An Australian airline is now offering passengers on its domestic routes the option to pay for the seat next to them, and leave it empty for the duration of the flight. The additional benefit “freedom from the neighbor” costs 30 Australian dollars on the shortest lines
Many passengers want the seat next to them to be empty so they can put things or their bag on it, or just stretch out. The Australian airline Qantas now offers passengers on its domestic routes the option to pay for the seat next to them, and leave it empty for the duration of the flight. The added “Freedom from Neighbour” perk costs from AU$30 on the shortest routes, and the airline says it will offer limited empty seats on each flight. Customers will be emailed 48 hours before their flight with the option to pay $30 for an empty seat, and must pay on the spot to reserve the empty seat.
The company said that “the empty seat cannot be guaranteed, as it may be necessary to change seats for operational, safety or security reasons, even after boarding the plane.” But “if the seat cannot be kept free, the passenger will receive a refund,” according to the airline. Qantas is not the first airline to allow passengers to pay for an extra seat in the seat next to them.
In 2017, Etihad Airways of the United Arab Emirates launched the “No Neighbor” seat program, which gives customers the option to enter a price they would be willing to pay to keep the seat next to them empty. They were told they could offer up to three empty adjacent seats, meaning, if the price was reasonable, they could have a whole row to themselves. In March 2021, the company also launched a program where passengers can pay to have up to three empty seats next to them.
“Empty seats will only be offered for purchase at the airport check-in desk prior to boarding, and costs range from AED 200 to AED 600 (US$55 to $165) per empty seat, plus applicable taxes depending on the flight destination.