Reserve a seat in advance
When you 'Reserve your seat' in advance, it can make all the difference inflight. While travelling with us in Economy class*, you can ensure you’re sitting with your friends or family – or simply secure your preferred seats – without having to wait until the check-in period.
Passengers travelling with higher fare Economy bookings, Marco Polo Club members Silver and above, and oneworld members Ruby and above are able to reserve their regular seats in advance, free-of-charge.
We’re now extending regular seat reservations to passengers travelling on Economy Super Saver, Economy Save, Economy Redemption, or fanfares tickets – for a nominal fee. Reservations range from HKD90/USD12^ to HKD430/USD55^, depending on the seat location and the origin and destination of your flight.
At a glance
What is a regular seat?
Most seats in Economy class are regular seats – the exceptions being those next to emergency exit doors (please see exit row safety requirements), or those with extra legroom.
How do I purchase a regular seat reservation?
Seat reservations for lower fare Economy bookings can be made for an additional fee, as listed below, up to 48 hours before departure in the following ways:
- While booking: during your flight booking through our website; by calling our Customer Care; through our ticketing offices; or, via travel agents.
- After booking, once your ticket is issued: by logging into Manage Booking; by calling our Customer Care; through our ticketing offices; or via travel agents.
Who is eligible for 'Reserve your seat'?
- If you are a Marco Polo Club Diamond, Gold, or Silver member, you may reserve regular seats for all passengers in your booking free-of-charge.
- If you are a oneworld Ruby member or above, you may reserve a regular seat for yourself for free – if you wish to reserve a seat for your travel companions you may do so for a fee.
- If you are travelling with a higher fare Economy booking – with fare types Y, B, H, K, L, M, V – you may reserve regular seats free-of-charge. You can identify your fare type by looking at the fare breakdown of your ticket at the time of purchase.
- If you are travelling with a lower fare Economy booking – fare types S, N, Q, O, X – you’ll be able to purchase your regular seat reservation for a standard fee. You can identify your fare type by looking at the fare breakdown of your ticket at the time of purchase.
Please note that seat reservation is complimentary once online check-in is open within 48 hours of your flight’s departure.
*'Reserve your seat' is only available on Cathay Pacific operated flights. Seats are subject to availability and offered on a first come, first served basis. Passengers must meet the exit row safety requirements as stated.
^Charge is paid in HKD for any sector departing from Hong Kong SAR. For any sector departing from other destinations, the charge is paid in the local currency equivalent of the USD fee, by using the USD exchange rate at the point of sale on the date of purchase – the local currency fee is therefore subject to currency fluctuation. The regular seat advance booking fee will vary depending on the ticket type and flight origin and destination. Bookings from certain points of sale, including India, may incur a sales tax.
Certain regular seats are located near the emergency exit doors*, and are subject to flight safety guidelines of the Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong.
A passenger may be assigned a regular seat in an exit row if he/she meets the following safety requirements, and will not obstruct emergency exits in a way of impeding the crew in their duties, obstructing access to emergency equipment, or hindering aircraft evacuation.
Passengers occupying an exit row seat must:
- Be at least 12 years of age at the commencement of the journey, whether accompanied or not;
- Not be seated with an infant;
- Be able to understand and carry out cabin crew safety instructions;
- Not be under the influence of intoxicating substances or drugs;
- Not require the use of an extension seat belt.
- Not be a passenger with reduced mobility. This includes a passenger:
- Travelling with a Guide Dog/Assistance Dog or using mobility aid during boarding such as a wheelchair, walking stick or Postural Support Equipment (PSE);
- Who is either vision or hearing impaired to the extent that they might not readily assimilate printed or verbal instructions;
- Who requires the use of an oxygen bottle or Medical Portable Electronic Device (MPED);
If a passenger does not fulfill the above safety requirements, Cathay Pacific may re-assign a regular Economy seat before or during the journey without a refund of the regular seat reservation fee.
*Please note: Seat 40C of B77H, seat 40C and 40H of B77G are extra legroom seats that are not near emergency exit doors.
Your seat reservation can be changed together with your flight booking. If you change a flight booking online, you’ll need to contact your local reservation office or Customer Care to transfer your reserved seat purchase to your new flight. Please note: seat selection is subject to the availability of requested seat.
Advanced seat reservations as non-refundable except in the following scenarios:
- If you choose to upgrade to a higher cabin class via Upgrade Bid, by using your Asia Miles points, or by paying the fare difference
- If your flight changes due to disruption
- If the flight is cancelled by Cathay Pacific
- A connecting flight operated by Cathay Pacific is missed because of delay of a previous Cathay Pacific operated flight
- Your selected regular seat is no longer available once you’ve changed to a different flight
- If your seat changed due to operational, safety, or security reasons and we are unable to offer you a suitable alternative seat
If you encounter any of the above scenarios, you are entitled to apply for a refund for your paid seat reservation.
Refunds can be requested within 14 days after your flight departure date, by either filling out our form online ;or by contacting your local reservations office or our Customer Care. Refunds will be made in the currency and original form of payment used during purchase.
Please note that once you submit a regular seat refund request form online, you will be giving up your reserved seat for your flight.
In the event that a refund is requested for a ‘Reserve your seat’ purchase, following a date when we have adjusted the amounts within ‘fee by sector’ or the details within the ‘type of flight’, we will only grant a refund in the amount originally charged at the time of the ‘Reserve your seat’ purchase, and subject to our usual refund conditions as stated above.
- "Reserve Your Seat" is a feature to allow economy class passengers to pay and reserve for either a “Regular seat” or an “Extra Legroom seat” on flights operated by Cathay Pacific.
- “Regular seat” is an option for lower fare bookings, including ”Economy Super Saver”, “Economy Save” and “Fanfares” ticket passengers, to reserve their seat(s) in advance for a fee, up to 48 hours before flight departure.
- “Regular seat” purchase is subject to availability upon request. The offer and seat charge is based on individual sector for each passenger.
- “Regular Seat” is available for ticketed passenger(s), and seat(s) will be assigned only upon full payment collection. There are some exceptions in which the fee is not applied such as when the passenger is
- Travelling with a child or infant in same booking.
- Travelling with Silver member of the Marco Polo Club* or above in same booking.
- oneworld® frequent fliers (Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald).
* “Reserve Your Seat” charge is subject to Marco Polo membership tier at the time of the request. - “Regular Seat” purchase is not available for unaccompanied minor, redemption ticket and group booking.
- Passengers who do not purchase '"Reserve Your Seat" options in advance may choose their seats free-of-charge during check-in. However, passengers may not be guaranteed a particular seat type and/or sit together with their companion(s).
- Please be aware that “Reserve Your Seat” seat reservations will only be held until 20 minutes before the check-in counters close for your flight. Check-in counter closure times vary by destination; please refer to the airport information pages for further information. Any “Reserve Your Seat” seat reservation that is not used will not be refunded.
- Passengers may need to fulfil exit row safety requirements when occupying a regular seat in an exit row. Please refer the Exit row safety requirements page on our website for details. If a passenger does not fulfil the exit row safety requirements, Cathay Pacific may re-assign a regular Economy seat before or during the journey without a refund of the regular seat reservation fee.
- No Asia Miles points are rewarded for the amount paid for “Reserve Your seat”.
- “Reserve Your Seat” is non-transferable and non-rerouteable. If a passenger decides to rebook the flight/date, “Regular Seat” payment can be transferred to the new flight/date within the same booking. Note that “Reserve Your Seat” purchases cannot be transferred to another origin, destination, booking, nor passenger.
- “Reserve Your Seat” is “non-refundable” except for below scenarios. Cathay Pacific will issue a refund for the “Regular seat” charges if the seat is not utilized under the following conditions:
- The flight is disrupted.
- The flight is cancelled by Cathay Pacific Airways.
- The connecting flight is missed because of the re-timing of an inbound or outbound flight operated by Cathay Pacific.
- Regular seat selection is not available on the changed flight/travel date*.
- Changes in flight operations leading to passenger being reseated to a different seat number.
- Passenger is upgraded to a higher cabin after winning an Upgrade Bid.
- Passenger rebooks into a higher economy fare or higher cabin class to the same destination.
Refunds can be requested by either filling out our form online or through our local reservation office within 14 days of the date of departure. Refunds will be made in the original form of payment after refund submitted. Please note that by submitting a refund form online, you will be giving up your reserved seat for your flight.
*Regular seat purchases are not refundable once the flight is available for online check-in when making voluntary changes. - Cathay Pacific reserves the right to adjust the amount of the Fee and revise these terms and conditions at any time without notice.
- In case of any discrepancy between the English version and any translated version of these Terms and Conditions, the English version shall prevail.
