Congress negotiates $105 billion deal to increase aviation safety
After a series of near-misses at airports across the country, Congress has passed a $105 billion bill to improve aviation safety.
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According to United Airlines, more than 18,000 passengers managed to avoid a middle seat last month when they thought all hope was lost.
In March, the airline announced a new feature in its app that allows travelers to specify a preferred seat when making their reservation and be automatically rebooked free of charge if a better seat becomes available on their flight. The choice is between window, aisle, emergency exit or bulkhead rows.
According to United, nearly 40% of travelers who made such requests were able to move to their desired location before departure.
United will assign passengers their preferred seat type if it becomes available in the same class of service as their original seat up to 12 hours prior to departure.
Most travelers avoid the middle seat at all costs, but experienced flyers often have preferred rows or specific seats that they like.
For example, websites like aeroLOPA can help passengers find out which seat has the best window orientation and can inform them how to set their preferences in United’s app.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. Reach him at [email protected].
