After a successful trial, no-frills carrier Ryanair is set to introduce allocated seating permanently.
The airline announced it would trial offering reserved seating on selected routes in April this year.
That trial has proven to be a money-spinner – with passengers paying €10 each way – so Ryanair will start offering allocated seats on all routes from January 10, 2012.
The €10 fee includes priority boarding and allows passengers to pre-reserve seats in the front two rows or in over wing rows.
Ryanair continues to offer unreserved seating in the remaining rows, and priority boarding for a fee of €5.
Rival low-cost carrier Easyjet also plans to start experimenting with allocated seating, having recently announced a trial for next year.
On trial flights, passengers will be able to book any seat on the plane in advance, for an undisclosed fee.
Easyjet will allocate seats for all passengers, however, and will not charge an additional premium for high-demand rows such as over-wing and in the front row.