Seat Selection Rules by Airline: What Basic and Main Fares Really Include

Families: which airlines commit to seating children with a parent

The US Department of Transportation runs a family seating dashboard. It shows which airlines commit to seating a child aged 13 or under next to an accompanying adult at no extra cost, on all fare types, subject to limited conditions.

The conditions the airlines may apply are worth knowing, because they explain most family seating problems:

• The child and the adult must be on the same reservation.
• Adjacent seats must be available at the time of booking in the class you chose.
• The aircraft must not be swapped for a smaller one.
• The adult must either choose seats for the whole reservation or skip seat selection for the whole reservation, and not change the seats once assigned.
• It must be physically possible to seat the children next to the adults on that aircraft layout.

When the conditions are met, those airlines assign adjacent seats no later than the day before the flight.

Airlines without the commitment still have their own rules. United's Basic Economy page says that up to two children under 12 can sit next to the first adult on the reservation at no charge, selected after booking; the rest of the party may be separated. American's own page says its system looks for seats together automatically for children under 15 before the day of departure. Delta asks families with a young child on Delta Main Basic to contact Reservations for help. In practice, the safest choice for a family is a fare that includes seat selection, booked early, with everyone on one reservation.

Paid seats: what you are buying

Most airlines sell three kinds of seats on top of the fare:

• A standard seat chosen in advance, mainly relevant on basic fares.
• A preferred seat, usually a standard seat nearer the front or on the aisle or window.
• An extra-legroom seat, sold under the airline's own brand name, often in the exit rows or the first rows of economy.

A paid seat is not an upgrade to a different cabin. You still have the same fare rules for changes, refunds, boarding and bags as the ticket you bought. If you need flexibility as well as a better seat, a higher fare that includes both is often better value than a basic fare plus a paid seat.

Exit rows have rules of their own. Passengers seated in an exit row must be willing and able to help in an emergency. Children, travelers who need help moving around and passengers traveling with an infant on their lap cannot sit there. Check before you pay for one.

Getting your seat fee back

Seat fees are among the "ancillary services" covered by Department of Transportation rules. The DOT says you are entitled to a refund of a fee for an optional service you paid for but did not get through no fault of your own, for example because the airline canceled the flight.

For changes you make yourself, each airline sets its own rules:

• Delta says that if you voluntarily change your flight, any fee paid for a seat assignment on Main Basic is issued as an eCredit.
• Southwest says a seat bought separately from the fare cannot be canceled unless you cancel the flight too, in which case you receive a flight credit for the seat. Seat exchanges are allowed, with any price difference.
• JetBlue treats seat and bag fees as refundable only if you are no longer traveling on that flight and you change or cancel before departure.

If the airline moves you out of a seat you paid for, ask for the fee back. Delta, for example, says it refunds a reassigned Main Basic passenger who is not moved to a comparable or better seat.

Seats and travelers with disabilities

Basic fares and seating accommodations do not always mix well, because the airline controls the seat. If you or someone in your party has a disability that requires a particular type of seat, such as a movable armrest aisle seat or a bulkhead seat for a service animal, tell the airline when you book and confirm the seat before you travel. Several airlines answer this directly in their basic fare FAQs. A standard fare that lets you choose the seat yourself removes most of the uncertainty.

For wheelchair help at the airport and on board, see our guide to wheelchair assistance on international flights.

Basic fares on connecting and international trips

Seat rules follow the airline that sells the ticket and the airline that operates each flight, which can differ on a connecting trip. A basic fare sold by one airline but flown partly on a partner may have its seat assigned at the partner's check-in. On long international flights, basic fares are still sold on many routes, and the seat you are given at check-in is usually whatever is left. For a flight of ten hours or more, most travelers find that a fare with seat selection, or a paid seat, is money well spent.

Practical ways to sit where you want

• Compare the basic fare plus a paid seat with the standard fare. On many routes the standard fare wins once you count seats for two or more people.
• Book everyone on one reservation. Family seating commitments depend on it, and so does the airline's ability to seat a group together.
• Book early. Pairs of seats together disappear first, especially on full flights and in holiday weeks.
• Check in as soon as check-in opens on a basic fare, when seats are assigned at check-in.
• Look at the seat map again a few days before the flight. Seats open up when elite members are upgraded or plans change.
• Ask at the gate if you are separated from a child. Gate agents can often fix it, and on the airlines with a family seating commitment they are expected to.
• Do not change seats after they are assigned on an airline with a family seating commitment, as that can void it.

Our other seat guides, by airline

For more detail on a single airline, see our guides to seat selection on American Airlines, Southwest, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa and KLM.

How Fond Travels can help

Fond Travels is an independent travel agency in Woodbridge, Virginia, and we are not affiliated with any airline. When you book with us, we:

• Compare fares with the seat included, so you see the real difference between a basic fare plus seats and a standard fare.
• Keep families on one reservation and choose seats together at booking where the fare allows it.
• Request seating accommodations for travelers with disabilities and wheelchair assistance at each airport.
• Check the seat map again before you fly on longer trips, and move you if better seats have opened up.

To book a flight with the right seats from the start, call +1 (323) 800 6001. A travel expert answers any hour.