Now, pay to choose a middle seat in flights

NEW DELHI: Shell out a little more even if you want a middle seat in flights with airlines charging extra for preferred seats as they look to increase their ancillary revenues amid stiff competition.

With rules permitting unbundling of various services offered by domestic carriers, choosing a particular seat, especially the window ones and those with more leg space, comes at extra cost.

Charging extra for choice of seats in flights, including the middle ones, is a commonly accepted international practice and is not something new. It also helps in adding to the ancillary revenues, aviation industry officials said.

Passengers prefer window and aisle seats as well as those having extra leg room, they added. A Jet spokesperson said allowing to pre-reserve seats for a fee is a commonly accepted practice by almost all major airlines in the world."It is also followed by domestic carriers in India and forms a part of a carrier's ancillary revenues."