Investigation into the Chaos of Airline Seat Selection: Paid Seat Selection, Seat Locking Mechanisms, and Consumer Rights Protection

Tech 2024-12-15 16:45:48 Source: Network

Investigation into the Chaos of Airline Seat Selection: Paid Seat Selection, Seat Locking Mechanisms, and Consumer Rights ProtectionIn recent years, the phenomenon of paid seat selection by domestic airlines has become increasingly prevalent, sparking considerable criticism and dissatisfaction among passengers. Many passengers have reported being unable to select seats in the front rows of economy class, emergency exits, or certain aisle or window seats free of charge

In recent years, the phenomenon of paid seat selection by domestic airlines has become increasingly prevalent, sparking considerable criticism and dissatisfaction among passengers. Many passengers have reported being unable to select seats in the front rows of economy class, emergency exits, or certain aisle or window seats free of charge. These "good seats" are often heavily "locked" by airlines, requiring payment or the use of mileage points for redemption. Even worse, many seats are locked during online check-in but become available for free selection at offline counters, further exacerbating passenger dissatisfaction due to the discrepancy in online and offline services. This article will delve into the reasons behind airlines' paid seat selection and seat locking mechanisms, analyze their impact on consumer rights, and explore how to protect passengers' right to know and their right to choose.

I. Passenger Experiences: The Helplessness and Confusion of Paid Seat Selection

Many passengers, after purchasing their tickets, hope to select their preferred seats, such as those in the front rows of economy class, window seats, or aisle seats, which are generally more comfortable and convenient. However, in reality, many airlines lock these "good seats," requiring passengers to pay extra fees or use mileage points to select them. This practice has led to widespread passenger dissatisfaction and confusion.

Ms. Li Qing, after purchasing an economy class ticket from Hainan Airlines from Beijing to Changsha, attempted to select her seat online but found that most window and aisle seats were locked, leaving only a few rear and middle seats available for free selection. Many seats were shown as locked, while others required mileage redemption, with higher mileage requirements for seats further forward. Ms. Li Qing ultimately had to settle for a relatively forward middle seat. She was confused as to why the airline locked so many seats and why "good seats" required extra payment or mileage redemption.

Mr. Zheng, a frequent business traveler, has repeatedly purchased economy class tickets from Air China. Due to work requirements and health reasons, he prefers seats with more legroom, such as those in the first row of economy class. However, each time he checked in, he found that the first ten or so rows were locked, requiring hundreds of yuan or a large number of mileage points to redeem seat selection rights. He believes this practice is unreasonable, especially unfair to passengers who purchase full-fare tickets. He has contacted airline customer service multiple times, but the explanations received were vague and failed to answer his questions.

Ms. Zhao and her family of three flying from Beijing to Hainan had to use 1599 mileage points to redeem a seat selection package from Southern Airlines to secure a window seat for their child. Ms. Wang Yue spent 800 yuan more than 10% of her ticket price to select a first-row economy seat on an Air China flight to Europe for increased comfort.

Even airline Platinum card members may face seat selection difficulties. Mr. Lang, an Eastern Airlines Platinum card member, has repeatedly encountered difficulties selecting his preferred seats, often only able to choose rear seats even when checking in online a week in advance. He believes that the priority seat selection rights of Platinum card members are not adequately protected.

These examples reflect that airline paid seat selection and seat-locking mechanisms have become commonplace, causing significant inconvenience and frustration for many passengers. Passengers generally question the reasons for seat locking, the lack of transparency in pricing, and the discrepancies between online and offline services.

Investigation into the Chaos of Airline Seat Selection: Paid Seat Selection, Seat Locking Mechanisms, and Consumer Rights Protection

II. Analysis of Airline Seat Locking and Paid Seat Selection Mechanisms

The reasons behind airline seat locking and paid seat selection are complex, encompassing both commercial interests and safety considerations.

1. Maximizing Commercial Profit: Airlines locking certain popular seats and charging selection fees undoubtedly increases revenue. For passengers seeking comfort and convenience, paying a seat selection fee is worthwhile. This strategy effectively increases airline revenue.

2. Seat Allocation and Safety Assurance: The Civil Aviation Administration of China has explained that airlines lock some seats to manage seat allocation and ensure the aircraft's center of gravity remains within safe limits. However, this does not fully explain the differences between online and offline check-in services and the large number of locked seats.

3. Differentiated Services: Airlines offering paid seat selection is a form of differentiated service. Passengers can choose different seats based on their needs and budget, reflecting a market-oriented operating model.

4. Discrepancies in Online and Offline Services: Many passengers have found that many seats are locked during online check-in but are available for free selection at offline counters. This phenomenon raises passenger concerns about airline transparency and fairness. This might be due to different online and offline strategies in seat allocation, or differences in system updates or manual operations.

III. Consumer Rights Protection: Transparent Rules and Fair Choices

Protecting consumer rights in the face of airline paid seat selection and seat-locking mechanisms is crucial.

1. Information Transparency: Airlines should openly and transparently disclose seat selection rules, pricing, differences between online and offline services, etc., allowing passengers to fully understand their rights. Pricing should be clearly stated, avoiding word games and concealing information to prevent misleading passengers.

2. Reasonable Charges: Seat selection fees should be reasonable, avoiding arbitrary price increases. Pricing should be transparent and fair, preventing price gouging. Full-fare passengers, particularly the elderly and disabled, should have more choice.

3. Unified Online and Offline Services: Airlines should minimize differences between online and offline services, ensuring that passengers have equal seat selection rights regardless of their check-in method.

4. Strengthened Regulation: Relevant regulatory authorities should strengthen supervision of airline paid seat selection and seat-locking mechanisms to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, protect passenger rights, combat illegal activities, and regulate market order.

5. Consumer Rights Advocacy: Passengers encountering unfair seat selection treatment should actively exercise their rights, using complaints and other means to protect their legitimate interests.

IV. Expert Opinions and Legal Interpretations

Experts interviewed believe that airlines can independently determine seat selection and service charges, but charging rules cannot be ambiguous. Airlines should refer to the Price Law concerning pricing principles, pricing basis, and pricing behavior. To protect consumer's right to know and right to choose, they have an obligation to publicly disclose the scope of seat selection fees, charging standards, etc., allowing consumers to make free choices.

Zhi Zhenfeng, a researcher at the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that while charging for seat selection is international practice, expanding the scope of high-value seats and charging even full-fare ticket holders deviates from this practice and lacks fairness.

Xu Lingjie, associate professor at the School of Air Transportation Management, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, believes that seat selection fees should comply with market economic laws and the Consumer Rights Protection Law concerning consumer rights and operator obligations. Airlines have an obligation to inform passengers about the nature and content of seat selection fees, seat selection fee invoice issuance, the relationship between seat selection and the transportation contract, and seat selection restrictions, ensuring passengers' right to choose freely.

Chen Yinjiang, deputy secretary-general of the Consumer Rights Protection Law Research Association of the China Law Society, believes that airlines cannot deliberately create the illusion of seat scarcity. They should disclose the rules and quantity of seats released online, as well as real-time remaining seats, allowing consumers to make informed choices about seat selection channels.

Conclusion:

The phenomenon of airline paid seat selection involves commercial interests, safety operations, and consumer rights. To protect passengers' legitimate rights, airlines should enhance information transparency, establish fair and reasonable pricing standards, reduce discrepancies between online and offline services, and regulatory authorities should strengthen supervision and maintain market order. The ultimate goal is to establish a fair, transparent, and regulated airline seat selection market, providing passengers with a better travel experience.

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