AC Charging Extra for Emergency Exit Seats

[linecrew]

So, you know how there's a tiny bit more leg room at the emergency exit rows and the first row behind the bulkhead? Well Air Canada has decided that if you want that space it'll cost you. They even go so far as to calling them "preferred seats".

http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/ ... seats.html

[Rockie]

I remember when everybody scoffed at Canada 3000 because they started charging $10 if a passenger wanted a hot meal. A few years later I was charged $1 on an Air Canada Tango flight for a few ounces of luke warm, brown coloured bilge water they called coffee, (Canada 3000's coffee was even worse, it was more like undiluted battery acid but at least they didn't charge for it).

Bottom line is they keep finding more blood in that stone.

[moreccsplease]

Westjet has been doing this for a long time already, the bad press on them...? They're a low cost carrier, so expectations are already low from their passengers as to what they will receive, and what they will have to pay for, so it doesn't make the news. I guess?

[wheresmybox]

Westjet has been doing this for a long time already, the bad press on them...? They're a low cost carrier, so expectations are already low from their passengers as to what they will receive, and what they will have to pay for, so it doesn't make the news. I guess?

It's to my understanding WestJet only charges extra for an exit row if you're using their advance seat selection service which is extra and done prior to the 24hr check-in.
From WestJet press release (2008):

The seat selection fee will be $10 for an aisle, middle or window seat, and $15 for seats in the coveted emergency exit rows, which have substantially more legroom. All WestJet guests, regardless of the fare they purchased, will still be able to select their seat at no charge when using Web check-in or Mobile check-in within 24 hours of their flight.

So it's possible to still get an exit row for free at the time of check-in if it's available.

[bmc]

Easyjet charges $20 extra per leg to get boarding priority. Group A boards first. Group B boards after.

Same plane.
No seat assignment.
Everybody travelling to the same destination on the same plane.

Roughly 75% of passengers pay the fee.

If your flight happens to be on a stand and not on a bridge, they separate the groups by bus. The bus with Group A boards from the front airstair, and group B boards from the aft stairway. What happens is the 20-30 people in group B are all seated while the 70-80 Group A are still boarding.

Smartest yield enhancement idea of the decade.

As for paying for it on AC, if the flights more than two hours long, I'd pay a premium for it if it was reasonable. It's got to be cheaper than business class.

I say good for AC.

[bmc]

So, you know how there's a tiny bit more leg room at the emergency exit rows and the first row behind the bulkhead? Well Air Canada has decided that if you want that space it'll cost you. They even go so far as to calling them "preferred seats".

http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/ ... seats.html

Depending on the airline and airplane type, this could work out to a couple of more feet. It has to be wide enough to evacuate people. A "tiny bit" won't accomodate that.

[linecrew]

Westjet has been doing this for a long time already, the bad press on them...? They're a low cost carrier, so expectations are already low from their passengers as to what they will receive, and what they will have to pay for, so it doesn't make the news. I guess?

Westjet's mandate was always to be a low cost carrier. You're absolutely right that nobody has any expectations from them other than to get their butts from a to b hence zero press noise when they come up with a different scheme to entice business. That's not to say you don't get anything from them as a customer, just that they are by design expected to not produce anything more than the flight and they do this very well.

Air Canada on the other hand is the country's flag carrier and the argument of "times are tough all over" not withstanding, it's just funny to me as a third party observer to see how how they've had to stoop to lower and lower tactics to turn a profit. Funny in a way like if the queen of England had to use paper plates because they had to sell the royal dinner plates.

[Dave T]

What happens when the person that pays the extra money has the FA deem them unfit to sit in the exit row. Now not only do you have to just relocate someone, you have to recolate someone that paid extra money to sit there and somehow get them a refund. Another touchy situation for Cabin Crew to deal with. As well what happens when you get the exit seat in front of another exit seat and it doesn't recline? Yea you have extra leg room but unless you plan on using that extra floor space to sleep I wouldn't pay anything extra for that.

[whiteguy]

Westjet has been doing this for a long time already, the bad press on them...? They're a low cost carrier, so expectations are already low from their passengers as to what they will receive, and what they will have to pay for, so it doesn't make the news. I guess?

Westjet's mandate was always to be a low cost carrier. You're absolutely right that nobody has any expectations from them other than to get their butts from a to b hence zero press noise when they come up with a different scheme to entice business. That's not to say you don't get anything from them as a customer, just that they are by design expected to not produce anything more than the flight and they do this very well.

Air Canada on the other hand is the country's flag carrier and the argument of "times are tough all over" not withstanding, it's just funny to me as a third party observer to see how how they've had to stoop to lower and lower tactics to turn a profit. Funny in a way like if the queen of England had to use paper plates because they had to sell the royal dinner plates.

Yet you want the Westjet prices for the old Air Canada service!!!!!! Can't have it both ways.

[whiteguy]

Westjet has been doing this for a long time already, the bad press on them...? They're a low cost carrier, so expectations are already low from their passengers as to what they will receive, and what they will have to pay for, so it doesn't make the news. I guess?

It's to my understanding WestJet only charges extra for an exit row if you're using their advance seat selection service which is extra and done prior to the 24hr check-in.
From WestJet press release (2008):

The seat selection fee will be $10 for an aisle, middle or window seat, and $15 for seats in the coveted emergency exit rows, which have substantially more legroom. All WestJet guests, regardless of the fare they purchased, will still be able to select their seat at no charge when using Web check-in or Mobile check-in within 24 hours of their flight.

So it's possible to still get an exit row for free at the time of check-in if it's available.

Same at Air Canada!!

[cyxe]

Westjet has been doing this for a long time already, the bad press on them...? They're a low cost carrier, so expectations are already low from their passengers as to what they will receive, and what they will have to pay for, so it doesn't make the news. I guess?

Westjet's mandate was always to be a low cost carrier.

I don't buy that anymore. In fact I would argue that they have been trying their hardest to shed the "low cost" image. That doesn't mean they don't try to offer the lowest fares possible.
I just spent a few quick minutes scanning the "about us" section of their website, the corporate profile, history, etc, and found no mention of referring to themselves as a "low cost" carrier anymore. Maybe I missed it, but if it's there it certainly isn't front and centre anymore, and their plans for growth and expansion hardly say "low cost carrier" (not that that's a bad thing).
I'm just making the point because I don't feel they can use the "low cost carrier" excuse for things like extra fees anymore (came up earlier in this thread). I think that is simply a reality of todays commercial aviation economic climate.

[linecrew]

Westjet has been doing this for a long time already, the bad press on them...? They're a low cost carrier, so expectations are already low from their passengers as to what they will receive, and what they will have to pay for, so it doesn't make the news. I guess?

Westjet's mandate was always to be a low cost carrier. You're absolutely right that nobody has any expectations from them other than to get their butts from a to b hence zero press noise when they come up with a different scheme to entice business. That's not to say you don't get anything from them as a customer, just that they are by design expected to not produce anything more than the flight and they do this very well.

Air Canada on the other hand is the country's flag carrier and the argument of "times are tough all over" not withstanding, it's just funny to me as a third party observer to see how how they've had to stoop to lower and lower tactics to turn a profit. Funny in a way like if the queen of England had to use paper plates because they had to sell the royal dinner plates.

Yet you want the Westjet prices for the old Air Canada service!!!!!! Can't have it both ways.

...i never said that actually...

[Panama Jack]

Air Canada on the other hand is the country's flag carrier . . . .

What exactly do you mean by that?

[linecrew]

Air Canada on the other hand is the country's flag carrier . . . .

What exactly do you mean by that?

Pretty self explanatory...

[Panama Jack]

Not really, no . . . that's why I am asking.

[bmc]

Air Canada is Canada's designated flag carrier. Here's an explanation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_carrier

[moreccsplease]

You'll also find it on their website and press releases as well:

About Air Canada
----------------

Montreal-based Air Canada provides scheduled and charter air
transportation for passengers and cargo to more than 170 destinations on five
continents. Canada's flag carrier is the 13th largest commercial airline in
the world and serves 33 million customers annually. Air Canada is a founding
member of Star Alliance, providing the world's most comprehensive air
transportation network for Canadian domestic, transborder and international
travel. As well, customers can collect Aeroplan miles for future awards
through Canada's leading loyalty program.
In 2008, the readers of Business Traveler magazine voted Air Canada "Best
In-Flight Services in North America," "Best Airline for Business Class
Service in North America" and "Best North American Airline for International
Travel."

[Panama Jack]

Fair enough, and far be it from me to challenge Wikipedia. . .

Somewhat of an antiquated and irrelevant title though. Had relevence when a Government owned it or when it received subsidies, whereas FAR Part 121 has it's own designations for "Flag" Carrier. These days it seems that it is the designation of the carrier which a government likes to screw most.

[C-GPFG]

Back in 2000 Air Transat charged me $80 for an emergency exit seat on a 330 to England.

This is nothing new.

[twinpratts]

this one time... at band camp...

[linecrew]

Back in 2000 Air Transat charged me $80 for an emergency exit seat on a 330 to England.

This is nothing new.

...well it's new for AC...which is the point of my post.

Wow...is it just me or are people just not getting it?

[loopa]

WJA charges for seat selection. It's cheaper than ACA though.

For ACA you either buy the Tango Plus ticket for seat selection or pay 22 bucks for a seat selection. Sometimes the Tango Plus only costs 10 bucks more; so I don't see the reason in forking out an extra 12 for no reason.

As for the Exit Seat, I don't see why it shouldn't be charged extra.

Remember, we live in a world where nothing is ours

If we find a way to cheat, "the man" will always find us. This goes for the exit seats; people found a great way to get close to first class leg room by buying economy and getting exit seats. The airlines were sooner or later going to find out and charge us; don't deny that no body saw this coming lol.

It's basic economy, if there's a value for something, people are willing to pay it.

I just can't wait for the day when the exit seats go for auction hahahahahah. Going once, going twice, going three times, and SOLD. Seat 16A sold to this gentlement for 400 and 50 Thousand dollars.

[godsrcrazy]

Air Canada on the other hand is the country's flag carrier . . . .

What exactly do you mean by that?

Pretty self explanatory...

Maybe it is only because they have the Maple leaf pained on their Tail.

[C-GPFG]

Back in 2000 Air Transat charged me $80 for an emergency exit seat on a 330 to England.

This is nothing new.

...well it's new for AC...which is the point of my post.

Wow...is it just me or are people just not getting it?

Why is this such a big deal? If $14 is going to make or break my travel plans because I'm tall...then I shouldn't be traveling. I actually had to think about the $80 extra legroom fee to England before I said yes to it. $14 is a no brainer.

[SAR_YQQ]

The charge is only applicable to those wishing to book that specific seat - if it doesn't get booked anyone can get it at check in <without charge>.

This is pretty much how the world's airlines are moving - AC is not copying WJ, it is simply adjusting its fares to deal with the high cost of transport.