Passengers have a range of rules to follow on seat allocation if they are wanting to switch once on-board, and it’s not always the easiest thing to do
It’s common practice to pay to pick your seat on an aircraft. But what happens if you want to switch once you’re sat in the cabin?
If you haven’t opted in for seat selection, you will either be able to choose from a prescribed list of seats during booking or you’ll be allocated a randomised seat. Anyone wanting to make a last minute adjustment could find the process tricky. This is because seat swapping is available up until a certain time before departure for most airlines, with little flexibility once you are on-board.
It can be tempting to discreetly shuffle over to an empty seat, especially when an aircraft isn’t at fully capacity. But there’s a reason why airline staff are strict on such changes, and it has nothing to do with etiquette and fees.
It is more to do with weight distribution on the actual aircraft. In the simplest terms, the plane’s centre of mass should be centred somewhere between the middle. Of course, people move around to go to the bathroom and stretch their legs, so small wings on the tail help stabilise the aircraft during minor fluctuations.
easyJet
easyJet charges a fee to passengers who wish to choose their own seat.
When it comes to changing seats, easyJet’s guidelines state: “If you’ve not already checked-in you can add or change seats up until two hours before your flight departs by logging in to Manage Bookings. If you’ve already checked-in and want to change your seats you’ll need to contact our customer service team and they will make the changes for you.”
If you are eager to change your seat once you’ve boarded, this at the discretion of the cabin crew. Though seat swapping is largely prohibited by most airlines for safety reasons, whether you’ve paid for seat selection or not.
Ryanair
Ryanair also charges a fee to passengers who wish to choose their own seat. Passengers can change their seat at the check-in kiosk (while they are still available) or online ahead of their flight departure, even if they have already checked in.
Keep in mind though, that while there is no additional charge to update your seat selection, you will need to pay any price difference between your old seat and the new one. For instance, if you are upgrading your seat from Standard to Priority Seating, you will need to pay the difference.
Additionally, Ryanair does not issue refunds for purchases seats and there are instances when you may be required to swap seats at the direction of the cabin crew.
Jet2
Jet2 does not explicitly ban seat swapping on planes, but they do encourage any passengers and families that wish to sit together to pre-book their seats. Keep in mind that Jet2 classifies seats across the aisle or in the row behind or in front are classed as ‘together’.
Passengers who do not pre-book their seats will be allocated a seat on a first-come, first-serve basis upon checking in during online or in-person check-in.
TUI
Changing your seat after booking is only permissible on TUI aircrafts under certain conditions. According to TUI, it states: “Provided there’s availability, then you can change your seats by revisiting our Flight Extras page, provided you’ve not yet checked in online. If you’ve already checked in online, then unfortunately you’ll be unable to change your seats.”
Even if you wish to upgrade your seat, you will need to visit your customer account or go to Manage My Booking on the TUI website if you booked online.
British Airways
British Airways allows passengers to change their selected seat at any time before flying, up to and including at check-in. This can be done online under Manage My Booking or at the in-person kiosk.
While swapping seats onboard the aircraft is not advised, British Airways confirms there may be instances when you are asked to change your seat. According to BA, this might be necessary for many reasons, including: “A change of aircraft due to operational, safety or security reasons, so we cannot guarantee seating.”
If you are asked to change your seat, the airlines will attempt to find an equivalent alternative. If you are still dissatisfied, you can apply for a refund.