo :/

Yeah... I figured... just couldn't resist.