Air France & KLM To Charge For Seat Selection

Air France and KLM are phasing in a €20 fee to select a seat prior to check-in on certain routes. Elite members of Air France, KLM and Delta Air Lines’ frequent-flyer programs, travelers buying flexible economy tickets and those with disabilities are exempt from the fee, which begins Dec. 1 for travel on Jan. 26 or later. Routes include KLM flights serving Jakarta, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Seoul; Singapore; and Buenos Aires. On Air France, the fee affects flights serving Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Brasília, Brazil; and Tokyo's Haneda Airport. It also impacts flights on both carriers that serve Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Tokyo's Narita International Airport. The carriers said the change will benefit “the airlines’ most loyal frequent-flyers that are not always able to select their preferred seats [and] families traveling with small children who are not always able to be seated together.”