American Airlines has a new wrinkle in its app—a chance to sign up for an automatic seat swap if your preference comes available later.
Single passengers—the trick won’t work for multiple passengers on a booking—can indicate a preference for middle, aisle or window after they’ve selected a seat if their preference wasn’t available at first. If a slot opens later, the airline will make the switch automatically. Most likely, that will involve switching to an aisle or window as few passengers prefer middle seats, surveys show.
The airline’s ‘chief customer officer’ told press that “This latest innovation proactively addresses customer preference. It is a simple experience that gives customers more control while asking them to do less.”
The feature is available up to 24 hours before a flight. What it won’t do, of course, is upgrade you to a more expensive seat.
