Aeroflot has launched paid advance seat selection for its economy class aircraft. Prices start at 200 rubles per seat (250 rubles on Superjet 100 aircraft), reports Travel.ru.
Currently, the paid advance seat selection service appears to be available only on three routes from Moscow: Belgorod, Magnitogorsk, and Saratov. It's worth noting that seat selection at check-in remains free. Additionally, free advance seat selection remains available for passengers holding tickets in the most expensive "Optimum" and "Premium" fare groups, members of all three Aeroflot Bonus elite levels and both SkyTeam elite levels, passengers who have purchased a second seat on board (either for themselves or for carry-on baggage), and unaccompanied minors. Seat selection is always free in Premium Economy and Business Class.
Aeroflot's Economy Class seat selection rates are generally in line with the market average, but have some unique features. Standard window or aisle seats in the main cabin on short- and medium-haul aircraft cost 300 rubles, while middle seats in a three-seat block cost 250 rubles. More affordable options are available on Airbus A320, Airbus A321, and Boeing 737 aircraft: rows 3-5 at the rear of the aircraft are available for 200 rubles (any seat). However, the last and first rows in Economy Class remain locked for selection, while the second row in Economy Class costs 75 rubles more than the standard row—375 rubles for a window or aisle seat and 325 rubles for a middle seat. Seats with increased headroom (Space+) and rows in front of emergency exits are currently unavailable for selection on all these aircraft types.
Space+ seats are available for selection on the Superjet 100 (the entire first row of Economy Class, or row 6 in the general numbering system). Selecting such a seat on the Superjet costs 1,000 rubles (250 rubles for Aeroflot Bonus Gold members). The second row also costs 325-375 rubles, standard rows cost 250-300 rubles, and the last row is unavailable. There are no seats available for 200 rubles on the Superjet 100. You cannot purchase a seat using Aeroflot Bonus miles.
All these fares apply to passengers flying on the cheapest "Promo" and "Budget" fare groups and who do not have elite status. As a reminder, for the past few years, these passengers have been unable to select their seats before check-in. Now, they can do so for a fee.
Seat selection prices on longer-haul routes and wide-body aircraft are not yet known. The service will likely launch on other routes in the coming weeks.
Aeroflot announced that only Aeroflot Bonus Platinum members will be able to select Space+ seats in advance free of charge. Gold members will receive a discount of 75%, while Silver members will receive a smaller discount. Members of other SkyTeam alliance loyalty programs apparently do not receive any discounts. It is unclear whether Gold members will retain the ability to select Space+ seats free of charge during check-in.
The advance seat selection service will be available no later than 24 hours before departure (i.e., before check-in opens). Furthermore, the new service will be a convenient way to check the availability of various seats in advance—just go to your booking on the Aeroflot website and click the "Select Seats" link. The advance seat selection service is not available to passengers with unconfirmed reservations or those traveling on group tickets.
Aeroflot has promised to refund seat selection fees in all cases where a passenger is unable to use their chosen seat. This applies to both cases where Aeroflot is at fault (flight cancellation, flight change, passenger transfer for safety reasons, etc.) and cases where the passenger is at fault (ticket refund, flight change, seat cancellation, subsequent purchase of a more expensive seat, upgrade using miles).
In all these cases, the passenger receives a refund, but must reselect a seat on the new flight (if the seat is changed). Aeroflot, however, has promised to automatically reassign passengers to a similar seat on another aircraft if the flight or aircraft changes, but in this case, the passenger should check whether the new seat is suitable.
Source: travel.ru