How do you choose seats on basic economy Emirates?

When you book your flight tickets with Emirates, the airline usually assigns seats on its own (if you don’t pre-select it). Though passengers get the option to select their preferred seats for their flight through Emirates Manage your booking platform, you can also get the standard ones from the airline.

For travellers who prefer specific seating positions on their flights, there are various options available. For instance;

·         Extra legroom seats.

·         Bulkhead seats.

·         Exit row or front row seats.

·         Window, aisle or middle seats.

·         Emergency exit seats, etc.

If you are booking a flight with the basic economy fare on Emirates, you have very limited options for seat selection on your flight. However, the various mediums to opt for a specific seat include;

At the time of booking.

When you book a basic economy ticket with Emirates, the seat selection options are very limited and come against an additional fee. This is because base fare flights are designed for the best affordability by minimizing the extent of services offered.

For this reason, the basic economy class seats are assigned automatically to each passenger randomly by the airline's system as the departure date draws closer.

Therefore, passengers might not have the choice to select specific seats if there’s a high demand i.e. peak travel periods and should only get random seating as per the airline’s policies based on availability.

Pay for Seat Selection.

If you have an option available to select a specific seat for your basic economy class flight, an extra fee is payable for it. If you are buying the seat online, the cost of seat selection could vary based on factors such as;

·         The seat's location within the aircraft.

·         Flight duration.

·         Travel route.

·         Seasonality.

·         Time of booking.

·         Aircraft configuration.

If you are selecting a specific seat i.e. extra legroom seats, window seats, etc. a higher fee needs to be paid by the passenger.

Check-in Process.

Whether you are checking in online or at the airport, the availability of seat selection options for basic economy passengers may vary in terms of fee and availability. Though the selection is limited, buying your specific seats online is comparatively affordable. On the other hand, an expensive fee is required by the airline to select particular seats at the time of boarding, especially for the basic economy class passengers.

Seat Availability.

As said earlier, there are very few seat selection options available for the basic economy class ticket holders. As the departure date draws closer, the additional fee to buy these seats also becomes higher, because priority for seat selection facility often goes to passengers in higher fare classes. As a result, the choices for basic economy passengers might be restricted.

Specific Policies.

Though you can expect a consistent policy from Emirates for the basic economy class seat selection options on a majority of destinations, the airline might offer some exceptions and upgradation options as well. That’s why you must get in touch with the customer service of the airline or read about the terms and conditions of seat selection for your ticket type.

Since the details, fees, and options available for seat assignments in the basic economy class might change based on the airline's latest guidelines, route specifics, and demand; keeping yourself updated on these policies works best for your benefits.

How to buy your seat on a basic economy class seat on Emirates?

Online Method.

You can buy your seat online either through the official website of the airline or download the mobile application of Emirates.

1.      Go to the ‘Manage My Booking’ section on the website or within the app’s menu

2.      Log in to your Emirates account using your booked flight PNR and last name or Emirates Skywards membership credentials.  

3.      Access your booking and go to the ‘seat selection’ section within your reservation.

4.      Choose your preferred seat from the options available with your basic economy class ticket.

5.      Proceed with payment if there's a fee for the selected seat.

6.      Confirm the seat selection and save the changes to your booking.

Offline Method.

The offline methods to buy your seat include contacting customer service over the phone; going to the airport kiosk or ticketing centre of the airline or through a third party.

1.      Get in touch.

2.      Provide your booking details to the representative i.e. PNR and last name associated with the booking.

3.      Request your desired seat within the basic economy class (as per the availability).

4.      Make payment if there's a fee for seat selection.

5.      Confirm the selected seat and update your itinerary accordingly.

So, that’s how you choose seats in basic economy class and get sufficient Emirates airline baggage allowance for your flight.