Air Canada Changes Seat Selection Policy at Check-In

It appears that Air Canada has made some changes to the way passengers booked on specific fares can select seats upon check-in. 

It seems that travellers who’ve booked an Economy (Basic) or Economy (Standard) fare can no longer select a Standard seat for free at check-in. Rather, Air Canada will now automatically assign a seat upon check-in, and passengers need to pay to change to a different seat if they so desire.

There hasn’t been an official announcement by Air Canada about the change, but its website has been updated to reflect the changes. We’ve reached out to Air Canada for confirmation, and are awaiting a reply.

Air Canada Changes Seat Selection Policy at Check-In

It appears that Air Canada has introduced seat assignments at check-in for passengers travelling on select fares, rather than offering complimentary seat selection at check-in.

This means that you’re no longer able to select a Standard seat free-of-charge at check-in if you’re booked on an Economy (Basic) or an Economy (Standard) fare. 

Instead, Air Canada will automatically assign you a seat at check-in, and if you’d like to change to a different one, you’ll have to pay a fee ranging from $14–90 (CAD), depending on the route and fare.

This is an apparent departure from the previous policy, which allowed passengers travelling on Economy (Basic) or Economy (Standard) fares the ability to select any available Standard seat for free upon check-in.

This new seat assignment policy affects passengers on an Air Canada flight within Canada, to/from the United States, and on select international itineraries on Economy (Basic) or Economy (Standard) fares. The full list of international destinations that offer complimentary Standard seat selection for Economy (Standard) fares can be found on the Air Canada website.

Note that if you’ve booked a different Air Canada economy fare, including Economy (Flex), Economy (Comfort), and Economy (Latitude), you can still select a seat at no cost. 

Likewise, if you have Aeroplan Elite Status, you can select a Preferred seat at no cost either at check-in or in advance (depending on your status and fare purchased), and Super Elites will continue to have access to complimentary Standard and Preferred seat selection on all fares.

If you travel as a family,…