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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, May 1, 2005

For some fliers, it's all about the seat

By Barbara De Lollis
USA Today

Economy-class fliers seem to be getting pickier about seat assignments as airplanes fill to record levels and the Web opens new choices.

The average airliner in the United States last month took off with a near-record 81 percent of seats filled, which meant heated competition for prized seats. Planes are expected to fly even fuller this summer.

With planes running nearly full, "there's a much greater likelihood of ending up in a bad seat," says Simon Bramley of Travelocity, the No. 2 online travel agency.

What constitutes a good airline seat is a matter of preference, but clear favorites exist. Aisle seats let fliers get up without disturbing seatmates. Some fliers covet seats in exit rows and behind partitions for their extra legroom. Seats in the first rows of coach make exiting the plane easier.

Ten years ago, a travel agent was likely to settle the matter of seat selection with the question, "Window or aisle?" Today, about three of 10 fliers buy tickets on the Internet, and Web sites offer an assortment of seats for the traveler to select as a ticket is being purchased.

But don't assume that the Web site is showing every unsold seat. Carriers save preferred seats for their best customers. They also hold back seats to give gate agents flexibility.

For frequent travelers, getting the right seat can be an obsession.

"It's all about taking away the surprise," says Susan Daimler of SeatGuru.com, a Web site that shows detailed seating diagrams. The site is visited by 20,000 people daily, twice as many as last year, Daimler says.

Location of a seat has always been important to Steve Silverman, a frequent flier from Westfield, N.J. He has been known to keep notes detailing his favorite seats and those to avoid. Now, getting the right seat is an even bigger deal.

"As airlines continue to cut out flights, meals, amenities, my only savior for a more enjoyable flight is the perfect seat," Silverman says.

Seat choice has become such a hot-button issue that Travelocity in December began offering a chart of available seats at the beginning of the booking process. Others, such as No. 1 Expedia, require shoppers to purchase a ticket first. That could mean a family of four might buy tickets on a flight and not find seats together.

Generally, the longer the flight, the more interested people are in seat choice, says New York-area travel agent Richard Copland. Some might even pay a higher fare if it means the ability to select their favorite seat.

Copland expects a day when the big carriers offer reservations for the most popular seats for a fee.

"People will pay for it," he says. "I'm 6-feet-5 and I would pay for an exit row."