Travel Tip: Seat Reservation Fees

Just when you thought the airlines couldn’t come up with another fee, think again.

Welcome to the brave new world of seat reservations fees. Some airlines are now charging you not by the size of your coach seat or the legroom or the width but based on how close your economy seat is to the front of the plane.

Want a window or aisle seat closer to the front? Cha-ching!

But what does that really get you? Not much. First, it means you’ll certainly be able to smell the cookies served in first class, but you still can’t have one.

Does it mean you’ll get to board first? Not exactly. The airline will still board based on group numbers. You won’t necessarily get ahead in the race to find space for your bag in the overhead compartment.

And to think, the airlines are calling these “preferred seats.” Well, here’s my preference. Don’t spend the $50 per flight leg or at least $100 for round trip for these seats. It’s just another attempt by the airlines to generate revenue and maximize the real estate value in their planes, but it has very little value to you.

By Peter Greenberg for PeterGreenberg.com