Emirates Increases Monetization Of Economy Seat Assignments

Emirates Increases Monetization Of Economy Seat Assignments

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Compared to airlines in the rest of the world, the Gulf carriers are still pretty “full service” across the board. However, they’re increasingly trying to cut costs and monetize their products, and that’s true regardless of what cabin you’re flying in.

As of last October, Emirates began charging for seat assignments for those on many economy fares. Specifically, those booking Economy Special and Economy Saver tickets have to pay for seat assignments in advance, while those in Economy Flex and Economy Flex Plus can continue to select seats for free in advance.

It looks like Emirates sees more opportunities to monetize economy seat assignments, as they’ve changed their seat assignment fees as of August 20, 2017. The changes aren’t necessarily bad news — that’s to say that passengers have more access to special seats than they had before, for a fee. As a starting point, here are the terms & conditions for Emirates’ seating policy prior to August 20, 2017, and then the policy as of August 20, 2017.

Under Emirates’ new seating policy, they have four different types of economy seats:

Regular
The standard seat in Economy Class designed for ultimate comfort.

Preferred
A seat closer to the front of the plane, allowing you to disembark quickly.

Twin
A row of two seats at the back of the 777 aircraft and at the front of the aircraft on the upper deck of the A380, usually closer to the onboard lavatories.

Extra Legroom
An exit row seat with extra legroom. These seats may also be closer to the lavatories or galley on some aircraft.

It’s nice to see that even Emirates’ regular economy seats are “designed for ultimate comfort.” 😉

So, what are the fees to select seats in advance? Anywhere between $15 and $135 per segment, depending on the type of seat you’re going for:

I can understand that seating prices vary by route and destination, but also by season? Interesting…

Keep in mind that most passengers flying Emirates are connecting in Dubai, and are flying at least four segments roundtrip. That means assigning seats for a roundtrip ticket could cost anywhere between $60 and $540 per person. Ouch.

Elite Skywards members do receive certain seats for free, depending on their elite tier:

I find it incredibly cheap that they don’t even offer Platinum members free exit row seat assignments in advance, or Gold members free “twin” seats in advance. At a minimum you’d think they’d offer discounted access to those seats. While the Gulf carriers offer an all around superior experience, I find their loyalty programs to be weak. You’d think they’d want to encourage passengers to choose one Gulf carrier over the others, but the programs doesn’t offer much compared to what else is out there.

While Emirates is definitely increasingly monetizing economy seat assignments, I can’t for certain that these changes are negative across the board. For example, in the past Platinum members couldn’t even select exit rows in advance (they had to be requested at check-in), while now people at least have the option of paying for them in advance.

Still, given that most passengers on Emirates are flying four sectors roundtrip, in some markets you’re potentially looking at paying almost as much for seat assignments as you’d pay for a ticket in the first place.

(Tip of the hat to LoyaltyLobby)

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  1. Rob Hall Guest

    I had been allocated the back "twin" seats on an Emirates 777 when I booked last November as a "Silver" member. I am now a Blue member as I used my points to upgrade to business for return.
    They then took them off me earlier this year & left me unallocated. I was advised I'd have to pay for any new allocation. I complained (but paid!) . I then complained directly to their employee

    I had been allocated the back "twin" seats on an Emirates 777 when I booked last November as a "Silver" member. I am now a Blue member as I used my points to upgrade to business for return.
    They then took them off me earlier this year & left me unallocated. I was advised I'd have to pay for any new allocation. I complained (but paid!) . I then complained directly to their employee
    who made my original reservation. He will now refund the fee I've paid, but cannot retrieve
    the "twins" I had previously been allocated.
    Emirates are going to lose custom if they continue to play these games. Qatar is looking good!!

  2. Isaac Anchanattu Guest

    @Jeff Bassinets

  3. Jeff Member

    I'm not sure how traveling with an infant should give you an opportunity to get some seat selection free over another person...

  4. Portia Guest

    I checked with Emirates before making a booking recently. There are exceptions; mothers with infants, people with special needs and group bookings do not pay for seat selections.

  5. Ben W Member

    I wonder if those travelling with infants will now need to pay for the bassinet seats? Bit harsh if that's the case.

  6. KS Mann Guest

    Well that was the final nail in the coffin for Emirates with me. I am Gold and always book the twin seats in back of the 777. I will NOT pay for that. I can get back to the USA on Lufthansa, BA or Etihad....

  7. Varun Susarla Member

    *ARN not ARB

  8. Varun Susarla Member

    @W - You could look for cheap J or F tickets from a nearby city. Every place has its thing going - in Asia we are blessed with $1000-3000 RT fares to the US in J or F from many cities like CMB,CAI,MAA etc. In Europe and especially the UK ARB is nearby and premium tickets are cheaper from there. However we don't have any solid M&P cards here either in Europe or Asia. In...

    @W - You could look for cheap J or F tickets from a nearby city. Every place has its thing going - in Asia we are blessed with $1000-3000 RT fares to the US in J or F from many cities like CMB,CAI,MAA etc. In Europe and especially the UK ARB is nearby and premium tickets are cheaper from there. However we don't have any solid M&P cards here either in Europe or Asia. In America however the game is very different - M&P cards are much more lucrative but with a caviat - Tickets ex-US are Expensive AF.

  9. Alonzo Adams Diamond

    A twin seat for up to $110 is a steal. May book this on my flight to ATH

  10. Andy Guest

    I'd imagine if you 'love with 4 people' you wouldn't have much time for travelling...

  11. W Gold

    @Varun Susarla - I love with 4 people so it's hard to find award tickets not to mention the amount of points it requires for 4 people.

  12. Steve Guest

    In my experience I've found it frustrating not being able to lock in an exit row/bulkhead beforehand but I have also had a very good success rate getting one for free by talking to an agent at the airport.

  13. Varun Susarla Member

    @W - Learn the M&P game son. Never cram it in peasantry anymore. I guess I never fly Y because I live in MAA and we have even cheaper fares than CMB for many routes and CMB is just an hour away :P

  14. oscar Guest

    i find it incredibly unsafe(?) or at least counter-productive to "sell" exit row seats.
    The rows exist for a reason and should only be given out "on sight" at check in, to people who could actually handle the requirements in case of an emergency

  15. Andy Guest

    Why not just say 'Etihad Changes Seat Selection Fees'?

  16. W Gold

    No! My mom is handicapped and we fly emirates alot to see family. We need a seat in the front and now it's gonna cost us. I Wish I had a time machine.

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The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Rob Hall Guest

I had been allocated the back "twin" seats on an Emirates 777 when I booked last November as a "Silver" member. I am now a Blue member as I used my points to upgrade to business for return. They then took them off me earlier this year & left me unallocated. I was advised I'd have to pay for any new allocation. I complained (but paid!) . I then complained directly to their employee who made my original reservation. He will now refund the fee I've paid, but cannot retrieve the "twins" I had previously been allocated. Emirates are going to lose custom if they continue to play these games. Qatar is looking good!!

0
Isaac Anchanattu Guest

@Jeff Bassinets

0
Jeff Member

I'm not sure how traveling with an infant should give you an opportunity to get some seat selection free over another person...

0
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