Approximately 48 hours before departure, passengers on unfilled flights will receive an email offer to purchase an additional seat from the airline.
Australian airline Qantas has offered passengers to pay extra for an empty seat next to them, thus guaranteeing that they will not have a neighbor. This option is currently available on some domestic flights as a test. Economy class passengers can buy an adjacent seat for between 30 and 65 Australian dollars. The experiment is being conducted on six domestic routes and will last six weeks.
So, if the flight is not full, travelers will be sent an email invitation to buy “add. place” about 48 hours before departure. True, and this is not a 100% guarantee that there will be no neighbors on the flight. If the plane is full at the last moment, the passenger will get the money back.
The duration of the routers participating in the program is from one and a half to four hours. You can currently purchase an extra seat on Gold Coast – Sydney, Adelaide – Sydney, Darwin – Melbourne, Darwin – Sydney, Perth – Brisbane, and Adelaide – Brisbane.
If the experiment is considered successful, the airline will consider the possibility of its larger implementation on other domestic flights this year. There is no mention of international routes yet.
Qantas joins several other airlines in offering economy class customers the option to purchase an extra seat. Etihad, for example, allows passengers to claim up to three available adjacent seats starting 72 hours before the flight’s departure. Last year, Emirates also offered the option to buy an empty seat starting at $55.
Air New Zealand offers a variety of seat options for economy class travelers, including the ability to upgrade to a Skycouch – after takeoff, the airline turns several economy class seats into sofas. In 2024, the airline also plans to introduce the Economy Skynest, a sleeping compartment with six full-size beds that passengers can book by the hour.