Airlines should add services before charges

A Hainan Airlines flight prepares to land at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada. [Photo/Xinhua]

Major Chinese airlines, including Air China and Hainan Airlines, have reportedly started charging economy-class passengers who fly within the country for choosing their seats, especially those near the emergency exits and in the front rows of the cabin. Such a charge is already common among international airlines. Comments:

The complaints about the "leg room charge" are a natural response from passengers who are being asked to pay for the right to choose. And the airlines' assertiveness in pricing the most popular seats will only add to people's disgruntlement. The airlines should instead improve their services to reach a consensus with their customers on controversial matters like charging them to choose their seats.

People's Daily, Oct 13

Although the "pay-as-you-pick" system has been routinely adopted by many international airlines, it should only apply to a minority of seats to respect most passengers' right to choose where they want to sit on a first-come-first-served basis. It is fair to pay more for a better seat on a plane, but passengers should all enjoy the same right.

Beijing News, Oct 13

Charging passengers for choosing their own seats is a unilateral decision by some airlines, which are yet to provide legal and solid evidence to support the extra charge. They should at least explain to passengers why the seats on a plane are priced differently.

jxnews.com.cn, Oct 13

In fact, the public opposition to the legal and reasonable fee for choosing a seat, is a result of the relatively poor services provided by some Chinese airlines, against which a number of passengers have long held a grudge. Therefore, the key to alleviating customers' concerns and persuading them to pay for the seats they prefer lies in whether the airlines can keep improving the service they provide, and protect all passengers' legal rights in exchange for their trust and loyalty.

sohu.com, Oct 13