Tips for Better Seating:
1. Book Further In Advance And Reserve Your Seat. Availability is on a rst-come rst-served basis.
2. Sign up for status with the airlines because priority matters.
3.
With a one-time status match from one airline to another, you are granted preferred status immediately. Duration of the status may
vary as the airline is expecting you to earn points on your own thereafter. Most often used when awards change after traveler has gained
status with the award carrier on their commonly-traveled routes. Please contact the City Pair Program oce for assistance with this.
4. Waiting until check-in or boarding if only middle seats are available upon booking. They may open up
at the last minute.
5. Be persistent and keep checking. Open seats come available multiple times per week.
6. Government travelers may purchase premium coach seating, at their expense, non-reimbursable by the government.
MYTH
VS
Government Travelers Get
More Middle Seats Than
Commercial Travelers.
> Status of the traveler with the airline > How far in advance the reservation is booked
FIRST: Front part of plane and
exit seats usually reserved:
When a ight is made available to book,
20%-40% (depending on airline and
plane) of
coach seats are withheld
for travelers:
A. With preferred status.
B. Who book a full Y (highest cost)
coach fare.
C. Who pay for a preferred seat.
SECOND: Remaining
seats are rst-come,
rst served
The remaining seats
(usually from the middle to back
half of the plane)
are
available to be reserved
at time of booking
.
Therefore, if a traveler books in
advance, they’ll have a better
opportunity for window and
aisle seats.
THIRD: Unsold premium seats
are released or discounted
the day of ight
If the premium seats are not all lled
with status travelers or travelers who pay
for prime seats, they are released on the
day of departure.
TIP: Therefore, if you only have a choice
of middle seats, you are usually better o
waiting until you are at the airport as a
premium seat may be released to travelers
without seat assignments.
The City Pair Program conrmed with airlines that the only fare class receiving additional seating benets is the Y class, the highest coach
fare class. Any discounted class of service below Y is subject to the same seating rules. Commercial travelers are subject to the same rules
as government.
American Alaska Delta JetBlue Southwest United
Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Does traveler’s individual status open up more seats?
Is seating for at least 50% of the plane based on when
you make your reservation?
No No No No No No
Would negotiating a dierent fare class than Y open
up any more seats?
Yes No Yes No
Priority
Boarding
Yes
Are there premium seats available for purchase?
Did You Know: Getting window and aisle seats are a function of:
FACT
American Airlines has recently announced that some preferred seating will be given to certain corporate customers (excluding Main Cabin Extra)
For more information, go to www.gsa.gov/portal/category/27075
For questions or assistance booking travel, call Travel Programs at 1 (888) 472-5585
Government Travelers are Treated
No Dierently Than Commercial
Travelers When It Comes to Seating
