How Does Alaska Airlines Seat Selection Work?

Make your travel more comfortable by choosing your favorite seat. In the case of Alaska Airlines, a passenger has an option of paying a small fee and selects his/her seat on the flight. This comes in most handy in case one is travelling with friends, family, or an underage person. Reserve your seat beforehand in order to sit with your loved ones. The requests regarding seat selection may be carried out through the official site or during check-in. All you need is in this article in order to arrive at the most appropriate seat that will make your trip enjoyable and comfortable.

What is Alaska Airlines Seat Selection Policy?

Grab the most comfortable seat and travel with Alaska Airlines. However, the Alaska Airlines seat selection policy allows passengers to pick a seat for themselves, but there are charges involved. To understand the seat selection policy, review the points below:

Saver fare passengers are not allowed to select a seat unless they pay the additional charges, even if they are an elite member.
Passengers who have a booking in the main cabin can select a seat for free while booking or later through the “Manage My Booking” option.
Elite Mileage Plan members have access to free seats, or they can even upgrade without being liable to pay extra charges (Upgrade is subject to availability of the seat).
The passengers will have to pay the additional charges for premium and first-class seats, but these charges can be avoided; they are a part of the elite membership program of Alaska Airlines.
According to the Alaska Airlines seat selection policy, the passengers must be 15 years or older and medically fit, if they want to choose emergency seats.
Seat selection must be made before completing the check-in.

How does Alaska Airlines Seating Work?

Alaska Airlines seating is based on the fare and elite status:

Saver Fare: The seats are allocated at the time of check-in, and you will never be able to book in advance unless you upgrade them at a higher cost.
Main Cabin: Passengers are able to select their seats either during reservation or through the Manage Reservations. You are able to choose ordinary seats free of charge.
Premium Class and First Class: These are larger and are more luxurious; they can be chosen with an additional fee unless you have an elite status.
Elite Members (Mileage Plan or Oneworld): Get free preferred seating, exit rows, and may receive a free upgrade to Premium or First Class where applicable.
Seat Map: The airline offers a layout understanding of the Alaska Airlines seating chart and map as part of booking or after booking so as to choose the seat.
Seat Selection During Check-in: One can choose the seat at the time of booking, on the internet or the app, or even during check-in.
Seat upgrade prices differ by the aircraft type: Premium begins at around $15, First Class at $39; Main Cabin are usually free of charge unless the Saver fare policy is involved.

In case you wish to have a free choice of seat and no additional payment, you should prefer Main Cabin fare or more expensive fares instead of Saver fare, and elite status allows gaining access to premium seats and upgrades.

How to Choose Seats on Alaska Airlines?

Travelers have complete control over the Alaska Airlines seating and can choose their preferred seat. The seat selection request must be made before completing the check-in. However, you can uncheck your ticket and then also select a seat. Seat can be selected while booking, or later through the ‘Manage My Booking’ option or during the check-in process.

During the Booking:

Visit the official website of Alaska Airlines.
Proceed with the booking process and access the Alaska Airlines seat map.
Blue color seats are vacant, select one and proceed to pay the charges.
Get the details of booking and seat number via email.

After the Booking:

Go to the official website of Alaska Airlines.
Locate the “My Trips” option.
Enter the booking reference code and last name to access your booking.
Choose the Alaska Airlines seating option and move to the seat map.
Vacant seats are colored in blue. Select a seat and proceed to the payment option.
Enter the details and complete the payment to confirm your seat.

During the Check-in:

Go to the Alaska Airlines website.
Navigate the ‘Check-in’ option.
Enter the departure city and confirmation code/e-ticket number, and proceed with the check-in process.
Reach the seat selection option and get the seat chart.
Choose a seat in blue and learn the charges.
Complete the payment and get the seat number on the boarding pass.

How Much Does Alaska Airlines Charge for Seat Selection?

The Alaska Airlines seat selection fee is calculated depending on the fare depending on the seat type. Seats in Main Cabin are free to select, where upgrades to Premium or Exit Row seats and Saver fare selection are priced. The following is a table of average charges for seat selection:

Fare/Class	Standard/Main Cabin Seat	Premium Class Seat	Exit Row Seat	First Class Upgrade	Saver Fare Seat Selection
Main Cabin	Free	$15–$39+	$35–$45	$39–$65+	Not applicable
Premium Class	N/A	Included	N/A	$39–$65+	Not applicable
First Class	Included	Included	Included	Included	Not applicable
Saver Fare (Basic)	Assigned at check-in	$15–$39+	$35–$45	$39–$65+	$15–$120+

Saver fare does not include free Alaska Airlines seat selection online, and charges are given for special seat selection.

The prices of Premium and First Class differ route to route and demand to demand; upgrades normally begin at the ranges indicated.
Based on status, Alaska Mileage Plan elite members can get preferred or Premium seats at no charge.
Children younger than 13 years will be free to share their seats with adults (For more details, go through Alaska Airlines UMNR Policy).

Charges may vary with the route and time of booking, hence average or initial charges are displayed in the table. All the information and current rates are on the site of Alaska.

How to Avoid Alaska Airlines Seat Selection Fees?

In order to evade Alaska Airlines seat selection charges, the best tricks are to book Main Cabin or above, reserve seats early, use family seating policies and utilize elite status benefits where possible. Saver fares nearly invariably limit free seat selection; nevertheless, these guidelines can reduce or eliminate seat choice fees:

Take advantage of family seating benefits: Alaska Airlines will seat children aged between 13 and under with a companion adult free of charge (when available at booking), even in Saver fares.
Earn Mileage Plan elite status: Alaska Mileage Plan elite members receive free preferred and exit row seats and occasionally premium seats on most fares.
Book a Main Cabin (or above) fare: Free seat reservation with these fares, therefore, do not book Saver fares which restrict free Alaska Airlines seat selection but charge for early seat selection.
Immediately choose the seats: Seats can be selected during purchase or shortly afterward and the largest possible amount of free seats will be offered; changes made after the booking date will be subject to additional charges.
Skip seat choice: When they are charging you a fee, do not pre-select, but allow Alaska to choose your seat at check-in, which is always free of charge, but will give you a worse seat than otherwise.
Check 24 hours before: In some cases, additional seats (including preferred) will be released after online check-in, offering you an opportunity to have free or low-fee seat assignments.

Through these tips, the majority of Alaska Airlines passengers would be able to secure a seat without incurring the extra cost and even land a superior one compared to when fees are paid in advance.

Tips for getting the best seats on Alaska Airlines

To achieve the best seats in Alaska Airlines, the most effective solution is to make the reservations early, get used to the aircraft set up and Alaska Airlines seat selection policy, utilize elite, and be keen on the sitting arrangement until the time of departure. By following the following tips, one can reasonably guarantee receiving a more comfortable or better seat:

Reserve in advance: Early reservation implies more choice of seats, in particular, window, aisle, or front row.
Do not use Saver fares: Saver tickets do not permit seat selection, but Main Cabin and higher tickets permit one to select a seat during booking or subsequently.
Frequently check the seat map: Changes, cancellations, or upgrades of other passengers can free better seats. Keep checking the map frequently, usually until check-in.
Select your seat: When booking or Alaska Airlines seat selection online through My Trips, select your seat position using the live seat map: Blue or unshaded seats are occupied.
Use Alaska Airlines elite membership: Mileage Plan elite members have the opportunity to book preferred seats, exit row seats or Premium Class seats at no charge when available, or receive free upgrades.
Check in 24 hours before departure: Check-in at the last minute is known to open up seats that have been released last-minute, such as exit or extra-legroom.

Conclusion

Finally, Alaska Airlines has flexible seating, which is offered in fares and elite statuses. Although the Main Cabin seats can be chosen at no charge, there are extra charges on the upgrades to Premium, exit rows and First Class. The passengers need to know the type of fare they use because Saver fare holders are not able to choose their seats. Travelers will be in a position to improve their experience by knowing the policies and choosing a comfortable seat.

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