China Proposes Stricter Rules on Airline Seat Locking

The China Air Transport Association (CATA) has released a draft group standard titled Rules for Seat Reservation by Public Air Transport Enterprises for public comment, aiming to curb controversial seat locking practices that restrict access to desirable economy seats.

The draft, open for one month of feedback, requires airlines to categorize economy-class seats into 'free selectable seats' and 'reserved seats'. 

Reserved seats fall into two types:

• Operational reserved seats: Held for safety (e.g., crew, emergency exits) or special passengers (wheelchair users, infants, unaccompanied minors).
• Value-added reserved seats: For loyalty programs (points or miles redemption) or paid selection (cash payments allowed only on international or regional flights).

Key provisions for domestic flights:

• No cash paid seat selection permitted.
• Free selectable seats must account for at least 70% of economy seats (tiered higher for larger aircraft: 75% for 161–200 seats, 80% for over 200 seats).
• Families traveling with infants (<2 years) or children (2–12 years) get priority free access to loyalty-reserved seats.
• Reserved seats (loyalty type) must be released for free online selection no later than 3 hours before departure; all qualifying reserved seats are made free at airport check-in counters.

Image via Pexels

For international and regional flights:

• Free selectable seats take up at least 65% of the economy class.
• Paid seat selection allowed, but most reserved seats released progressively (starting 48 hours out, majority by 6 hours before departure, excluding front row and exit rows).

Image via Yangzi Evening News (Left English Translation by WeChat)

The draft also mandates clear, prominent disclosure during booking and check-in: seat availability ranges, release times, points/miles costs, paid prices (international only), and easy-to-understand seat map icons distinguishing free, member-only, paid, unavailable, and selected seats.

This move follows years of passenger complaints and regulatory scrutiny, including an investigation by the Jiangsu Consumer Protection Commission in November 2025 that questioned whether locking premium seats (front rows, window/aisle) for extra fees or elite members unfairly limited choice.

CATA states the rules balance passenger rights with airlines' needs for differentiated services, drawing on international practices but setting higher free-seat thresholds to prioritize the majority of passengers. 

Once finalized, the standard will guide Chinese carriers, including major players like Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, and low-cost operators.

Public comments are welcome via the association's website until late February 2026.

[Cover image via Pexels]
Source: ThatsGuangzhou