After introducing its paid seat selection service in its international services, Air China will extend the service to domestic flights by launching a “One Yuan spacious seat” promotion, offering a choice of front-row seats of economy class or near the emergency exits on the Beijing-departing flights for RMB100. Passengers taking the option will receive a RMB99 air ticket coupon in return upon arrival at their destination.
Air China coach class
Air China’s international “Seat Selection Support” offer is available for booking globally via Air China’s app, its official website, call centers and global affiliated ticketing offices.
Air China said the new seat selection is one of its specialized service products introduced to satisfy the specific demands for wider seats by some of their long-haul flight passengers. The seats offered in the service are the more spacious seats in coach class which can’t be pre-booked and must be assigned to passengers at the check-in counter before each flight.
Hainan Airlines was the first Chinese carrier to introduce paid seat selection on its full-service domestic flights when it introduced the service in April 2014. Three other major Chinese carriers followed suit soon after. Paid seat selection service has since become a controversial practice as skeptics claim it is merely a cover for airlines to raise prices, but proponents argue that the service satisfies demand for certain customers.
Although all four major Chinese carriers had a surge in profit during the first half of this year, the key attributable factor was the drop in fuel price. Carriers are still facing the issues of low airfare prompted by government crackdown on official spending. This has led carriers to focus on increasing revenues from added services, and the paid seat selection service is only the tip of the iceberg of how the carriers are going after passengers’ wallets.(Translation by David)
