Pay for seats when the flight is long, at night or when one of you is nervous. Skip the fee on a short daytime hop where being apart is a small inconvenience. A few free workarounds are worth trying first.
This guide is part of our budget topics. It gives you a short question ladder, so you can decide in a minute instead of arguing.
How do we decide in four questions?
Answer in order and stop at the first yes.
- Is the flight long enough that you would be unhappy apart for the whole journey?
- Is it a night flight, when you want to rest on each other?
- Is either of you a nervous flyer, or unwell?
- Is this the first flight after the wedding, when you are both exhausted?
If you answered yes to any, the seat fee is likely worth it. If all four are no, try the free options below.
What does it cost to sit together?
The charge depends on the airline, the fare type and the seat type. We do not quote figures because they change, and an old number can mislead you.
Open the airline’s own page for your fare and price a seat for two, one way and return. Add it to the real fare. Our guide on flight timing and baggage costs has a worksheet for this.
What are the free workarounds?
Try these before you pay.
- Book both seats on the same booking so they are linked.
- Check in online as soon as it opens and pick from what is free.
- Ask at the check-in counter to seat you together.
- Ask the crew at the gate if two seats are open.
- Offer a swap to a neighbour, with an equal or better seat.
None of these is certain, so keep your plan flexible.
When is paying clearly worth it?
Paying makes sense when the cost is small next to the whole fare, and the journey is long. It also makes sense when you are travelling to a place where you want to arrive calm.
A full-service airline may include seat selection in some fares. Compare that in full-service versus low-cost airline for a honeymoon, where the extras are counted together.
When can we safely skip it?
Skip it on a short flight in daylight when you are both rested and happy to chat after landing. You can read, rest or watch a film in separate seats.
If you are seated apart, agree on a meeting point at the other end. Keep passports, phones and chargers with each of you, not in a single bag.
How does this fit the whole budget?
A seat fee is one small line in the flight total. If you cut it, spend the saving on something that matters more, such as a better transfer.
Our guide on budgeting a honeymoon from flights first shows how to set the flight budget before you choose the rest. For night flights, see red-eye flight to save money.
What should we do next?
- Answer the four questions together.
- Price the seats for two on the airline’s own page.
- Try the free options if you decide to skip the fee.
- Send us your flight and we will check the total for two and suggest what to keep.