44 Per Cent Of Flyers Say Airlines Charge Additional Fees For Each Seat: Report

Additional Fees For Each Seat: The overall percentage of consumers who booked flights in the past 12 months and paid to reserve a seat increased from 47 per cent in 2023 to 65 per cent in 2024

Indian customers are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with seat selection practices and the widespread use of 'dark patterns' by airlines and online travel portals to trick customers into paying extra fees for seat selection during flight reservations, according to a recent survey conducted by LocalCircles, a consumer advocacy organisation. A total of 44 per cent of respondents reported that airlines charge additional fees for each seat on the plane. This forces travellers to pay for preferred seats, even if they book well in advance.

In the last year, there has been a marginal improvement in consumers' ability to get a free seat when booking their flight, with 51 per cent of respondents having to pay an additional fee for allotment by 2023. However, the percentage of those who were required to pay more in 2022 was 35 per cent, which was lower than in 2024.

Only 54 per cent of respondents reported receiving a few free seat options while booking. This forces many people to scramble for free seats or pay an additional fee. A concerning 65 per cent of respondents admitted to paying more for seat selection at least once in the previous year. Nearly one-third (28 per cent) said they always paid extra fees for preferred seats.

The most recent survey received more than 41,000 responses from customers in 339 districts across India. 62 per cent of respondents were men and 38 per cent were women. 43 per cent of respondents came from Tier 1 locations, 26 per cent from Tier 2 locations, and 31 per cent from Tier 3, 4, and rural districts.

Overall Percentage To Reserve A Seat Increases

The overall percentage of consumers who booked flights in the last 12 months and paid to reserve a seat increased from 47 per cent in 2023 to 65 per cent in 2024, just slightly lower than 66 per cent in 2022. The survey also reveals that the majority of fliers, or 66 per cent of consumers surveyed, found it impossible to get seats together (when traveling with family/others) without paying a seat fee on Indigo, while 21 per cent of respondents reported difficulty with Spicejet, 19per cent with Air India, 16 per cent with Vistara, and 10 per cent with Akasa.

"The need of the hour here is for airlines like Indigo to rationalise their paid seats percentage and make it something more acceptable to the consumers, especially not force families to pay such charges for sitting together. In addition, all airlines and travel websites when displaying fares must disclose the kind of extra charges the consumer is likely to experience during the fare booking process. If the airlines fail to do this, the Ministry of Civil Aviation must issue guidelines that limit the percentage of paid seats on a flight," stated LocalCircles.

Additionally, it is expected that the CCPA or the Ministry of Consumer Affairs will guarantee that airlines and travel websites do not engage in unfair trade practices or use dark patterns. Consumers report that dark patterns are now common on the majority of airline and travel portals.

Guidelines from the Ministry of Civil Aviation 

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has been requested to come up with guidelines restricting the percentage of paid seats that airlines can offer on each flight. The organisation intends to share these findings with relevant stakeholders, urging them to address consumer concerns and foster more equitable practices in the aviation industry.