According to the website of the China Consumers Association, the issue of additional seat selection fees for civil aviation has recently sparked heated discussions. Some airlines have introduced a fare mechanism in the basic service of seat selection, citing so-called "industry conventions," by locking seats by the window, aisle, or front row and requiring consumers to pay additional fees. The practice that was originally prevalent only in low-cost airlines is now gradually spreading to the entire civil aviation industry, with more and more "seat locking" causing consumer dissatisfaction and questioning. Some consumers have reported that during check-in, they find that if they do not pay for seat selection, there are very few free seats available, and sometimes it is even difficult to choose adjacent seats when traveling with underage children, forcing them to pay for seat selection fees. This kind of price increase in seat selection not only increases the economic burden on consumers, but also infringes on their legitimate rights and interests. The China Consumers' Association believes that: firstly, "price based seat selection" restricts consumers' right to choose. Article 9 of the Consumer Rights and Interests Protection Law stipulates that consumers have the right to independently choose goods or services; Consumers have the right to independently decide whether to purchase or not to purchase any goods, and to accept or not to accept any services. Consumers sign contracts with airlines when purchasing tickets, and airlines assume the responsibility of public air transportation and have the obligation to provide seats for consumers. When airlines sell tickets, they have already differentiated between first class, business class, and economy class. There are different prices for tickets purchased at different times, and various factors have been taken into account during ticket sales. The rights enjoyed by consumers after purchasing tickets should be determined, and they should have the right to freely choose the seat that suits them. However, airlines artificially set thresholds by linking seat selection with additional fees, forcing consumers to pay extra for basic travel needs, and limiting their freedom of choice. 2、 The practice of 'price based seat selection' infringes upon consumers' right to know. Article 8 of the Consumer Rights and Interests Protection Law stipulates that consumers have the right to know the true situation of the goods they purchase or use or the services they receive. Premium seat selection "is essentially an additional fee behavior, and many airlines have vague and ambiguous regulations in this regard. They do not specify which seats need to be charged a premium, nor do they explain how the premium standards are formulated. Consumers lack sufficient information support when purchasing tickets, and only realize that they need to pay for the seats they want to choose when checking in. Is flight seat locking for safe flight or for additional revenue? Airlines with the ultimate power of interpretation should not use "information asymmetry" as a means of profit. This behavior undoubtedly harms the consumer's right to know. 3、 'Price based seat selection' violates the principle of fair trade. Article 10 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law stipulates that consumers have the right to fair trade. Operators should provide corresponding substantive services when determining prices. The different pricing of different cabin classes is due to the different services provided by airlines, while the services provided by economy class are the same, but the demand for consumers to pay extra for seat selection itself lacks pricing basis. Consumers paying for tickets have already paid for the transportation services provided by airlines. According to long-standing transaction practices, consumers have a "first come, first served" seating arrangement and do not need to pay separately. As the party with strong bargaining power in air transport contracts, airlines lack the bargaining power with consumers. Airlines have launched a fare based seat selection model, testing the waters from the "first come, first served" tradition to the "payer gets" model. This is a way for operators to use their advantageous position to turn the originally free basic services into a means of generating revenue for themselves, increasing the burden on consumers and violating the principle of fair trade. The China Consumers' Association believes that "first come, first served" has always been a customary seat selection rule in the civil aviation industry. In recent years, some airlines have been using "fare increase seat selection" as a means and "safe flight" as an excuse to constantly test consumers' bottom line. If this unauthorized price increase behavior is not curbed, it will affect the atmosphere of the entire consumer market. Other goods or services may be sold at a price that is different from the pricing under certain conditions, thus evolving into an unfair so-called "industry practice" that erodes market order and damages consumer rights. As the Spring Festival travel rush approaches, it is recommended that relevant regulatory authorities take the initiative to strengthen industry guidance and standardize business practices. Consumer actions are also a form of supervision of industry behavior. Consumers can actively file complaints with consumer associations or regulatory authorities when encountering various types of infringement, promoting the healthy development of the consumer market in a fair and transparent manner. (New Society)