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Air Canada suspends free seat selection at check-in

Air Canada suspends free seat selection at check-in
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Air Canada – Which tickets are affected?

*** Update April 26, 2024: Air Canada has announced that it is suspending its decision to charge to change seats in Economy and Standard categories for the time being. We’re keeping this article as an archive since it no longer reflects reality, and it will be updated when further changes are announced.

Effective immediately, free seat pre-selection at check-in will no longer be available for fare tickets in Basic Economy, Standard Economy and Standard Flight Reward (tickets booked with Aeroplan points).

From now on, the computer system will automatically assign a seat free of charge to customers who have not made a pre-selection.

If the automatically assigned seat doesn’t suit you, you can change it for a fee. The fee starts at $14 per seat and vary according to the flight, fare class and seat selected.

You can find all the information on this page of the Air Canada website. The following table gives an idea of the costs to expect:

Air Canada suspends free seat selection at check-in - air-canada-frais-sieges-fr

Members with Aeroplan Elite status are not affected by this new measure. In addition, seat pre-selection remains free for families travelling with a child under 14.

Air Canada – How can I get free seat pre-selection?

There are only two ways to get free seat pre-selection:

  • Choose a fare class that allows free seat selection: Economy Flex, Comfort and Latitude, Premium Economy, Business Class.
  • Aeroplan Elite 50K or 75K status: seat pre-selection is free at the time of booking for all flights and all fare classes, except Basic Economy.
Air Canada suspends free seat selection at check-in - air-canada-classe-tarifaire-sieges-fr
Air Canada suspends free seat selection at check-in - classe-tarifaire-air-canada-argent-siege-fr

If you have no status or your ticket is at the basic fare, you’ll have to pay to change seats.

National Bank World Elite Mastercard® holders can apply their $150 annual travel credit to these fees. If you don’t have one yet, take advantage of our exclusive offer to get one!

Bottom Line

This is bad news for Air Canada customers. This measure particularly affects families, groups and people travelling on separate bookings. Now, the chances of sitting side by side are slim unless you pay the extra.

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With this card, you have access to a $150 annual travel credit that you can use in any of these categories:

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With this offer for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, you can get up to 50,000 Aeroplan points as well as an Annual Fee rebate for the first year.

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This card also allows you to enjoy travel benefits, such as a free first checked bag for you and up to 8 travel companions on the same reservation, as well as a rebate on the NEXUS program application fee (up to $100 CAD per eligible cardholder) every 48 months.

With the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, you earn 1.5 points per $1 spent on:

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