You can't really win at the seat assignment game on a flight anymore. The best thing to do is to pay for what you want.

Is it worth paying extra for a seat assignment on a flight? For Donna Shelton, the answer is: almost never. "OK, I just made an exception on a flight from Houston to Chicago," said Shelton, a banker ...

Is it worth paying extra for a seat assignment on a flight? For Donna Shelton, the answer is: almost never. “OK, I just made an exception on a flight from Houston to Chicago," says Shelton, a banker ...

Is it worth paying extra for a seat assignment on a flight? For Donna Shelton, the answer is: almost never. “OK, I just made an exception on a flight from Houston to Chicago,” says Shelton, a banker ...

The best solution would be for airlines to voluntarily commit to notifying their customers of any seat changes. They could do ...

Ever heard of check-in chicken? It’s the idea that if you wait until the last minute to check in for your flight, you have a better chance of getting a good seat – if you haven’t already paid for a ...

Cruising Altitude is a weekly column about air travel. Have a suggestion for a future topic? Fill out the form or email me at the address at the bottom of this page. Ever heard of check-in chicken? It ...