Why are ‘free’ seats on flights in India so hard to find?

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has reportedly pulled up airlines and online travel aggregators for alleged “unfair” trade practices, including labelling every seat as ‘paid’ despite their “misleading claim” of “free mandatory web check-in”. As per a report in Times of India (TOI), the ministry has also highlighted other issues like not allowing customers to board even with confirmed tickets and delays in providing refunds. Let’s take a closer look at the story. Centre warns airlines According to TOI sources, consumer affairs secretary Rohit Kumar Singh underlined that airlines were undermining consumer autonomy and influencing decision making, a tactic known as “dark pattern”. The ministry said such “deceptive and manipulative conduct by using dark patterns in online interfaces unfairly” takes advantage of consumers’ interests and falls under the category of “unfair trade practice” under the Consumer Protection Act. The department has called for a meeting of CEOs of all domestic airlines and online travel portals in the next two weeks to weigh up issues and address consumers’ concerns, the newspaper reported. Hardly any free seats A survey by LocalCircles released last month found that 47 per cent of the 34,000 respondents located in 308 districts across India said they had to pay for a seat of their choice in the last year. About 51 per cent of respondents said they did not get any free seat and were charged an additional fee for the allotment of each seat on the airplane. This figure stood at 35 per cent in 2022. [caption id=“attachment_13300292” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Consumer complaints about airlines have increased. Reuters (Representational Image)[/caption] According to Business Insider, consumers have been flagging this concern on X for a while that they did not have the option to book a seat without paying the extra fees. Around 48 per cent of flyers believe the government should cap the number of seats on planes that airlines can charge extra for to 20 per cent, as per the LocalCircles survey. The findings also revealed that a group of travellers, particularly families, were the most affected as they had to pay the seat allocation fee or they would not be seated together on the flight, inconveniencing families with young kids. ALSO READ: Buckle Up: Can air turbulence cause deaths? Consumers complaint Airlines begin web check-in two days before the flight. As TOI pointed out, whenever a passenger checks in online these days, nearly all seats show as paid, with only some airlines allotting free seats at the rear end of the plane. According to the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) data, nearly 10,000 complaints were registered concerning airlines, of which around 41 per cent were about denial of refund following cancellation of tickets, reported the English daily. About 15 per cent of grievances were regarding lack of services by airlines, followed by denial of boarding to passengers despite having valid tickets (5 per cent). What do the rules say? Airlines in India let passengers choose their seats ahead of the flight for a fee. This payment ranges from anywhere between Rs 150 to Rs 1,000 depending on the seat’s location, with fares higher for window or aisle seats. Those who do not want to pay extra to book a seat can select a middle-row seat at the back of the aircraft. In case passengers do not select any seat, they will be assigned one during check-in at the airport, reported The Hindu. As per Mint, low-cost carriers earn an estimated amount of Rs 60,000-70,000 per flight through seat allocation fees, given the charge for window and aisle seats is Rs 150-400. ALSO READ: ‘Ghost flights’: Why is Qatar Airways flying almost-empty planes in Australia? In 2013, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) allowed airlines to charge consumers for extra services, such as preferential seats, additional check-in baggage, in-flight meals, carrying sports equipment or musical instruments, access to airport lounges and so on. [caption id=“attachment_13300412” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] DGCA rules allow airlines to charge passengers for a number of services. Reuters (Representational Image)[/caption] The regulator had also capped the number of seats an airline can seek fees for under preferential seating to 25 per cent of the total capacity on domestic flights. However, the DGCA struck down this norm in 2015. Since then, airlines have been levying extra fee on flyers for a number of services. Last March, a Parliamentary panel said in its report that airlines charging different fares from passengers for seat allocation is “arbitrary and unjustifiable”, asking the government to monitor fare pricing. “The Committee is also of the opinion that fixing of different fares for selection of seats in the same flight is arbitrary and unjustifiable. Hence, Committee on the principle of equity feels that all the seats in a same flight should have same fare,” a Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture report had said, as per The Hindu. Many airlines defended charging different amounts for seat selection before a Parliamentary committee this August, with IndiGo saying the variations in prices “ensure competitiveness and offer passengers choices tailored to their preferences”, reported Business Standard. As per the Mint’s report in November 2022, the Centre did not intend to intervene in the pricing mechanism of airlines despite a hike in consumer complaints. “Like any deregulated market, the government does not intervene in the pricing mechanism for services. The airline market is highly competitive and price-elastic. Consumers are free to choose from a variety of airlines. Prices are transparently declared in advance," a senior aviation ministry official told the newspaper at the time. With inputs from agencies