Have you recently tried to check in online for an Air Canada flight, only to be shocked by an unexpected fee just to choose your seat?
Air Canada has recently updated its policy, meaning that selecting a seat—even during the 24-hour online check-in window—now incurs an extra charge for certain fare types.
🇯🇵 この記事を日本語で読む: エアカナダの座席指定が有料化？オンラインチェックイン時の注意点
Seat Selection Fees at Online Check-In
If you’re under the impression that logging on exactly 24 hours before your flight guarantees a free choice of the best remaining seats, we have some unfortunate news. That era has officially come to an end for Air Canada passengers. Introduced in January 2025, this policy change represents a de facto price hike for budget-conscious travellers, disguised as a system update.
Following a trend seen across many airlines, Air Canada implemented a strict policy update. Here is how the current system works when you open your online check-in:
- Automated Seat Assignment (Free): The system will automatically allocate a seat to you at no extra cost.
- Changing Your Seat (Paid): If you are unhappy with the seat you’ve been given and wish to switch to any other available option, you will be required to pay a seat selection fee.
This means if you open the seat map to move out of that dreaded middle seat, even a standard window or aisle seat will now incur an additional charge.
If keeping your party together or securing a specific seat is non-negotiable for your long-haul journey, the most reliable and cost-effective strategy is to lock in your preferred seats at the time of booking, rather than waiting for check-in. Attempting to negotiate for a free change at the airport counter is highly unlikely to work, as these rules are now hardcoded into the system. Ultimately, your options are to accept the seat assigned by the algorithm or pay the fee for a bit of extra comfort.
A Quick Twist to the Story: What Happened Next…
As a side note, while these screenshots were taken during the online check-in for Air Canada flight AC864, we never actually boarded that plane!
When we arrived at the departure gate in Montreal, the airline announced they were looking for volunteers to switch flights due to an overbooking situation. We decided to take up the offer, which saw our travel plans completely reshuffled, ending up on a British Airways flight (BA94) to London the following day.
It turned out to be a fascinating experience with some very generous compensation. If you are curious about how international overbooking works, what the airline offers volunteers, and whether it’s worth doing, check out our full story below!
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