The Jiangsu Province Consumer Council has released a special investigation report on the long-criticized issue of seat locking in China’s air ticket sales.
As part of the probe, the Council summoned 10 Chinese airlines, including China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Air China.
The findings show that all 10 airlines lock seats in economy class, and none make all economy seats fully available for selection. Several key points stand out:
* All 10 airlines engaged in economy-class seat locking, with the proportion of locked seats at booking stage ranging from 19.9% to 62.1%, averaging 38.7%.
* More desirable seats—such as front-row, window, and aisle seats—were frequently locked, leaving only less favorable seats (middle seats or rear-cabin seats) available for free selection.
* “Unlocking” these seats amounts to disguised charges: passengers must pay extra or redeem points/miles to access them. Some airlines even introduced new paid options, allowing points or miles to be used to purchase seats—effectively turning the basic right to seat selection into a paid service and increasing travel costs.
In short: most desirable seats in economy class are locked; unlocking them requires payments or points, and the rules and pricing are often unclear.
In response, the Jiangsu Consumer Council has ordered all airlines involved to submit written rectification reports within 15 working days.
