Air China charges big for extra legroom

Air China started charging for seat selection again on Aug 7, but the hefty fee has sparked discussion.

Air China, a flag carrier and major airline based in Beijing, is charging a maximum of 600 yuan ($100) for premium economy seats on flights to Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Frankfurt, Paris and London.

The best seats, those in the first row or in emergency exit rows, cost passengers an extra 600 yuan. Seats in row 2 to row 10, which enable passengers to board early, are priced at 100 yuan ($16). Choosing window or aisle seats in row 11 to 20 costs 50 yuan ($9).

It isn't the first time Air China offered the service. In May, it quietly canceled its seat selection service, which charged a flat fee of 100 yuan. That service only lasted nine days as people criticized it as a disguised price hike.

"As the economy slows down and demand for business class wanes, Air China has to tighten its belt," civil aviation expert Lin Zhijie said, explaining the motives behind the seat selection fee. Plus, Air China just raised its pilot salaries in order to retain talent, which will further trim 340 million yuan ($55 million) off its revenue, Lin said.

In July, Air China Ltd said its January-June net income would be 55 to 65 percent less than the 1.12 billion yuan ($180 million) in the first half of 2013.

Many airlines charge for seat selections, such as Delta Air and United Airways. But the public isn't satisfied, as Air China is asking too much compared with other major airlines. A seat in the emergency exit row costs $80 on Lufthansa and $75 on British Airways.

Lin said it takes time for Chinese passengers to get used to paying for better seats, as seat selection has mostly been free in China. Also, he said there are other ways for airlines to make money, such as providing car rentals, hotel bookings and airport pickup services.