EasyJet is to allocate seats for passengers on all its aircraft from November in a move that puts pressure on rivals to follow suit.
The budget airline said passengers would no longer have to scramble at the departure gate after a successful test scheme but they will still have to pay for the privilege of the best seats.
The airline tested seat allocation on five per cent of its flights over the summer and has declared the result an outstanding success. It said that 70 per cent of passengers on those flights said they preferred allocated seats and 60 per cent said they were more likely to use easyJet in the future if it brought in allocation across the network.
Carolyn McCall, chief executive of easyJet, said: “This is an example of easyJet trying to do all it can to make travel easy and affordable for our passengers.”
From November, easyJet passengers will have four choices. They can pay £12 for seats with extra leg room in the front row and by the emergency exits. Rows 2 to 5 or 2 to 6 depending on the type of aircraft will cost £8. Selecting a seat anywhere else will cost £3.
People who do not want to pay any extra will be allocated seats when they check in.
“The majority of people will not have to pay for their seat,” said an easyJet spokesman.
The airline said it will make at least as much money from the new scheme as it makes from Speedy Boarding which costs passengers £10.50 and added that allocated seating had not made aircraft turnaround times any longer.
