Added dynamism thanks to artificial intelligence: the airline SunExpress, a joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, takes the sale of ancillary services to a new level. While seat reservation prices were previously static and the same for all flights, they are now constantly adapted to the individual demand for each flight. To do this, SunExpress uses automated algorithms based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), which constantly monitor and evaluate factors relevant to demand and, if necessary, initiate price changes. The data is also analyzed and taken into account for further optimization of the models. These factors may be, for example, the current flight occupancy rate and seat categories, incoming reservations or flight duration. Of course, personal data is not used in the calculations in accordance with legal requirements.
SunExpress now offers its guests a wider choice of five price categories on each flight instead of the previous two when reserving seats. Until now, when booking a preferred seat in advance, there was only one fixed price for all so-called XLEG seats with much more legroom and for all other regular seats. In the future, customers will be able to choose between two price zones for XLEG deals and three price zones for regular seats. Thanks to highly developed and demand-driven pricing algorithms, passengers will in many cases benefit from significantly lower fares. At the same time, SunExpress limits the maximum seat reservation prices so that a certain rate is not exceeded.
SunExpress Seat selection
“By making our pricing for seat reservations more dynamic, we make the fee structure much more flexible,” says Roland Hans, SunExpress Revenue Manager. “Our guests will have more options and save a lot of money; At the same time, we are taking a big step forward in the use of future-oriented technologies in the sale of so-called accessories. This once again underlines our position as an innovative airline.”
Booking a plane ticket is much more complicated than before. Should I choose Basic Economy or Main Cabin? Do you want the “package” or do you prefer to pay “à la carte”? And how much are you willing to pay for a seat?
Seat choice is an especially thorny issue for those traveling with children. Now that airlines charge to select “preferred” seats, such as those near the front, aisle or window, families can pay hundreds of dollars simply for the privilege of sitting together on a round-trip flight.
Is paying more for seats inevitable for families? Or can these pesky fees be minimized or avoided together? And why do they exist in the first place?
Seat selection fees have become more common for a reason: they generate a lot of revenue for airlines. Low-cost carriers Spirit and Frontier earned about half of their revenue from “ancillary fees” in 2020, according to a report by IdeaWorks Company, an industry research firm.
Ancillary fees also tend to mislead consumers. In a 2020 study in the journal Marketing Science, participants who saw ancillary fees “drop” during the checkout process ended up paying more overall than those who saw the full costs up front. So a $20 fee to select a seat may not sound like much, but it can add up quickly and turn a seemingly cheap airfare into an expensive one.
The US Department of Transportation has issued an advisory to improve transparency on some airline ancillary fees, such as carry-on fees. But so far, the seat selection fees are being approved, which means they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
Are airlines required to seat families together? No. That being said, the DOT advisory specifically calls for more transparency for parents trying to select a seat for their young children.
Until the rules change, however, parents face a tough choice: spend the money to ensure the family sits together, or skip seat selection and risk being separated. For example, Spirit says gate agents and flight attendants will try to seat parents with children under 14, but it can’t guarantee that.
To select a seat without overpaying, try to:
*Choose seats in the back half of the plane. They usually have fewer or no fares to select and are the last to be selected by other passengers.
* Choose an airline with lower seat selection fees (see below).
* Avoid basic cheap rates. These often carry restrictions on seat selection and make family travel especially difficult.
Remember that children under the age of two can fly for free and don’t need a seat (although some parents prefer to buy a seat anyway).
Seat selection is always optional, whether you’re flying solo or with a family of 10. It can seem stressful to head to the airport without a confirmed seat assignment, but many families do it as a way to save money.
While airlines want it to look like families have to select seats in order to sit together, it’s rarely that black and white. Most gate agents will work with families, even those without assigned seats, to get everyone to sit together, when possible. It might mean leaving family further back on the plane, but young children won’t be left alone with strangers (for everyone’s sake).
In other words, you can skip seat selection entirely and (usually) stay seated with your companions.
Skipping this step may not be as easy as it seems. Many airlines now include seat selection as part of the checkout process and make it seem like selecting (and paying for) a seat is a required step. Frontier Airlines even displays a warning if you try to skip the selection, explaining why it’s so cool (and hiding the “no thanks” option in the corner).
To make flying as enjoyable as possible for you, we now offer you the option to book the middle seat next to your seat from €39.99 for international flights and from €199.99 for domestic flights within Türkiye (Turkey). With this option you will benefit from the extra space between you and other passengers and have a more comfortable and worry-free flight experience.
Effective immediately, when you book a flight through our Customer Service Center, you will be able to add the middle seat to your reservation immediately up to 3 days before departure. Call us on 069 9023 40001 or click here to find our Customer Service Center phone numbers when calling from other countries.
If you have already booked a flight, you can still add the middle seat to your reservation up to 3 days before departure by calling our Customer Service Center. Please have your 6-digit reservation number ready so we can assign the correct seat to your reservation.
More space where it counts: Leisure airline SunExpress, a joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, now offers a vacant middle seat option to passengers for a small additional fee. Offer applies to all connections on the SunExpress route network. The free middle seat option starts from TL 59.99 on domestic routes and EUR 39.99 on international routes.
“In times of the coronavirus pandemic, space is a major concern for many of our customers,” says Peter Glade, CCO of SunExpress. “In recent weeks, our guests have frequently expressed a desire to be guaranteed an empty center seat. That is why we are very happy to be able to offer customers this additional service in the future.”
Customers may reserve the middle seat directly with their reservation through the SunExpress Customer Service Center up to three days prior to departure.
With SunExpress, you can book one-way or round-trip flights to your favorite destinations online whenever you want. Once you’ve entered your departure date, departure point, and your return travel dates, you’ll see a full list of available connections. If connections are available via multiple airports, you can also check SunExpress’ summer and winter schedule for a complete overview of what kind of services are available. If you’re looking to save even more money on your travel budget, keep an eye out for available discounts and favorable rates for frequent travelers. Perfect if you’re going on holiday, our last-minute deals can free up your kitty so you can spend your savings on enjoying yourself abroad.
When you book flights with SunExpress, you have a choice of SunEco, SunClassic and SunPremium packages. SunEco flights are the way to go if you’re looking for the biggest discounts and travel deals without the add-ons and frills of other services. SunClassic and SunPremium are the preferred options for those looking for a little more when traveling. SunClassic customers can expect a snack and snack on board, while SunPremium passengers can dine on a full menu when they fly. SunEco passengers can travel with up to 20kg of luggage, while SunClassic and SunPremium passengers can be a bit more generous with up to 30kg of luggage included in their ticket. Regardless of the type of ticket you have booked, you can also add extras to your reservation, such as meals on board or extra baggage requests for more bags or sports equipment.
Discount airlines like Spirit and Frontier may have pioneered the à la carte airfare model, but traditional airlines have jumped on it to compete. Not all airlines charge the same amount, nor do they charge anything for seat selection.
NerdWallet conducted an analysis of seat selection fees comparing various routes of major US airlines. This revealed that some charge much more for seat selection than others.
Southwest Airlines is not included here because it is an outlier: it does not charge or allow seat selection at all.
So which airlines don’t charge for seat selection? Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines are the only airlines that allow passengers to select a seat for free, even though it may be near the back of the plane.
American, Delta, Frontier and Spirit charged over $10 each way for seat selection, even for lousy seats. Passengers should avoid these airlines (or the seat selection process altogether) if they want to avoid such high fees.
Another airline invention of the last decade: charging more for “main cabin preferred” (or similar) seats that offer little more than a few inches of extra legroom. These seats often look like regular economy seats on the seat selection screen, but can carry hefty fees.
For example, an exit row seat on a nonstop Delta flight from Atlanta to Seattle costs $130 each way, or $260 more in total, for a $358 flight. This 73% profit margin might make sense for particularly long-legged passengers, but for most travelers, these “upgrades” aren’t worth it.
To make it even more confusing, many airlines now have “premium economy” or “main cabin comfort” seats that offer perks like free drinks and priority boarding. The benefit of these seats varies considerably depending on the airline. Some offer wider, more comfortable seats, while others offer standard seating but include a free alcoholic beverage and snack plate.
For kids with short legs and little need for a cocktail, the markup from these upgraded seats is often wasted.
Airlines want to charge you for selecting a seat because it costs them nothing. This incentive has led many airlines to push harder and harder, making “seat selection fees” seem like an unavoidable additional charge for most fares.
For families, this decision is particularly difficult. Who wants to be separated from their preschooler on a six-hour flight? However, it is rarely that simple. Many families skip seat selection fees and end up sitting together, no problem.
For some people, the peace of mind that comes with knowing where the whole family will sit is well worth it. For others, avoiding the fare and relying on gate agents (and fellow passengers) to get around works well.