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As excited as travelers are after purchasing cheap fares, whether cheap airplane tickets or cheap vacation packages, they sometimes wish that they did not have to sit next to a person whose girth and/or smell oozes over into their seat. Some airlines have started to provide affordable alternatives to having to sit next to another passenger. Buying an extra seat in advance has always been an option, but the added expense usually results in passengers deciding to take their chances regarding who might be their seatmates. Now select airlines have come up with a less costly option for passengers and are accepting empty seat requests for a fee rather than simply randomly leaving empty seats open. AirAsia X, a long haul, low fare affiliate of Malaysia AirAsia is offering what is being called an “Empty Seat Option” which, for a fee, allows travelers to request that the seat next to them remain empty. Customers are able to request an empty seat online at “Optiontown” which is a revenue management site. A nominal sign up fee of about one dollar must be paid. Empty seat prices vary by the flight time and destination, with some as low as $6. If there are empty seats on the plane, a passenger will receive a confirmation message four to 72 hours prior to the flight. When no seats are available, the empty seat price, but not the sign-up fee, is refunded within a couple of days after departure. This is a win win for both the airline and passengers. The airline earns revenue for empty seats that otherwise would generate no income. For a modest price customers are able to request and secure empty seats next to their seats. Currently a couple of other carriers offer similar services. Air New Zealand has come out with a “Twin Seat option” that provides passengers the opportunity to purchase the seat next to them at check in for much less than was paid for their original seats. Spain’s Vueling Airline also offers a second seat option.
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