If you book an Emirates flight after October 3, you will be charged for seat selection

Post October 3, Dubai-based airline Emirates will levy a charge for pre-booking seats.

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Picture courtesy: Flickr/Roderich Eime/Creative Commons
Picture courtesy: Flickr/Roderich Eime/Creative Commons

A few things are always better off when they are free.

One such thing is the option of selecting seats while doing the web check-in of your flight. But unfortunately, premium international airlines Emirates is going to charge a fee for this service.

So, in case you are planning to book a flight to Dubai after October 3, Emirates will levy a charge for pre-booking the seats. According to a report by The Times of India, the airline will charge an amount of USD 40 (Rs 2,680) for per economy seat.

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This will affect international travellers from India a lot as Emirates is reportedly the biggest airline in India in terms of passenger carriage. According to the TOI report, 53.7 lakh people used the airline to fly in an out of India last year and was the third largest carrier during that period. Jet Airways was at the top among international airlines as it carried as many as 70.7 lakh travellers, followed by Air India which carried 56.5 lakh passengers.

Also read: Travel hacks: 7 ways to survive a long-haul flight

Commenting on the charges that will be levied, an Emirates spokesperson told TOI, "The charge will be levied on tickets issued on or after October 3 and will be applicable only on special and saver fares in economy class.This charge will not be applicable once online check-in opens. At this stage, seat selection will be free."

This move by Emirates will make it easier for some of the Indian carriers who have been already levying seat selection charges for a while. For its non-stop flight to New York, for instance, Air India charges Rs 3,500 for seat selection. Jet Airways, on the other hand, charges up to Rs 3,500 for its long-haul flights. Besides, some of the low-cost airlines in the country including IndiGo and Spicejet also charge selection charges on some of the best seats.