China Southern adds fee for reserving seats
Print Edition
CHINA Southern Airlines has joined the ranks of the nation’s four major carriers in imposing fees on economy class passengers who want to reserve seats on international flights.
The Guangzhou-based carrier joins Air China, and Shanghai-based China Eastern and Hainan Airlines in charging fees of up to 600 yuan (US$95) for seats pre-selected up to two days before boarding.
Before, passengers could reserve seats for free, on a first-come, first-served basis. The most popular seats are the wider ones with extra leg room, such as the first row and alongside emergency exits. Seats in the first four rows are also preferred.
Chinese airlines are following a global trend of charging extra fees for services that used to be free.
China Southern said the charges are intended to generate extra revenue on international routes.
The new seat-reservation service applies to 12 international routes of 10 hours or more, departing from Guangzhou to cities that include Los Angeles, Melbourne, Amsterdam and New York.
China Eastern in January began charging passengers 500 yuan to reserve seats on 12 different overseas flights departing from Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport.
“The purpose is to give some passengers more space while flying,” a marketing official with the airline told Shanghai Daily yesterday.
Hainan Airlines was the first to start charging for seat reservations in May 2013, prompting Air China to follow suit a year later. Following complaints from the public, the Civil Aviation Administration of China told both carriers to temporarily suspend the fee schemes.
The regulator has since withdrawn its objection.
Hainan Airlines charges 500 yuan for seat selection, and Air China, the nation’s flagship carrier, charges 600 yuan.
Some people have complained that the fee is too high, but aviation analysts said airlines need to improve profits on international routes.
“The carriers are only doing what other international airlines are doing,” said Lin Zhijie, a Chinese civil aviation expert.
“They need to lift revenues,” he said.
Air France, Lufthansa, Delta Airlines and United Airlines all levy fees on pre-flight seat reservation in economy class.
According to a Reuters poll conducted last year, more than half of airline passengers said they disliked the charges.
“It’s reasonable for airlines to offer differentiated services to passengers,” said Li Xiaojin, a professor at the Civil Aviation University of China.
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