Indian Airlines Object to Free Seat Selection Policy

Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet have objected to a government directive asking them to make seat selection free for 60% of the capacity. The Federation of Indian Airlines, which represents the carriers, has asked the Indian civil aviation ministry to withdraw the order, news agency PTI reported.

Airlines have said that if they comply with the order, which requires them to make 60% of seat selections available to customers for free (instead of the standard 20% that’s currently in place), they will lose revenue and be forced to raise airfares to cover these losses.

The FIA wrote that “the financial impact of the directive on airlines will be significant…as a result, all passengers, including those who may not wish to preselect seats, will end up paying higher fares.”

The new directives aim to make flying cheaper and more convenient for a large number of first-time flyers, however airlines are already struggling to make a profit.

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