seat assignment is not available for this segment

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I’m booking on Delta and the outgoing seat selection went fine, but on the incoming, it says

“Unfortunately we do not have any main cabin seats available for selection at this time. Rest assured that we’ll assign you a seat as soon as one becomes available. After booking you can explore your seat options at any time in My Trips”

Other possible reasons:

--Seats available for selection for your particular fare class might be all gone so you might have to pay;

The above two are subject to airline policy.

--Is the flight you booked a codeshare (sold as a DL flight but operated by another airline ). Codeshares often don't allow seat assignment, at least not on the DL website. You need to get the other airline's booking reference from DL, then log onto that airline's website to see if they let you choose a seat.

Delta holds back a number of seats for day of travel assignment. If they sell you a ticket, then there should be seats available.

I have bought tickets where I was unable to choose seats while booking, but a few days later was able to choose them by logging into my reservation.

I have just seen too many episodes of Airline where they overbook the flight and screw people over... and then blame the passenger for getting upset now that they’re stranded.

If I understand you all correctly, I should just go ahead and book my original choice, and not worry about it? I’m still calling Delta tosay for clarification... this just doesn’t give me the warm & fuzzies!

No one has mentioned "overbooking" so far.

So - it is quite possible that your flight is overbooked.

As long as it guarantees me a seat on the flight home - Nothing guarantees you a seat on a specific flight - in the past I've had a confirmed ticket, selected my seat at the time of booking, completed online check in 24 hours pre departure only to find myself bumped when at the airport to complete bag drop.

Turns out the seats not being available for me to select was a technical error in the first place. An agent helped me book everything and promised me that I would have a seat! I invited her to go to Cancun with me just so we could be sure, but she politely declined.

You dawg you lol

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Seat Assignments

Even more® space, core preferred, mint studio.

Even More® Space (EMS), Core Preferred and Mint Studio seat assignments are available for purchase via the GDS. An EMD is required to be issued for all paid seats. If a paid seat assignment is purchased directly with JetBlue, you will not see the EMD in the agency PNR.

Blue Basic seats

Blue Basic seats can be assigned via the GDS. If a seat assignment is purchased directly with JetBlue, you will not see the EMD in the agency PNR. Blue Basic customers may also upgrade to an Even More® Space or Core Preferred seat.

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• If the travel agent refunds or voids an EMD, it is that travel agent’s responsibility to remove the associated ancillary (AE).
• If the travel agent cancels the underlying segment, the AE will automatically be removed.

Extra Seat Request

An extra seat can be purchased for those who want an open seat next to them for more space between travelers.

• Follow the normal booking instructions but make the reservation for one extra person
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• Book the second seat with your traveler's last name and 'EXST' as the first name, i.e. SMITH/EXST
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What if there is no airline seat map or no available seats showing on the seat map?

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• seat assignment q...

seat assignment question: United operated by Lufthansa

I'm researching multi-city flights from seattle-venice, rome-seattle for Spring 2020. Premium economy is not available for the dates I'm looking at on Lufthansa. However, on the United site I can find flights operated by Lufthansa and am given the opportunity to select premium economy. However, the United site won't allow me to select seats. It tells me "Advance seat assignments are not available on united.com for this flight. After completing your purchase, you can visit the operating airline’s website for additional information." That makes me feel less-than-confident that we would actually land in premium economy and might, instead, end up in regular economy. Please share your experience with this type of booking! Thanks!

I think your seat-class fear is unfounded, but I don’t have that specific experience. I do know from actual experience that within two days of purchase (and maybe even in your final Ticket Receipt, without effort) you will be able to get Lufthansa’s Confirmation Code and work with your booking.

When the Lufthansa site warned me that I was about to be transferred to the United site to accomplish seating for a United-sold, Lufthansa-operated flight (2019), I closed that browser window and went with the United site and the United confirmation code. It worked fine.

Thanks, Tim. My mind is saying, "If Lufthansa says there are no premium economy seats for those flights how can United sell me premium economy seats?"

This is pretty much standard. When you book a flight on Airline A for a seat on a flight that's actually operated by their partner Airline B, it's usually not possible to select seats on the Airline B flight from Airline A's website. That is, United can typically see and allows seat selection only on their own (and maybe a few other partner carriers') flights; flying on other airlines' planes you need to access the operating airline's booking engine to choose seats. That's because despite all marketing spin, different airlines' systems are not very well integrated.

In your case, United will be happy to book you a ticket that includes a seat on a Lufthansa plane. United will give you their own (United) confirmation number, but that's probably useless when dealing with Lufthansa's website or other Lufthansa systems. You need to get the Lufthansa confirmation number for your flight. You can typically get that by logging in to your United account and drilling down into the details of your booking. Or you can just call United and ask them for it (you will need to give United your United booking number).

You need that number to make changes to your flight, check in online, pick seats, maybe choose a meal, buy an extra bag, etc. That booking number is quite important, always have it handy. This is especially true when booking award seats with frequent flyer points.

Typically to do any of these things, you go to the operating airline's website, log in there with your booking number and your last name (surname), under things that are usually labeled "manage my flight." Most airlines work this way. Good luck.

Thanks, David. So, what happens if United sells me a premium economy seat and Lufthansa doesn't have any of those seats left? Should I assume, if the Lufthansa site says they're sold out, that we're going to be bumped into a different class?

If United sells you a ticket for a specific class of seat on a partner airline, I would certainly expect that kind of seat to be available, and I wouldn't worry much about booking. Book the ticket, call United and get the Lufthansa booking number, then within the first 24 hours (might be important) go to the Lufthansa website and see if you can log in there and pick your seat. Note that it might take a few hours for your ticket booked on united.com to gell and become accessible on Lufthansa's system, so don't freak out if you can't access it just a few minutes after your booking. Once you are able to log in at Lufthansa's website and access your flight there, see if you can choose your seat. Some fare classes (ticket prices) may or may not include the ability to choose a specific seat - beware anything that sounds like "basic economy" as those sub-economy fares usually come with lots of annoying limitations, like no picking your seat (that's why they're cheap).

If you do not see any seats in the class of service that you paid for, call United. I would expect that they would refund your money if you call within 24 hours.

Note the timing carefully - the itinerary booked on United may take a few hours to appear and become accessible on the Lufthansa website, but you may have only 24 hours to cancel with United if you do not see the seats you were expecting. So, you may have to wait a bit (maybe 12 hours?) before checking on the Lufthansa website, but don't wait more than 24 hours or you may not be able to cancel easily with United.

In my experience, when booking a partner flight via United's website, it does take a few hours before the partner airline's booking number becomes available, and may take a few more hours before you can use that on their website.

Caveat: I've always been able to get the partner booking number, and then access my flight info on the partner website (after short delays for both). That has worked for me on multiple United partners, including (I think) on Lufthansa. But things change (and I've never booked a "basic economy" flight), so no 100% guarantees. I'm pretty sure you should be OK though. Good luck.

if the Lufthansa site says they're sold out, that we're going to be bumped into a different class?

That's a question for United. Read the booking details v-e-r-y carefully. Make sure there are no asterisks or other teeny "gotcha" indicators hinting at some sort of exception. Be careful about this: United likes to sell "mixed" itineraries - ie you pay for a "business class ticket" from Portland to Frankfurt, but if you look carefully, you may find that this itinerary has two legs: first leg from Portland to Seattle is in Business class (as you expect), but the long leg of the flight from Seattle to Frankfurt may be in coach (a nasty surprise). So-called "mixed" itineraries should always be indicated.

I would be surprised (but not gobsmacked) if United sold you a "Premium Economy" ticket to Italy that included one or more legs that were not in Premium Economy (which different airlines call different names).

If there are no Premium Economy (or its equivalent) seats on one leg, I would not expect to be bumped up to a better class.

You could also check seatguru.com (you'll need the airline, specific flight number and date) to see what the seat layout for the plane is. Caution though, seatguru is not always accurate - and there's always a chance of an aircraft type swap at a later time.

Bottom line: check to see what United's refund policy is before you book. IME they usually give you 24 hours to cancel at no cost, but read the details carefully to know what your options are.

Unfortunately, I don't remember which other airline was involved (it could have been KLM rather than Lufthansa), but within the very last few years I bought a regular coach-class ticket (not basic economy) to Europe through the United website with the flight actually being operated by a European carrier. That UA was not operating the flight was clear on both Google Flights and the United website.

When I went to the KLM-or-Lufthansa website after my purchase to select a seat, I found it was impossible to do so, although I did have the operating carrier's record locator number. I got the same answer when I telephoned the European airline. Apparently there's a missing electronic link somewhere that makes it impossible to select a seat in advance if you've purchased your ticket from United. It turned out OK for me, because I was able to get an aisle seat when I checked in 24 hours in advance, but it was a very nerve-wracking experience. It would have been much worse for people with more specific seating needs than mine.

So I would suggest further research on this. My bet is that this problem has been discussed on FlyerTalk. Or perhaps calling Lufthansa might yield useful information. Being a pessimist about such matters, though, I would tend to believe oral information from Lufthansa only if it was bad news. I'd want to find any good news (i.e., assurance that a seat can be selected shortly after ticket purchase) in print somewhere.

"There is absolutely no excuse in this day and age for forcing people who buy tickets three or four months in advance to wait until 23 hours before the flight to be able to choose what seats they have."

That's not true for LH's Premium Economy. I was able to select my seat for a recent flight when booking 8 months ago.

Sadly, people seem to respond without even really reading the question. I thought the best answer you received was from the person who said to check the details carefully for each leg of the flight before you purchase the ticket. Also, be aware that sometimes airlines use different terms for different levels of service. Economy Comfort doesn't always equate to Premium Economy, etc. Perhaps Lufthansa calls its service something else than United calls it, or it could be another level of service entirely.

I may be a bit paranoid, but I believe that the airlines are doing their best to confuse travelers about what class of services they are actually purchasing. “Economy” has morphed into several different tiers, with different names. Example: I have started tracking prices for a trip we will take next August, SFO >VNO, HEL > SFO. The best prices I’ve been seeing, with just one connection, are running around $1250. We usually purchase the upgrade to economy+ (United’s lingo) for the outbound, transatlantic segment, not the same as “Premium Economy.” Skyscanner is showing prices under $1000 on KLM, so I went to that site. All looked good when I chose appropriate flights, except a proviso that no bags could be checked, not even at an extra charge. This leads me to think that KLM’s “economy” may be the equivalent of united’s “basic economy,” which also includes the downside of no seat selection. I could not see any other economy tier. Delta has also introduced a class between economy and business but I think it, like United’s is not the same as the simple, and not so expensive, option of paying for seats with a little more leg room. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to me for consumers to expect clear statements, at the start if the reservation process, of what each class of service, however labeled, entails and consistency, at least among code-sharers in the labeling of their offerings.

All looked good when I chose appropriate flights, except a proviso that no bags could be checked, not even at an extra charge. This leads me to think that KLM’s “economy” may be the equivalent of united’s “basic economy,” which also includes the downside of no seat selection

Many European carriers nowadays offer only "basic economy" etc. via resellers. It should be up to the resellers to mark that fact clearly and not to hide it as much as possible.

Just did this sort of thing for our flight to Paris spring 2020 and it worked fine.

@sla019 Actually, I was on the KLM website. You’ve offered good information, though. It makes choosing a flight more complicated. All the more reason to wish for consistency, at least among code sharers.

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If you don’t see enough seats together on the seat map, we’ll do our best to seat you with or near your child – to be sure, you can  call us to reserve your seats .

I have a special need – will I be seated in a designated area?

Depending on your special need, fare type and the seats available, we will attempt to seat you in the best location possible. Other   seating accommodations  may be available based on a case-by-case assessment of your needs.

I am travelling with a group – can we be seated together?

When you  contact us  for a group of 10 or more guests, just mention that you'd like to have your group seated together, and we will work with you to find the best available option.

What are the Exit Row seating restrictions?

Many of our guests enjoy the extra leg room offered in the Exit Row seats. Before requesting these seats, you should know that these seats have some additional restrictions and as such, to travel in an Exit Row seat, you must:

• Be 16 years of age or older.
• Be able to speak English or French for an emergency exit briefing or if they choose a seat receiving the emergency exit briefing.
• Have sufficient mobility, strength and dexterity to operate the emergency exit (i.e. must be able bodied).
• Be able to visually determine if the exit is safe to open.
• Not require special handling or the use of a mobility aid or medical device.
• Not require the use of an oxygen concentrator or cylinder.
• Not be travelling with an animal in the cabin.
• Not be solely responsible for another person.
• Not have a condition that might cause them bodily harm by operating the exit.
• Not require a seatbelt extender as this presents a tripping hazard.

If you choose to select an Exit Row seat and the flight crew identifies that you are not qualified based on the above restrictions, you will be moved to another seat.

To select a seat or add seats to your booking, please  visit My trips  or contact WestJet Vacations between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. MT.

Helpful links

Are airlines required to seat families together? Guide to airline family seating policies

Editor's Note

As a mom of three, I'm no stranger to the ins and outs of flying with family .

I know how to disassemble and reassemble my double stroller with ninja-level precision so it will fit through the baggage scanner at security. I also throw screen time rules out the window on travel days. Most importantly, I don't take any chances when it comes to getting my family's seats together when we fly.

Because I know how turbulent flying with kids can be, I happily gave up my seat on a recent solo flight when a father asked if I would switch seats so he could sit with his young son.

I was also quick to say yes because he had a window seat a couple of rows in front of my own window seat. (Had he been in the middle seat, I might have needed an adult beverage thrown in to sweeten the deal, but I digress.)

Related: Should you ask to switch seats on a plane?

The crux of the issue is that it can be costly and confusing to find seats together when traveling with young kids. Some parents assume they will automatically be seated with their kids. Others may end up separated from their families if they are rebooked due to a cancellation. Regardless of the reason, airlines are not legally required to seat families together.

In November 2022, the Department of Transportation began monitoring airline seating policies to determine if federal regulation was necessary regarding family seating.

After months of monitoring, the DOT launched an online dashboard that displays, among other things, which airlines guarantee free family seating. This is part of a larger initiative by the Biden administration to improve consumer protections in the airline industry.

So far, only three airlines – American Airlines , Frontier Airlines and Alaska Airlines – comply with the DOT's guideline that airlines guarantee "adjacent seats for children 13 and under and an accompanying adult at no additional cost for all fare types."

That doesn't mean you are completely out of luck in guaranteeing your family sits together if you are flying on another major airline. Here is a guide to each airline's family seating policy and tips for ensuring your family members can sit together on your next flight.

American Airlines

Like most major airlines, American allows you to choose your seats when booking or at any time leading up to your flight.

There is no fee to choose your seats if you book a first-class, business-class, premium economy or main cabin fare. However, you will have to pay a fee to choose your seats if you choose basic economy tickets — American's least expensive (and most restrictive) fare type.

If you're traveling with children under 15 on any fare type, American's system will detect that you are a family traveling together and automatically search for seats together if you don't choose them yourself. If adjacent seats are unavailable for your entire family, American guarantees children under 15 will be seated next to at least one adult.

Related: Here's what it's really like flying business class with little kids

It's important that you do everything in your power to choose seats for your entire family at the time of booking. This is the only way to guarantee your entire family will sit together during your flight.

To do this, American advises the following :

• Book your entire party's tickets in the same reservation.
• Book your tickets as early as possible, so there are more available seats to choose from.
• It's better to skip seat selection than to choose just a few seats or seats scattered throughout the cabin.

Related: Your ultimate guide to American Airlines AAdvantage

Alaska Airlines

To select your seats at the time of booking on an Alaska flight, you'll need to book either a first-class, premium or main-cabin ticket. Only a limited number of advance seating assignments are available to customers who purchase Alaska's Saver fare tickets.

If no advance seats are available, the seats will be assigned at the gate; this is not ideal for a family wishing to sit together.

The good news is that Alaska Airlines' family seating policy does guarantee that children under 14 will automatically be seated with at least one parent or guardian at no additional charge, including on Saver fares. So, even if you can't find adjacent seats for your entire family, you can rest assured that your children won't be seated separately from an adult.

To guarantee your family sits together on an Alaska Airlines flight :

• Book as early as possible and reserve your family's seats together at the time of purchase.
• Book children on the same reservation as adults.
• Confirm seat selections made through third parties on Alaska Airlines' website or by speaking with a reservations agent by phone.
• If you cannot get reserved seats together with your family during booking, call an Alaska Airlines reservation agent to review available seating options.
• As a last resort, check in online exactly 24 hours before your flight, as this is when most unclaimed seats become available (does not apply to Saver fare seats, which are assigned at the gate on the day of departure).
• Arrive at the gate at least 60 minutes prior to your departure time and speak with a gate agent. Alaska does block a limited number of seats to accommodate families and other needs on a first-come, first-served basis.

Delta Air Lines

All but one of Delta's fare types allow you to select your seats when you purchase your tickets.

If you want your family to sit together, steer clear of Delta's basic economy fares because they do not include advanced seat selection. If you purchase first class, Comfort+ or main cabin tickets, you'll have the option to select your seats during the booking process.

Delta's has other tips for getting your family's seats together :

• Book children on the same reservation as the adults in your party.
• Confirm seat selections made through third parties by calling a Delta reservations agent or going online .
• If you cannot obtain seats together with your family, contact Delta by phone to review your options or, as a last resort, speak with a Delta gate agent at the airport.

Delta does try and seat family members together but only upon request.

Flight attendants will sometimes ask for volunteers to switch seats. The airline also blocks a handful of rows in the main economy cabin on most flights to accommodate groups and families. Still, there are no guarantees unless you reserve your family's seats together before arriving at the airport (preferably at the time of booking).

Frontier Airlines

Frontier's base fares can be alluring to budget-conscious flyers. However, you'll have to pay extra if you want the luxury of advanced seating assignments.

Luckily, Frontier updated its family seating policy to be in compliance with the DOT's recommendations and guarantees that children under age 14 will be seated automatically with at least one parent or guardian at no additional charge.

Unless you have elite status with Frontier , seat selection fees run between $17 and $90 per passenger per flight segment. There are no fare types that include complimentary seat selection for non-elite members if you want your entire family to sit together.

However, you could potentially make up the extra cost by joining Frontier's Discount Den and choosing a Kids Fly Free flight .

Frontier also recommends that families:

• Book as early as possible and purchase advance seat reservations at the time of booking.
• Book children on the same reservation as adults in your party.
• If you book through a third party, visit Frontier's website as soon as possible to purchase advance seat selections.
• Check in as early as possible online or through Frontier's mobile app and Frontier will assign group seats together if any are available.
• If your family is not assigned seats together, speak with a gate agent for assistance.

JetBlue offers complimentary seat selection with all fare types except Blue Basic, meaning Blue and Blue Extra fares include free advance seat selection. However, for Blue Basic fares, there is a fee of between $5 and $40 each way to choose your seat more than 24 hours before departure (Seat selection is available for free at check-in).

With JetBlue's family seating policy , however, the airline guarantees that children ages 13 and younger will be seated next to at least one adult traveling with them on the same reservation without an additional fee. This applies to all fare types, including Blue Basic fares. At the time of booking, JetBlue's system will assign seats together for at least one accompanying parent as long as adjacent seats are still available when you book your flight.

Other tips from JetBlue :

• Book as early as possible for maximum seat selection availability.
• Confirm seat selections made through a third party on JetBlue's website.
• If you cannot obtain seats together at the time of booking, contact a JetBlue agent at check-in or talk to one at the gate. They will do their best to seat your family together.

JetBlue does its best to keep families together and blocks a limited number of rows until the day of travel for passengers with disabilities and unaccompanied minors . If any seats are available after accommodating these passengers, JetBlue may be able to use them to seat families together.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines is the one airline on this list that does not assign seats in advance, so you cannot purchase a specific seat assignment ahead of time.

With Southwest's open seating policy , you will be assigned a boarding group (A, B or C) and a position within that boarding group (1 through 60-plus) at check-in. Essentially, A1 is the best boarding position and you'll have the most seating options available to you when you board the plane.

Because of this, the strategies for getting your family's seats together on a Southwest flight differ from other airlines.

Check in on time

To get as high of a boarding group as possible, you'll need to check in exactly (like, to the second) 24 hours prior to your flight. This should land your family in an A or B boarding group, and most of the time, you won't have an issue getting your family's seats together. You may have to venture to the back of the plane to find those seats, though.

Utilize family boarding

If you have a B or C boarding group and are traveling with a child 6 years old or younger, you will have the option to board between the A and B groups during "family boarding."

Southwest's policy states that up to two adults can board with a child age 6 or younger during family boarding. If you have more adults than this in your party, speak with a Southwest gate agent to determine your best strategy for finding seats together once on board.

Related: Southwest Airlines offers expanded family boarding ages on some flights

Purchase EarlyBird Check-In or Upgraded Boarding

You can also purchase EarlyBird Check-In , which gives you the convenience of automatic check-in 36 hours before your flight. (Southwest's regular check-in process begins 24 hours prior to your flight.) This means you'll automatically receive an earlier boarding position and more available seats to choose from than if you'd done it yourself.

EarlyBird Check-In pricing starts at $15 per passenger per flight segment, and you must purchase it for everyone in your party. Depending on availability, you may also be able to purchase Upgraded Boarding at the gate for between $30 and $50 per person per flight segment to secure an A1-A15 boarding position.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card holders can receive two EarlyBird Check-Ins per year, which can bring the total cost for your family down a bit. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card also has a benefit of four Upgraded Boardings per year.

Rapid Rewards A-List and A-List Preferred members (and those traveling on the same reservation) automatically receive a boarding position 36 hours prior to departure, though you will still need to check in within 24 hours of your flight to receive your boarding pass.

The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Buy a Business Select fare

Finally, you have the option to purchase a Business Select fare, which, among other perks, includes priority boarding in the A1-A15 group.

Speak with an agent

If you don't heed our advice and find yourself at the airport with a less-than-desirable boarding group, Southwest advises that you speak with a gate agent or flight attendant. They will see if any passengers are willing to move to accommodate your family if you aren't able to get seats together.

Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines keeps its family seating advice plain and simple: The only way to guarantee you'll be able to sit with your family is to purchase your seat assignments ahead of time.

Seat assignments start at $5 per person per segment and vary by route and seat location in the aircraft. You can purchase your seat assignment when you book your flight, during check-in or anytime in between. However, the earlier you choose the seats, the better chance your entire family will be able to sit together.

Spirit currently has no official family seating policy. It only states that it "can't guarantee that you'll sit with your friends and family" if you don't purchase seat assignments; it says that gate agents will work to provide adjacent seats for guests flying with children aged 13 and under whenever possible.

There are ways to save money when purchasing your seats, though. Spirit Saver$ Club members receive low fares and discounted prices for add-ons like bags and seats. There is an annual fee, but if you have a large family or plan on flying Spirit Airlines often, the cost may be less than purchasing seats for your entire group.

Speaking of frequent flying, members of Spirit's Free Spirit loyalty program at the Gold level receive, among other perks, free seat selection at the time of booking. Unlike Frontier's program, Spirit's elite status perks, such as seat selection, do not confer to other members on the reservation.

United Airlines

United is also among the few airlines committed to helping families sit together on flights. United's family seating policy guarantees families with children under age 12 in certain cabins can sit together for free, regardless of fare type.

Now, United's new "dynamic seat map feature" will enable passengers to book two seats together for travelers under 12 and an adult companion for free, including on basic economy fares.

You'll probably want to avoid basic economy on United if you want your party to stay together. United explicitly states on its website that it's not able to guarantee your entire party will be able to sit together if you purchase a basic economy fare and do not purchase advance seat assignments.

Here are a few more helpful tips for families flying United :

• Book your tickets as early as possible and reserve your family's seats together when booking.
• Confirm seat selections made through a third party.
• If only scattered seats are available at the time of booking, you are better off letting United's system automatically choose seats for you because it will attempt to seat families on the same reservation with unassigned seats together.
• If you do not select seats in advance, United's system will attempt to find adjoining seats for you and your children under 15 on the same reservation, regardless of fare type.
• If you cannot obtain seats together, arrive early at your departure gate and speak with a gate agent. They will ask for volunteers to move seats and help accommodate your family.

General tips

There is a lot of overlap with the guidance for getting your family's seats together on most U.S. airlines (with Southwest being the exception).

You want to do everything possible to:

• Book early and select seats when you book. Do not wait until the last minute to check your seat assignments.
• Avoid saver or basic fares because they often do not offer complimentary seat selection.
• Choose your family's seats when booking, whether it's included with your fare or you have to pay an additional fee.
• If you are unable to get your family's seats together at the time of booking, call the airline and speak with a reservations agent to determine the best course of action.
• Keep checking seat availability in the months and weeks leading up to your flight, especially in the final week before your trip and again 24 hours before your flight. These are the times when people make last-minute changes or elite flyers receive automatic seat upgrades, freeing up space on the seating map.
• If you arrive at the airport and still haven't been able to secure your family's seats together, politely ask a gate agent or flight attendant for help. You may still have the option to pay for an upgrade, or they can assist you by finding open seats. It may be too late to do anything official, but they'll be much more willing to help if you approach them with kindness.

Related: Where to sit on a plane with 2 small kids

Bottom line

Sometimes kind travelers will help parents who end up in a bind onboard, but there's no guarantee. Luckily, airlines are falling in line and making it easier for families traveling together to sit together.

Requesting Airline-Assigned Seats

Important! There may be differences in the availability of seat maps depending on the carrier, and also whether your seat map request is made before or after booking. See Viewing Seat Maps Before Booking for more information.

To request seats assigned by the airline:

• Enter passenger names for the PNR/Booking File. Other customer information can also be added to the PNR/Booking File, but passenger names are the minimum requirement to view seats.
• If applicable, enter any loyalty information for your passengers before selecting seats. A passenger's frequent flier status can affect the available seating options.
• Display the seat map.

Why did a seat map not display? A seat map frame with no map is displayed if no seats are available for Galileo and Apollo. (For agencies that also use Worldspan, an error message is returned if no seats are available: Graphical seat map not avail. ) Seat maps are displayed only for confirmed (Status HK ) segments. More Information If one or more segments are unconfirmed, a warning is displayed at the top of the seat map.

• If all segments are unconfirmed, a warning message is displayed.

Seat maps are displayed as they become available from the airline. Therefore, if your itinerary includes more than one seat map, some maps may display more quickly than other maps.

You can begin to select seats from any available seat maps before the additional maps to display.

• In the Segments section, click on the desired segment.
• Select the Airline Assigned check box.
• For the first passenger, click the Select arrow to select a seat type preference.
• Optional. If the passenger wants airline-assigned seats with the same seat type for all segments in the itinerary, click Copy to all segments . If you do not select Copy to all segments , you can choose between selected seats, airline-assigned seats, as well as different preferred seat types for each segment.
• Repeat Steps 5 through 7 for each passenger.
• When all seats are assigned, including any airline-assigned seats, free seats , and paid seats , click REVIEW to display the Review screen.
• Review the seat assignments. If you want to change your selections, click MODIFY to redisplay the seat maps.
• Click the SUBMIT to confirm the seat assignments.
• Click CLOSE to exit the Review screen.
• End transact ( ER or ET ) to store the assigned seats.

In the PNR/Booking File, *SD in Travelport+ (1G) or 9D in Apollo (1V) displays the seat information in the PNR/Booking File.

This link does NOT provide Help Desk support. If you need immediate assistance with Travelport Smartpoint, please create a support request in MyTravelport or use your agency's normal method to contact the Help Desk.

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With Basic Economy please remember refunds and upgrades are not available at any time. Basic Economy is best for those traveling by themselves with firm travel plans. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the restrictions so you know if Basic Economy is right for you.

• No seat(s) assigned until after check-in, not together
• No changes allowed*
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If you are unable to sit in your seat without encroaching into the seat next to you while the armrest is down, please ask the agent if they can reseat you next to an empty seat. You might also consider purchasing an upgrade to First Class/Delta One®.

If you would like to book an additional seat in order to ensure your comfort during your travel, please click the " Message Us " button on the Need Help page for assistance.

Preferred Seats include:

• Exit row seats
• Bulkhead window and aisle seats
• Window and aisle seats in the front of Main Cabin

These seats are available to eligible customers on Delta and Delta Connection aircraft. Preferred Seats are available for purchase up until the check-in window closes on most Delta operated flights. Keep in mind that Preferred seats are non-changeable, non-refundable and cannot be transferred to a new flight or itinerary. In the event of a cancellation, you may receive an eCredit for the value of your Preferred Seat if you cancel your flight before the 24-hour check-in window opens.*

Basic Economy: Customers who purchase Basic Economy tickets are not eligible to purchase Preferred Seats.

Medallion Members: Members are eligible for Complimentary Upgrades to Preferred Seats upon request and subject to availability.

SkyMiles Members: Earn miles, including Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) toward Medallion Status with the SkyMiles Program, for Preferred Seat purchases.

*Applies to Delta-operated flights canceled prior to the 24-hour check in window only.

Using the My Trips seat map or the offers presented on the Trip Details page, you can select a seat and pay to upgrade your trip to Delta One®, Delta Premium Select, First Class or Delta Comfort+® on eligible flights within the U.S. and Canada, from the U.S. to international destinations and on most exit-international flights to the U.S. after purchasing a ticket.*

Paid upgrade seats are: 

• Typically changeable and refundable, depending on the fare rules of the original booked ticket
• Not eligible to be transferred to a new flight or itinerary
• Unavailable for purchase once the check-in window for the flight has closed

If you need to cancel, you may receive an eCredit for the value of your paid upgrade if you cancel your flight before the 24-hour check-in window opens.**

In some cases, customers with Special Service Requests (SSR) on their reservation are not eligible for post-purchase upgrades such as exit row seating, to ensure they are assigned to a seat that meets the needs of their request.

*Excludes tickets booked in Basic Economy. **Applies to Delta-operated flights canceled prior to the 24-hour check in window only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can't find the answer to your question? Check out our top seat Q&As for more information.

If you voluntarily change or cancel your flight before the 24-hour check-in window opens, you may receive an eCredit for the value of your seat purchase.* Currently, eCredits may only be applied toward future travel, but this is the first step in the direction of offering you more flexibility with eCredits in the future.

Any time after a ticket is issued until 90 minutes prior to departure or until the check-in window has closed, customers can upgrade from Main Cabin to Delta One®, Delta Premium Select, First Class or Delta Comfort+®, or from Delta Comfort+ to Delta One®, Delta Premium Select or First Class.

Customers may use a different method of payment than the method used to purchase the original ticket. Upgrades are add-ons to your purchase and will not require a new ticket to be issued to you.

Customers can go to My Trips and look for the upgrade offers banner located at the top of their trip to purchase a Delta One, Delta Premium Select, First Class or Delta Comfort+ seat upgrade as an add-on if available.

Post-purchase upgrades are sold for individual flights and all customers in the reservation must upgrade for the selected flight.

Currently, some Special Service Requests (SSR) are not eligible for post-purchase upgrades such as exit row seating, to ensure that customers are assigned to a seat that meets the needs of their request.

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How to Navigate Costly Airline Seat Selection Fees

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Airlines always seem to have one more trick up their sleeves for adding fees to the cost of airfare. Anyone who has flown in the past few years knows that some airlines now charge for basics, like carry-on bags and a printed boarding ticket. Yet one sneaky charge is often ignored by even savvy travelers: seat selection fees.

On the surface, there’s nothing complicated about these fees. Some airlines will let you select a specific seat for a markup on the base cost of your ticket. However, the way the fees are presented is often misleading, making it seem like you must select a seat and pay the accompanying fee.

A seat selection chart from Frontier Airlines.

This approach, in which companies add fees throughout the checkout process, is called “drip pricing” by experts. And research indicates that it's an effective sales tactic, both for confusing customers and driving up overall prices.

But here’s the thing: You almost never have to pay these fees. Here’s how to avoid — or at least minimize — these pesky fees.

Ways to avoid seat selection fees

Skip seat selection altogether.

Though it might sound scary, there's one weird trick airlines don’t want you to know: You don’t have to select a seat. On most airlines, you'll get assigned a seat at check-in or at the gate if you don’t already have one.

Some airlines make it seem like you must (or at least should) select a seat during checkout. Frontier Airlines even has a graphic interstitial page telling you why selecting a seat is such a great option.

Don’t fall for it. You can always skip seat selection and save the money, but do keep a few things in mind:

Skipping seat selection doesn’t mean you won’t get a seat on the flight.

You might get stuck in the middle seat if you don’t pay for one.

Even if seat selection is free, you might want to skip it if only lousy seats are available (see the "upgrade hack” below).

Pick an airline with lower seat fees

Part of what’s so confusing about these fees is how inconsistently the industry is applying them. Unlike change and cancellation fees, which most U.S. airlines recently abolished, many airlines seem to be increasing the upcharge on selecting seats.

But some are charging much more than others.

According to an analysis of airline fees by NerdWallet, Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines charge the least for seat selection, while Frontier and Spirit Airlines charge the most.

Airlines with modest seat fees (less than $10 each leg):

Airlines with high seat fees ($15-plus each leg):

Southwest Airlines doesn’t technically charge for nor allow seat selection in the same way as other airlines, so it's excluded from this data. But you won’t get charged a seat selection fee on Southwest during checkout, so it’s also a good option.

Roll the dice with an upgrade hack

As a regular, non-frequent flyer, it’s hard to get your seat upgraded these days. Yet skipping seat selection sometimes offers the opportunity to get bumped into premium seating.

Here’s how it works. Airlines now offer a “premium economy” fare or similar. Sometimes, all of the good seats — including the exit rows — are considered premium. The airlines try to charge extra for these seats, but if nobody takes them and the flight is full, they have to assign them to somebody.

Specifically, airlines will assign these empty, better seats to those passengers who haven't selected a seat. So if you put yourself in this pool, you have a chance of scoring an even better seat than those who paid extra for advance seat selection.

Of course, there’s a potential downside: You could very well get stuck in a middle seat in the back of the plane rather than getting upgraded. But if you notice that your flight is full and not many passengers have upgraded to the good main cabin seats, skipping seat selection altogether can be an expert-level travel move.

» Learn more: How families can get seats together on a plane

Don’t pay for advance seat selection

Airlines are playing the same game. They want to show the lowest fares possible on search results, then upsell you during checkout. This drip-pricing tactic is a pain for passengers . Charging for seat selection is one way airlines try to make a buck at the last minute.

Know your options and avoid their trickery. Skip seat selection altogether or fly an airline with limited seat fees, like Alaska, Hawaiian or JetBlue. Each charges little or nothing for choosing a seat. Worst case, you’ll end up in the middle seat. Best case, you’ll get a seat with extra legroom.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee:   Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards:  Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card  

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

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How to display a seat map using the flight information

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Updated 12/07/2022   |   32430 Views angle-down

To show a seat map for a flight that is not a PNR segment, enter transaction code SM followed by the flight number and class, the date and the departure and arrival cities.

Enter, for example:

SMAA1303/M/18AUGMIAMEX

System response:

For some airlines, you can request the seat map to be displayed vertically by adding option /V  at the end of your entry.

SMAA1303/M/18AUGMIAMEX/V

To go back to a horizontal display, add option /H  at the end of your entry.

Note:  If an airline does not support a vertical display, the system shows a horizontal display.

Enter HESM for more information.

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Main content

Advance seat reservation.

Whether it’s a seat by the window, the aisle or with extra leg room: we offer you the opportunity of reserving seats for yourself and your travelling companions in advance or at check-in.

How do I reserve a seat?

You can book your seat either right away at the time of booking or later on. You can reserve a seat via My bookings up to 52 hours prior to departure. You can also select your seat when you check-in.

Economy Class

Classic seat.

Decide for yourself where you want to sit. Whether it’s a window or an aisle seat, we offer you the option of reserving your seat in advance. The price of a Classic Seat depends on the length of your flight and destination, and is free of charge on some fares.

Fees per person and route

1 Price applies to scheduled flights with a booking made via lufthansa.com, austrian.com, swiss.com, brusselsairlines.com, airdolomiti.de, lh-group-agent.com and Direct Connect. The fee for advance seat reservations on the Economy Light fare depends on your frequent flyer status. Seat reservation is free of charge on some fares.

Preferred Zone Seat

As a rule, the preferred seating area is located in the front part of Economy Class, directly behind Business or Premium Economy Class. These seats enable you to leave the aircraft quickly after landing, making your travel even easier and more flexible. The price for a Preferred Zone Seat depends on the length of your flight and destination and is free of charge on some fares.

Extra Legroom Seat

We offer you the option of reserving seats with more legroom on almost all aircraft types. Some of these seats are located in the emergency exit rows, so special conditions apply when booking these seats (see below). The price for an Extra Legroom Seat depends on the length of your flight and destination.

1 Price applies to scheduled flights with a booking made via lufthansa.com, austrian.com, swiss.com, brusselsairlines.com, airdolomiti.de, lh-group-agent.com and Direct Connect. The fee for advance seat reservations on the Economy Light fare depends on your frequent flyer status.

Premium Economy Class

1 Price applies to scheduled flights with a booking made via lufthansa.com, austrian.com, swiss.com, brusselsairlines.com, airdolomiti.de, lh-group-agent.com and Direct Connect.

Business Class

The comfortable Classic Seat on short and medium-haul flights is located in the front rows of the cabin, and offers more legroom and additional working space. The seat can be converted into a fully flat bed on long-haul flights, and offers additional storage space for your personal belongings. You can select a Classic Seat free of charge.

First Class

You experience maximum comfort on long-haul flights, and enjoy the highest levels of convenience. In First Class, you can select your seat free of charge.

Further information and details about advance seat reservations

What are the conditions for reserving a seat.

• The flight must be operated by Lufthansa Group airlines, Lufthansa Regional (Air Dolomiti, Lufthansa CityLine), Lufthansa Express Rail (DB), Edelweiss or Discover Airlines.
• Your flight booking is confirmed (not waiting list bookings).
• If you did not select your seat during the booking process, you can also do so after completing your booking and up to 30 hours before departure. Access your trip under My bookings, and book or change 1 your seat there.

Of course you can still select any of the available seats as soon as your flight check-in opens (generally up to 23 hours before departure). Depending on the fare, this is free of charge. Please note that in this case, the selection may be limited. If you are travelling on a European route on the Economy Light fare, you will be automatically allocated a seat at check-in. A change fee starting from EUR 29 2 will be charged if you would like to change this seat.

Please note that a confirmed advance seat reservation does not guarantee you a specific seat on board the aircraft (e.g. seat 3A). It only refers to the category selected (e.g. Classic Seat, Preferred Zone Seat, Extra Legroom Seat etc.). An advance seat reservation applies to a single leg of your flight.

1 Changes are only possible if the seat is available at the same or a lower price. Fees already paid are not refundable.

2 CHF 35 or USD 35

Special conditions for seats by the emergency exits

Seats in the emergency exit rows can only be booked for passengers who meet the following requirements:

• You are at least 16 years old.
• You speak fluent German or English.
• You are willing to offer help in the unlikely event of an emergency.
• You are capable of reading and understanding instructions and carrying out the crew’s directions in an emergency.
• You are capable of carrying out the tasks given to you without assistance from a travelling companion, parent or another family member.
• You are not travelling with a person who would be dependent on your help in the event of an emergency.
• You do not have a condition or position of responsibility that would prevent you from carrying out these tasks or would lead to physical injury in carrying them out.
• You are not travelling with an animal in the aircraft cabin.
• Lufthansa may allocate another seat to passengers who do not meet these preconditions to ensure safety on board.
• Any carry-on baggage must be stowed in the overhead bins, as items must not be placed in the seating area or under the seats during take-off and landing.

Those accompanying HON Circle Members and Senators

HON Circle Members and Senators have the option to reserve a chosen seat free of charge for themselves and all passengers travelling under the same booking number on flights with Lufthansa, Lufthansa Regional (Air Dolomiti, Lufthansa CityLine), Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines and SWISS. This benefit is subject to availability and does not apply to Economy Light fare bookings on short-haul flights.

Seating changes required for operational reasons

If we have to change the seat you reserved (e.g. for operational reasons), we will endeavour to reserve an equivalent new seat for you. Priority is given to passengers who are travelling together, e.g. families sitting next to one another. Then seats with more legroom, aisle, window and then middle seats will then be allocated in that order.

If we cannot allocate a seat in the same category (e.g. by the aisle, window or a seat with more legroom), you can arrange a refund of the fee paid via the Lufthansa Service Centre.

Ticket rebookings and reimbursements

You can rebook or cancel your flight ticket with an existing advance seat reservation easily and conveniently yourself via My bookings.

If you have paid for an advance seat reservation on the flight you wish to change, we will automatically try to book you an equivalent seat on the new flight. Please note that this is only possible if your flight route and airline remain the same. If this is not the case, you cannot obtain a refund for any advance seat reservations already paid for (even if no comparable seats are available on the new flight).

The fee for an advance seat reservation that has already been paid for can be reimbursed in the following cases:

• If we change a flight itinerary or aircraft type, for example, and there is no equivalent seat available on the new flight.
• If you have to book a new flight because of a flight disruption and your chosen seat is not available.

Please note that advance seat reservations cannot be refunded either at the airport or on board.

Fees paid for advance seat reservations cannot be refunded in the following cases:

• You cancel your trip.
• You have received an upgrade from us as a goodwill gesture or for operational reasons.
• You change your seat, but your new seat is cheaper or free of charge.
• You make changes to your booking and purchase a seat in a lower or equivalent category. You can obtain a credit to rebook to a more expensive seat category.
• You do not meet the requirements given above for a seat in an emergency exit row.
• You make changes to your trip, but there are no equivalent seats available on your new flight, advance seat reservations on your new flight are free of charge or this flight is not operated by Lufthansa, Lufthansa Regional, Austrian Airlines, SWISS or Brussels Airlines.
• You make changes to your trip thereby altering your route.