LCC allocated seating
 

Now that Ryanair have moved to allocated seating, I've been pondering the question as to how airlines should allocate seats to those who don't want to pay extra for a seat of their choice. I thought of the following constraints and wondered what algorithm might be the best solution

- Maximise ancillary revenue for airline
- Appear sufficiently random that passengers cannot reliably game the system to get a seat in their desired area of cabin
- Help with weight+balance to optimise fuel burn
- Tend to reward more loyal and profitable customers
- Encourage customers to buy other ancillary services (eg hold baggage) at the same time
- Try to deny expected desired seating where it can reasonably be guessed - single travellers without hold bags should not get seat near exits easily

Anyone have thoughts as to how this might be achieved ?
Remember the seat allocation is done by a computer, not by a human being - quite possible to code up some fairly complex logic on a webserver or reservation system to solve for maximum airline profit

If they don't allocate families or groups together, the fast turn arounds will be compromised regardless of computer models. Folk will negotiate on board to swap seats regardless of rules, thus possible delays on the ramp.

Allocated seating doesn't (necessarily) mean being given a choice. I would imagine that Ryanair at least will allocate from the over-wing seats forward and aft according to demand, digitally "blocking off" the first and last rows as they do in real life until they've reached 150+ seats sold for that flight.

I'm counting on not being allocated a seat so that I can continue to stroll on last and volunteer for an exit row seat that no-one else wanted to pay for.

Travelling frequently on EZY I've noticed that when travelling alone and not requesting a seat, I'll usually get a middle seat - the worst, whether forward or aft seems to depend on how many other seats are already booked.. Therefore I always pay and select a window.

When travelling with one other person, we normally get middle and aisle, therefore I usually pay and book window and aisle, more often than not someone is put between us and we swap, but sometimes we are lucky, as on Friday.

I don't think balance is relevant here as EZY flights are usually about 95% full, and when they're not, as on a flight we took on Friday which was about 60%, the pax are pretty evenly distributed. The decisions are not made at the last minute at checkin as nearly all pax check in online.

I don't think they have a deliberate policy, as people have sometimes implied, of splitting parties travelling together to force them to pay for seat selection.

Doesn't really matter how its allocated, next August Daily Mail will be running a story about a family who checked in with 4 kids at last minute and Ryanair refused to move everybody else so they could sit together.

The excuses family will use will be computer was broken, they didn't know they had to check in, it would have cost them money and its their one holiday a year (other than the other ones not mentioned) from saving from their welfare benefits and one of the kids suffers from something. Dad will be photoed with Tattoes showing and Mum will be bleached blonde with tan showing plus a need for a weight watchers membership....................can I get any more stereotypes in :E

Travelled FR over weekend and had PB but got allocated seats up close to front, was noticeable they were leaving empty rows but suggest staff need to stop using the "we need to balance the aircraft out with allocated seating etc etc "................heard at least 10 times.

All right but tan, honestly!! Tomatoes comes to mind. :ooh: