t for two and then went to select seats on the airlines site. Based on thedestination and time of year, I was surprised to find only two adjacent seats were available without paying apremium (额外费用). But I was even more surprised a few weeks later, when we boarded the aircraft and a flightattendant announced that only 30% of seats were occupied, so we should all feel free to stretch out. So how could a flight that looked nearly full a month earlier wind up with seven out of ten seats empty？ Thats a question only the airlines can answer, and theyre not eager to provide many details. Are some carriers intentionally holding back seat assignments, in the hope well all pay for "premium" seats？ Its a fair question, and the evidence is intriguing. Behind the screen indeed An awful lot goes on behind airline and travel booking screens, and much of it is strictly off-limits toconsumers. What we do know is that for decades now airlines have become masters of what the industry calls yieldmanagement, offering millions of combinations of fares based on advance purchase patterns and other bookingtrends, so nearly everyone pays a different price based on when they buy. But now that paying extra for your seatselection has become common practice, securing your reservation is just half the battle. Some industry experts have connected the dots. "Theyre trying to get people to buy premium seats," saysGeorge Hobica, USATODAY.coms Fly Guy columnist and the founder of Airfarewatchdog.com. "They want toincrease revenue. And were getting more complaints about it. "He notes that it "really annoys" passengers whowant to sit together, particularly when traveling with small children. Hes echoed by Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition(联盟) : "With yield management, consumers are aware and they know that airlines are constantly changing prices on seats. But if this is true, it isunethical--theyre grossly misleading us. The thing that I find so offensive is conveying to me that I have nooptions, but if I wait a week or two then I do have options. " According to the airlines, the reason for ancillary (附加的) revenue is unbundling (分类计价) ticket prices, sopassengers who desire a given service-say checking a bag or ordering a soft drink-pay for it; while those whodont are spared the cost. But as Mitchell notes, "Theres another twist to this. The airlines are saying fees are foroptional services. Well, seats arent optional! " Of course, securing a good seat isnt an issue if youre in first class or youre an elite member of a frequentflyer program. But what about the rest of us？ As Ive pointed out repeatedly in recent columns, were faced withrecord-high load factors, the highest for the U.S. airline industry since World War II. But even with the averagepercentage of occupied seats for domestic flights at 82.7%, its still an average-some flights will be fuller butothers will not, particularly weeks in advance. Yet searching for seats keeps getting harder and harder. Seats for sale Hobica cites the major airlines as the prime culprits (起因), but he also notes even low-cost carders can makesecuring seats difficult. On the flip side, he credits JetBlue and Virgin America for providing customers with clearpolicies. And then there is British Airways, which allows passengers in economy and business classes to selectseats only 24 hours in advance. I asked an airline representative if seeing fewer free seats is a trend, and theresponse was: "Thats going to vary because there are so many variables. " I decided to check on seat availability at Delta.com. I inquired about economy-class availability for two seatson a busy route-Atlanta to Chicago--and conducted an apples-to-apples search for the same morning departureseven days in advance, and again 14 days in advance. For the flight one week out, a total of only eight seats wereavailable, one preferred and seven standard, but only one set of two seats together. For the flight two weeks out, atotal of 29 seats were available, consisting of 20 preferred and only nine standard, and still with only one settogether. Remarkable how even twice the booking time still produced so few "free" seats, separately or together,yet there were plenty of seats that could be bought for the right price. I contacted Delta and a spokesman said the price for preferred economy varies "depending on a number ofdifferent factors," so customers need to compare the costs on a flight-by-flight basis. The preferred seats arereserved primarily for Medallion (大勋章) members, and become available without additional charge 24 hoursprior to departure. When asked if Delta has received complaints about a dearth of free seats, he stated, "Overall, our seat program has been received very well." But my findings dovetailed (吻合) with recent complaints filed with Airfarewatchdog: ·When (my husband) tried to get a seat assignment on the first flight there was just one "complimentary(免费的) seat" (near the back in the middle) available.., the other available seats had to be purchased for$69. On the connecting flight there were no "complimentary seats" at all! Is this legal？ He bought andpaid for a ticket on these flights and now he is supposed to "buy" a seat! · (After) paying for the flight, a message popped up and said that I could only get a seat assignment when Ichecked in. In order to get a confirmed seat, I had to pay $129 extra! Unless I pay, without a confirmedseat, I am the first one to be bumped from the flight if they are overbooked. How do they get away withthis？ · Does checking in online at the 24-hour mark before the flight give me a number in line or let me selectseats then？ Or do we all rush the gate with our boarding passes (and no seat assignment) in order to getthe seat assignment？ How to respond？ So what can you do？ Its a tough proposition. Usually I would offer strategies for countering such airlineinitiatives, but in this case the options are limited. Thats why some believe the U.S. Department of Transportationshould investigate these practices. As Mitchell says, "The airlines are holding all the cards with this one. There is a sore need for transparency on this. When people are confused, they make bad decisions. " That said, consider the following: · When budget your airfares, make sure you consider not just baggage fees but the added cost of seatselection-for all travelers and in both directions. · If possible, book early, when there should be more seats available, and check in early too. Why .thequalifier "should"？ Because if availability is artificially manipulated, its hard to be certain. · Book airlines that offer more transparent seat-selection policies. Of course, this is not an issue withSouthwest and other carriers that offer "open seating" policies. · Finally, the last resort is what Hobica calls "horse trading": negotiating seat swaps with other passengers.But this has become a risky and undesirable option with flights so full, overhead bins (行李仓) so crammedand fellow passengers who may have paid for premium seats in advance. The author was even more surprised when_________ A) he couldnt find two adjacent seats when booking a flight B) he had to pay a premium to get two adjacent seats C) he found that more than half of the seats were empty D) he could not stretch out on the plane
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