Ten years ago this week, Ryanair announced they were introducing seat selection in February 2014. Since then sales of their premium boarding option has driven ancillary revenue.
The average Ryanair passenger now pays €22.81 in extra charges, up from €17.14 pre pandemic.
The average fare is €41.12, up from €27.33 in 2022 and €37.03 pre pandemic.
Airlines are increasingly charging passengers for seat selection to generate additional revenue.
Southwest Airlines, which served as a model for Ryanair, is one of the few remaining airlines in the world that does not allow seat selection at all.
There are a few situations where passengers can still select seats for free. Passengers traveling in premium classes, those with specific needs, or elite members of frequent flyer programs often have complimentary seat selection. JetBlue and Alaska Airlines prioritise family seating and may allow seat selection for free, but only in such cases if there is availability. Emirates no longer enables free seat selection on some business class fares and Lufthansa is also looking at charging for seat selection in its premium cabins.
Airlines are working on providing greater transparency and more affordable bundles to customize the travel experience, often under regulatory pressure.The trend of charging for seat selection is likely to continue. This journey has only one destination
