Indian consumers are increasingly frustrated with airline practices related to seat selection, according to a new survey by LocalCircles, a consumer advocacy group. The survey reveals the widespread use of “dark patterns” by airlines and online travel portals, manipulating customers into paying extra fees for seat selection during flight bookings.

 A significant portion of respondents (44%) reported airlines charging extra fees for every seat on the plane. This forces travellers to pay for preferred seats, even when booking well in advance.

There has been a marginal improvement in the last 12 months in the ability of consumers to get a free seat when booking their flight as it has dipped from 51% of respondents who had to pay extra fee for allotment in 2023. However, the percentage of those who had to pay extra in 2022 was 35%, lower than in 2024. 

Only 54% of respondents said they received a few free seat options during booking. This leaves many scrambling for free seats or forced to pay extra.

Frequent Extra Fees: A concerning 65% of respondents admitted to paying extra for seat selection at least once in the past year. Nearly a third (28%) reported always paying extra fees for preferred seats.

The percentage of consumers who booked flights in the last 12 months and paid to reserve a seat has risen from 47% in 2023 to 65% in 2024, just marginally lower than 66% in 2022. The survey also brings to fore that maximum percentage of fliers or 66% of consumers surveyed say they found it impossible to get seats together (when travelling with family/ others) without a seat fee on Indigo, 21% of respondents indicated difficulty with Spicejet; 19% indicated Air India; 16% indicated Vistara; and 10% indicated Akasa.

“The need of the hour here is for airlines like Indigo to rationalize their paid seats percentage and make it something that is more acceptable to the consumers, especially not force families to pay such charges for sitting together. In addition, all airlines and travel websites when displaying fares must disclose the kind of extra charges the consumer is likely to experience during the fare booking process. If the airlines fail to do this, the Ministry of Civil Aviation must issue guidelines that limit percentage of paid seats on a flight,” noted LocalCircles.

 It is also expected here that the CCPA or the Ministry of Consumer Affairs will ensure that unfair trade practices and dark patterns are not being followed by airlines and travel websites. Per consumers, dark patterns are currently common on most airline and travel portals.

The survey highlights growing consumer dissatisfaction with airline practices:

Unfair Trade Practices: Consumers perceive airlines’ tactics as manipulative and misleading, particularly regarding the concept of “free” web check-in when seat selection often incurs additional charges.

Hidden Costs: Lack of transparency regarding extra charges during the booking process is a major concern.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has been urged to set guidelines limiting the percentage of paid seats airlines can offer on each flight. The organization plans to share these findings with relevant stakeholders, urging them to address consumer concerns and promote fairer practices in the airline industry.

The latest survey received over 41,000 responses from consumers located in 339 districts of India. 62% respondents were men while 38% respondents were women. 43% respondents were from tier 1 locations, 26% were from tier 2 locations while 31% were from tier 3, 4 and rural districts.

First Published: Mar 29 2024 | 8:53 AM IST