Online booking of seats on the plane with an electronic ticket. The most expensive trip ever. What to Expect on a Budget Travel
Alexandra Primakova, head of qualitative research at Validata market research, learned how to buy three tickets for the price of two: “My husband and I always book seats in the tail of the plane in advance: one at the window, the other at the aisle. Usually there are no people who want to take the middle place, and we are flying together on three chairs. But even if someone is put between us, the person always agrees to change places. So my husband and I still always sit together - there is no risk in our scheme.
Aleksey Sadovskikh, director of the architectural bureau Attix, acts much more risky: he always gets in line for registration at the very last moment - and often ends up in business class, having an economy ticket in his hands. True, he stayed at the airport twice: then all those who bought tickets for him appeared on the flight, and Alexei did not have enough space (airlines usually sell a few extra tickets for all flights, since, according to statistics, several passengers do not appear on each flight).
People like Primakova and Sadovsky are rather an exception in Russia. 99% of the travelers we surveyed said they didn't care where they sat on the plane. Meanwhile, only in the first and business class cabins are all seats equally good. And in the economy class, your comfort directly depends on which row you are sitting in - in the tail, in the middle or at the beginning of the cabin. And with very little effort, you can make your legs and back hurt less after the flight, and your mood will be better.
Forbes has compiled a list of the most effective ways to get a good seat on an airplane.
1. Learn more about the model and seating arrangements on the aircraft
You can find out on which model of aircraft a particular flight is made on the airline's website. Aircraft different airlines quite different from each other in the comfort of the salons. The sites www.SeatGuru.com, www.SeatExpert.com have all the details about the layout of the most different aircraft: about the presence of electrical outlets and TVs in the backs of the seats, the location of the toilets, the spacing between the rows (usually it is 80 cm, but some companies, such as JetBlue, increased it by 5 cm) - this seemingly small difference on long flights is very even felt.
The first row behind the business class is considered the most convenient. Here more space for legs, no one sits in front of you - which means that no one leans the back of their chair on you, you will be the first to receive food, drinks, newspapers, you will get blankets and pillows, for those traveling with small children it is possible to attach a cradle for babies to the wall and put a child seat. But there are also disadvantages here - because of the tables hidden in the armrests, it is impossible to raise these armrests and turn the chair into a sofa or put a sleeping child on your lap. And if, for example, you are going to work or prepare for a business meeting on the way, it is hardly worth striving to sit in the front rows: neighborhood with children (and they are usually the most here) is unlikely to contribute to concentration.
Places at emergency exits also respected by experienced travelers: the row spacing here is 15 cm more than in the rest of the cabin, but depending on the layout of the cabin, the seatbacks often do not fall down (on long flights you will regret this), and you can not keep on the floor hand luggage. The rules prescribe to plant only tall adults in these places. “Honestly, for obvious reasons, at registration, first of all, they look for this person to be physically strong, energetic and, how can I put it, quick-witted,” says Boris Rybak, director of the consulting company Infomost. - When emergency he must open the door and help the crew evacuate the passengers.” Although there are cases when even a fragile girl could convince an airline employee that she needed to fly in this particular row.
In the middle of the cabin, for a significant part of the flight, you find yourself “locked” in carts with food, drinks, newspapers, and duty-free goods. In addition, rows 8 to 20 are usually the noisiest zone in the aircraft, all the noise of engines and turbines is concentrated here. But there is no such information on the websites and schemes of salons, and help to find more quiet place only airline employees at check-in will be able to you - in different types aircraft have different noise distribution graphs.
At the tail of the plane, the seats are a little narrower (such is the geometry of the plane): it’s closer to sit there, it shakes harder, a small selection of food, newspapers and magazines (on the “what’s left” principle), there is a toilet next to it, which most often has a queue - which means noise. The only plus is tail places considered safer.
2. Book in advance
Advance booking allows you to choose your seats on the plane long before the flight. This is especially convenient for those who fly in large companies: it is difficult to expect that you can all be seated side by side. Company british airways introduced since October this year additional fee Reservation Fee: Economy Class passengers will now pay £10 ($16) for European flights and £20 ($32) for long flights, £20 ($32) and £60 ($98) for business class passengers respectively. But most air carriers (with the exception of low-cost ones, which charge everything) still provide this service for free when buying tickets both on the Internet and at airline offices. But few people know about it - for some reason, neither the carriers nor the agents especially advertise it.
When booking a seat in advance, you can also order special food for yourself (which few people also know about) - all air carriers have different lunch options . Transaero, for example, offers a choice of about 30 different meals - vegetarian, kosher, Muslim, low-calorie, diabetic and others, plus 2 types of baby food.
3. Use online registration
You can also choose a seat convenient for you during online registration, this procedure is becoming more and more popular. You can check in at the airport at special kiosks and even on the airline's website. Thus, you save a lot of time (you can arrive at the airport at least 50 minutes before departure), however, there are a number of restrictions: you must travel without luggage, without small children, without animals. In general, this option is suitable for a businessman traveling light. In addition, some companies, such as Delta or Air Berlin, do not display seats near emergency exits (and they are considered good by travelers) in the online check-in system, holding them for tall and large passengers. The second point is that in Russia not all companies have online check-in counters, and so far only in Moscow - in Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo-2.
In the near future - the creation of a single group boarding pass, which will allow you to get seats next to each other, for example big family or a group of passengers. To do this, they will not have to be all at the airport at the same time, one person will be able to register the entire company: the data of several travelers at once will be stored on the chip of one ticket.
4. Arrive early for check-in
Do not neglect the simplest and proven way to get the desired seat in the cabin: do not be lazy and arrive at the beginning of registration. According to the director of the press service of Transaero airline Sergey Bykhal, "the airline's employees at check-in always try to meet the needs of passengers and take into account their wishes." For those traveling alone, this option is also possible: to arrive, on the contrary, at the very end of registration. If you are lucky, you can be given a seat in business class, and if you are not lucky, you will get a seat that all other passengers have already refused.
5. Choose Low Traffic Days to Fly
Experts recommend, if possible, to schedule flights on the days and hours of the least busy airports - these are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. The busiest days are Friday and Sunday. The busiest flights are in the morning and in the evening. In the half-empty cabins of “weekday” flights, the flight attendants themselves will offer you to transfer to unoccupied rows - it’s quite possible to sleep on three chairs.
6. Try the "unofficial ways"
A few years ago, the practice of obtaining good places on board or access to business class for a bribe to airline employees (500 rubles invested in your passport can still open your way to an emergency exit seat, but we do not recommend this). American Forbes.com tells the story of a passenger who, on a flight from New York to Germany, was helped by a hundred-dollar bill to get into business class. True, on the way back with the German airline staff, the same trick did not work.
“For our family, it is simply important to fly in the front row, where you can stretch your legs,” recalls Anna S. “After all, my height is 186 cm, and my husband is even taller. Once at the airport at check-in, when I asked them to give us these seats, the airline employees said: “500 rubles for the passport.” We had nowhere to go, a long flight, we paid. But the most annoying thing is that before the flight the plane was replaced, and our new seats were almost in the middle of the cabin. With what convenience we ended up flying, I don’t even want to remember. ”
Still, money isn't everything: Lately inspections have become more frequent, airline personnel are afraid to take money, it is much more effective to win over airline employees with personal charm. “You need to smile at them, you need to talk to them, you need to treat them like a human being, and then - it has been proven many times - they will do much more for you than you can expect from them,” advises Boris Rybak.
Businessman Petr K., on duty flying both domestic and international flights several times a week, almost daily, he is convinced of the same: “The most reliable way is to put a chocolate bar on the reception desk and ask the girl to “set it down well” with a charming smile. It always works, and chocolates, as a rule, are not taken. ”
Not everyone can afford to fly in business class and take up a little more space than a standard seat. Those who fly often know that the chance of landing with a large person or someone with different ideas about hygiene is very high. It is impossible to avoid this, but you can try to sit near the window or in the aisle, if it will be more comfortable for you to survive the hardships of the flight.
Russian Forbes gives practical advice on how not to miscalculate with a seat on an airplane.
1. Learn more about the model and seating arrangements on the aircraft
You can find out on which model of aircraft a particular flight is made on the airline's website. Aircraft of different airlines are quite different from each other in terms of cabin comfort. The websites SeatGuru, SeatExpert have all the details about the layout of a variety of aircraft: the presence of electrical outlets and TVs in the backs of the seats, the location of the toilets, the spacing between the rows (usually it is 80 cm, but some companies, such as JetBlue, have increased it by 5 cm) - this seemingly small difference is very noticeable during long flights.
The first row behind the business class is considered the most convenient: there is more legroom, no one is sitting in front of you - which means that no one leans back on you, you will be the first to get food, drinks, newspapers, you will get blankets and pillows, for traveling with small children, it is possible to attach a cradle for babies to the wall and put a child seat. But even here there are drawbacks - because of the tables hidden in the armrests, it is impossible to raise these armrests and turn the chair into a sofa, or put a sleeping child on your lap. And if, for example, you are going to work or prepare for a business meeting on the way, it is hardly worth striving to sit in the front rows: neighborhood with children (and they are usually the most here) is unlikely to contribute to concentration.
Seats at emergency exits are also held in high esteem by experienced travelers: the row spacing here is 15 cm longer than in the rest of the cabin, but depending on the layout of the cabin, the seat backs often do not fall down (on long flights, you will regret this) and you can’t keep a hand on the floor luggage. The rules prescribe to plant only tall adults in these places.
“Honestly, for obvious reasons, the first thing they look at at registration is that this person would be physically strong, energetic and, how should I put it, quick-witted,” says Boris Rybak, director of the consulting company Infomost. “In the event of an emergency, he must open the door and help the crew evacuate passengers.”
Although there are cases when even a fragile girl could convince an airline employee that she needed to fly in this particular row.
In the middle of the cabin, for a significant part of the flight, you find yourself “locked” in carts with food, drinks, newspapers, and duty-free goods. In addition, rows 8-20 are usually the noisiest zone in the aircraft, all the noise of engines and turbines is concentrated here. But there is no such information on websites and cabin maps, and only airline employees at check-in can help you find a quieter place - different types of aircraft have different noise distribution schedules.
At the tail of the plane, the seats are a bit narrower (such is the geometry of the plane) - it’s closer to sit there, it shakes harder, a small selection of food, newspapers and magazines (according to the principle - what’s left), next to it is a toilet, which most often has a queue - which means noise. The only plus is that the tail seats are considered safer.
2. Book in advance
Advance booking allows you to choose your seats on the plane long before the flight. This is especially convenient for those who fly in large companies - it is difficult to expect that you can all be seated side by side. British Airways has introduced an additional booking fee since October this year: now economy class passengers will have to pay £10 ($16) on European flights and £20 ($32) on long flights, and £20 ($32) for the opportunity to choose a convenient seat. ) and 60 pounds ($98) respectively for business class passengers. But most air carriers (with the exception of low-cost ones, which charge everything) still provide this service for free when buying tickets both on the Internet and at airline offices. But few people know about it - because for some reason neither the carriers themselves nor the agents particularly advertise it.
When booking a seat in advance, you can also order special food for yourself (which few people know about either) - all air carriers have different lunch options. Transaero, for example, offers a choice of about 30 different meals - vegetarian, kosher, Muslim, low-calorie, diabetic and others, plus 2 types of baby food.
3. Use online registration
You can also choose a seat convenient for you during online check-in, this procedure is becoming more and more popular - you can check in at the airport at special kiosks, and even on the airline's website. Thus, you save a lot of time (you can arrive at the airport at least 50 minutes before departure), however, there are a number of restrictions - you must travel without luggage, without small children, without animals. In general, this option is suitable for a businessman traveling light. In addition, some companies, such as Delta or Air Berlin, do not display seats near emergency exits (and they are considered good by travelers) in the online check-in system, holding them for tall and large passengers. The second point is that in Russia not all companies have online check-in counters, and so far only in Moscow - in Dodomedovo and Sheremetyevo-2.
In the near future - the creation of a single group boarding pass that will allow you to get seats next to each other, for example, a large family or a group of passengers - for this they will not have to be all at the airport at the same time, 1 person will be able to register the entire company: the data of several travelers at once will be stored on the chip of one ticket.
4. Arrive early for check-in
Do not neglect the simplest and proven way to get the desired seat in the cabin: do not be lazy and arrive at the beginning of registration. According to the director of the press service of Transaero airline Sergey Bykhal, "the airline's employees at check-in always try to accommodate passengers and take into account their wishes." For those traveling alone, this option is also possible: take a chance and play the lottery - arrive, on the contrary, at the very end of registration: if you are lucky, you can be given a seat in business class, and if you are not lucky, you will get a seat from which all other passengers already refused.
5. Choose Low Traffic Days to Fly
Experts recommend, if possible, to schedule flights on the days and hours of the least busy airports - these are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. The busiest days are Friday and Sunday. The busiest flights are in the morning and in the evening. In the half-empty cabins of “weekday” flights, the flight attendants themselves will offer you to transfer to unoccupied rows - it’s quite possible to sleep on three chairs.
6. Try the "unofficial ways"
A few years ago, the practice of getting good seats on board or getting into business class for a bribe to airline employees was widespread (500 rubles invested in your passport can still open your way to an emergency exit seat, but we do not recommend this). American Forbes.com tells the story of a passenger who, on a flight from New York to Germany, was helped by a hundred-dollar bill to get into business class. True, on the way back with the German airline staff, the same trick did not work.
Until recently, you can buy tickets for flights only at the airport. This caused discomfort, since there is no possibility of choosing a passenger seat. You also need to stand in a long queue, spending a lot of time. Now you can buy tickets online, and at the same time choose the most comfortable place. Each airline has an official website.
What you need to choose a place
To choose a passenger seat in the cabin of an airliner for a comfortable journey, you can act in several ways:
- purchase an electronic ticket;
- choose a place during the purchase of documents directly at the airport;
- ask the flight attendant to leave a certain seat for the passenger on board when boarding.
Air carrier employees cannot always remember the requests of each passenger. Therefore, it is better to book a seat on the plane electronic ticket. To do this, you need a computer or a modern gadget with an Internet connection.
Seat selection at the time of ticket purchase
This is the most convenient option. Reservation of seats on the plane is carried out directly on the website of the air carrier. To do this, you must perform the following steps:
- go to the company's website;
- to book a ticket;
- choose a convenient place for the flight.
The advantage of this method is the quick selection and booking of a seat. Despite this, there are certain disadvantages. Some airlines charge an additional fee for the seat selection service. It varies between 16-32 dollars. USA.
Some airlines block the selection of seats that are near emergency exits or in the front rows. They are comfortable to sit on, as there is enough space in front to stretch your legs and have a great rest. These chairs are designed to accommodate pregnant women or with a child under 1 year old, people with handicapped, passengers with animals.
Important! Near emergency exits, it is forbidden to buy tickets for passengers traveling with children over 1 year old. The child can pull the handle emergency door. This will lead to depressurization of the cabin.
If it was not possible to choose a seat on the plane when buying a ticket, you can do it upon arrival at the airport. To do this, at the check-in desk, you must inform the airline employee of your wishes.
The passenger needs to know that it is possible to choose a convenient seat on board the airliner only after booking a ticket on the official website of the company. On other online resources that offer tickets at a reduced cost, this option is not available.
Seat selection during online check-in
The advantage of this method is that you can book passenger seat from any convenient location. To do this, you will need access to the Internet, and the ability to print a ticket.
Online registration of seats on the plane begins one day before departure. And it ends 45-60 minutes before it. The passenger independently chooses the most convenient seat.
Main advantages:
- no need to arrive at the airport a few hours before departure for check-in;
- no need to stand in line;
- it is enough to go through passport and customs control.
In addition to the visible advantages, there are also disadvantages. Some airlines do not allow online check-in and seat selection for passengers with pets, small children, or luggage.
It is worth noting that some foreign airlines provide online check-in for passengers with luggage. At the same time, they increase the norm to 7 kg. These are nice bonuses for buyers.
Note! In any case, you must arrive at the airport in advance to check in your luggage. It must be weighed and handed over at a special rack.
To start online check-in, you need to go to the official website of the air carrier. Each ticket has a booking number. It is entered in the corresponding field in the window that opens. An additional window will open the layout of the salon. It remains to choose a suitable place by indicating its number in the appropriate field.
It so happens that convenient places busy. The air carrier independently books them. These seats accommodate passengers with children, disabilities, with animals. It is better to arrive at the airport in advance and ask at the reception to book a specific seat.
Through mobile offers
Airlines develop official Internet resources. Anyone can use them. For greater user convenience, special mobile applications are provided. They are also company websites. They need to be downloaded to a gadget that is connected to the Internet.
They are for the following:
- booking;
- buying tickets;
- registration of insurance;
- online registration;
- obtaining information on the status of all flights of the air carrier;
- account balance checks Bonus miles", if the company has announced such a promotion;
- obtaining information about airport services.
Using these apps is pretty easy. You need to follow the same steps as when booking seats on the official website of the company. The passenger will need a ticket number. It is indicated in the corresponding field. After that, a window will open on the gadget's screen, in which the salon scheme is presented. You just need to click on the place you like. After that, confirm your choice.
It must be remembered that booking a seat through mobile applications can be expensive, like on official sites. Best to book seat through internet intermediaries.
Each airline has its own seat marking in the cabin. So, for example, places 1E and 1B can indicate several options at once: near the aisle and porthole. Previously, it is better to independently look at the additional decoding of the marking of the chairs on the company's website.
Places near kitchens and sanitary facilities are considered crowded. The aisle chairs are also uncomfortable. Especially for passengers who prefer to sleep in flight.
Interesting fact! According to statistics, the least number of tickets are purchased for flights during lunch hours. This can be used to get the most comfortable seat.
If you were unable to choose a seat during online check-in or when purchasing a ticket, you can do it directly at the airport. To do this, you must inform the employee of the air carrier about the most convenient place for the passenger, which he chose for the flight.
If the place is booked incorrectly, you can still correct the situation. You need to check in for the flight, board the aircraft, wait for the message from the flight attendant “Boarding completed”. After that, ask him to take another free seat. As a rule, passengers are not denied this.
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A comfortable chair, a glass of champagne, elite service - flying business class is very pleasant, but not necessarily expensive. If you remember a few important points, then even with a cheap ticket there is a chance to get an upgrade of seats on the plane.
An upgrade - that is, an increase in the class of service on board an aircraft - most often depends on a fortunate combination of circumstances. But that kind of luck can be "helped" to make it more likely that you'll be turned into a business class passenger for free.
1. Watch out for overbooking
Despite the recent scandal involving a United Airlines passenger who suffered from overbooking, many airlines are still willing to sell slightly more tickets per flight than the actual number of seats on board the aircraft. The calculation is that some part of the passengers will not appear or will be late, and if not, this is your chance. As a rule, flights are filled to capacity during the holiday season, before and after holidays or weekends, on Friday and Sunday. A day before departure, you can search the site for another ticket for your flight - and draw conclusions. But the most reliable option is to ask a polite question at the front desk and ask the employee with a smile if an upgrade is possible for you. Some (expensive) plans even offer it for free, and if that's not your case, it's still good to try your luck.
By the way, when checking in online, airlines themselves often offer to upgrade to business class: in this case, the amount of the surcharge and the price of your ticket can be much lower than a full-fledged ticket to business class. More more cost upgrade is reduced just before departure.
2. Don't be afraid of connecting flights
Often a flight with a transfer turns out to be much cheaper than a direct one - and this is an argument in its favor. Of course, there is a risk that connecting flight may be late, but then its passengers will be seated on other planes, and this will also cause overbooking, which the company can compensate you with an upgrade. Do not forget to politely hint about it to its representatives!
3. Get a bonus card
Almost all airlines have special bonus programs to maintain the loyalty of its passengers. For each flight, your card is credited with bonus points, and with their help you can also upgrade the class of service without paying extra money. However, in the case of overbooking, the airline will first of all offer an upgrade to the owners of bonus cards - free of charge, that is, for free.
4. Be first... or last
If you have a bonus card, it makes sense to check in online in the very first rows: in the event of an overbooking, airline employees will look for preferred upgrade candidates from the very beginning of the list of registered passengers. Another option is to check in at the airport already at the end of the time allotted for this: if the seats in the economy class have already run out, you may be offered to transfer to the business (however, there is no guarantee that there will still be a place there, so this option is not for the faint of heart).
5. Try to look and act your best
According to a survey conducted by well-known aggregator Skyscanner, the vast majority of airline personnel are happy to respond to the request of a well and stylishly dressed, friendly and polite passenger. If there is such an opportunity, you will most likely be transferred to business class - because it suits you so much!
6. Don't be afraid to fly alone
Your request will be easier to fulfill if you are not flying in a large company - it is much easier to find one seat in business class than two or three. Once again, feel free to kindly ask about the possibility of an upgrade right before the boarding gate or if you notice any problems in your own seat: a broken table, a broken video, etc.
