Is there a logic (or lack thereof) in how AC automatically assigns seat for those of us who do not wish to pay for pre-selection and/or AP miles?

I have recently consistently gotten crappy end-of-the-bus automatically-assigned seats that I change for much better seats towards the front at OLCI but I can't always do OLCI... Basically, it is clear the program does not by default assign the best available seat.

Any hints/advice/redirect would be appreciated for future convenience.

If they made it autoselect the best seat for people not paying, why would anybody pay?

dupe.

People who pay can - and presumably do - select well before the OLCI window. I'm pointing out that, once those who pay should have selected, the autoselect appears to consistently make a poor selection (at least for me).

To the OP, To analyze automatic seat selection consider the following:

- Automatic seat selection will not pick from the Elite preselection of econ. For an A320, these are rows 12-14. These seats can be granted to nonElites on the day of travel, but are among the last to be selected.
- Automatic seat selection will not pick exit rows 15 and 16 on AB320. These seats are only assigned on checkin or by AC agent manual intervention once the flight is under airport control.
- Auto seat selection will however pick up the back end rows as these are assigned. The last three rows are reserved for seat selection the day of travel.

Generally in the AC world, about 60% of travellers are selecting an option to preassign seats through the Tango fee or T+ or L fares. These travellers will take the majority (if not all) window and aisle seats available. Therefore tango passengers not paying for seat selection will be seated in the middle seats.

Advice:
- Fly the E90, E75, or 705 aircraft which have no middle seats.
- Pay the $17 for seat assignment where Aribus a/c are listed.
- Use OLCI as much as possible. Have friends or family complete the OLIC if your not at a computer, reprint the BP at the airport.

Interesting analysis although I have in mind CRJ200s and being assigned 13C when 5A/5C were available as one specific example of crappy selection. Another example is the recent assignment of 26C on an E70 which I managed to change to 15D with 15F also available.

Most of the people I know have had quite good success booking tango fares without seat selection, then getting emergency rows at OLCI. Kind of defeats the purpose of paying for seat selection, when you know there is no possible way of getting it. WS lets you select exit rows at OLCI, AC you have to luck into it, only way, unless you ask at the airport.

Well, most people I know get middle seats with OLCI when they're on T fares -- and sometimes even on T+ fares. So like everything else you say, I don't believe you.

2 of the last 3 times my girlfriend has checked in online she has been given the emergency exit row, the other time, the bulkhead. Obviously it depends what is left, but if you check in at the 24 hour mark, there are usually seats that only open up then at the back of the a/c.

Either AC passengers that you know do select exit rows through OLCI, or they do not.

AC does not let you select emergency exit rows during OLCI. The only way to get exit rows at OLCI is to be on a tango fare, and have them assigned. WS actually allows you to select them. Sorry, I should have been more clear.

So now you're saying the prerequisite to get an exit row seat is to be on a Tango fare???

The pre-req to getting an exit row on an AC flight at OLCI is to not have a seat assigned to you, as is the case with many Tango fare pax. I assume that T+ pax would select a seat, unless the flight is oversold or something. Otherwise, one can ask at the airport, however sometimes by that point connecting pax, who speak zero English from overseas flights have already been given the exit rows, and will end up having to move once onboard.

I just booked an Aeroplan reward seat, and then called the AC party line to add my infant son to the ticket, when the phone agent noticed that it was odd that the system put me at the back of the plane, when it was very clear that my file was flagged as Elite. So, I've got my doubts about AC I/T, once again.

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