Last-Minute Seat Selection Fees in India: What IndiGo, Akasa, and Air India Actually Charge
By Arjun Kapoor (Arjun Kapoor tracks error fares, mileage runs and award-chart sweet spots for Indian travellers. He moderates two Telegram fare-alert channels and has booked Europe round-trips at sub-₹25,000 four times in the last 24 months.) · Published · 9 min read
Seat selection fees on Indian airlines have quietly become a meaningful chunk of the final ticket cost — especially when you're booking 24–48 hours out and the 'free' seats have already been snapped up. Here's exactly what each major carrier charges, when the clocks run out, and how to minimise what you pay.
TL;DR — The Short Answer on Seat Fees
On last-minute domestic bookings in India, seat selection fees typically run anywhere from around ₹99 to ₹999+ per person depending on the carrier, route length, and seat type. IndiGo has the most aggressive fee structure for preferred seats; Akasa Air has a particular threshold at around 6 hours before departure where pricing changes; Air India's flexi and higher fares often include free seat selection. If you're booking same-day or next-day, budget for seat fees — or know exactly how to find the remaining free seats.
IndiGo: When Do Free Seats Disappear?
IndiGo's seat map typically shows a mix of paid 'preferred' seats (extra legroom rows, front rows, exit rows) and standard seats that are either free or lower-cost depending on your fare type. On Super Saver and special-promo fares — which are the tickets most people chase on last-minute searches — almost no seats are included free at booking. You're shown the seat map and everything desirable is priced.
In practice, free standard seats on IndiGo (the ones at the back, middle seats, less popular rows) are available right up until online check-in opens, which is 48 hours before departure. But web check-in is where the scramble happens — once check-in opens, passengers who paid for seats earlier have their assignments locked in, and the remaining free seats are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis during web check-in. If you don't check in online and show up at the counter on a last-minute booking, you'll likely get whatever's left, including middle seats.
Exit row seats on IndiGo are almost always paid — fees vary by route, but expect something in the range of ₹200–₹1,000 per seat on a typical domestic sector. Check IndiGo's website directly for current pricing as it changes frequently by route and date.
Akasa Air: The 6-Hour Threshold and What It Means
Akasa is interesting because their seat pricing model is more dynamic than IndiGo's in some ways. Akasa has been known to waive or reduce seat fees for passengers who check in within a specific window close to departure — roughly 6 hours before the flight. The idea (and I've tested this on several Bengaluru–Mumbai and Delhi–Hyderabad sectors) is that closer to departure, Akasa releases otherwise-paid seats as part of the online check-in process at no additional charge, because they'd rather have passengers seated than have complex gate assignments.
This isn't a guaranteed or officially published policy in the same way as, say, a baggage rule — Akasa's website is the authoritative source on current policy, so verify before you rely on it. But if you're an Akasa walk-up passenger without a strong seat preference, waiting until the 6-hour window to check in online has historically worked out to a decent middle seat or window seat at no additional cost on shorter sectors.
Front-row and XL (extra legroom) seats on Akasa are consistently paid at any point in the booking cycle. Fees are generally in the range of ₹200–₹800 depending on route and seat type — again, check their official fee schedule as this evolves.
Air India: Where Seat Fees Actually Make Sense
Air India's approach to seat fees is more nuanced because their fare structure is more traditional — with proper fare classes where higher fare buckets include seat selection. If you book a Flex or Business fare, seat selection is generally included. On their lowest 'Saver' fares, you'll encounter seat fees similar to the LCC model.
For domestic routes, Air India's seat fees for standard economy seats on Saver fares are typically in a similar range to IndiGo. Where Air India has an edge is for last-minute business travellers booking a Flex fare: you get seat selection included, full refundability, and a meal — which means the effective cost of the 'premium' is sometimes not as enormous as it looks when you factor in all the add-ons you'd otherwise pay separately.
Air India Express (their short-haul subsidiary) runs more like a pure LCC — comparable to IndiGo pricing on seat fees. Don't assume Air India branding means the old Maharaja perks apply on Express routes.
The Cost-Saving Order of Operations for Walk-Up Domestic Travellers
Here's how I actually approach this for myself and friends who ask me to book last-minute domestic flights:
- Book the base fare first, then decide on seats separately. Don't let the seat upsell during booking panic you into paying immediately. Add the flight to your basket, note the total, then exit and come back to the seat map later — sometimes prices shift.
- Check if your fare class includes free seat selection. Air India Flex and most Business fares do. Some IndiGo promotional fares occasionally include one free seat — it's in the fare details, small print.
- On Akasa, wait for the 6-hour check-in window if you're flexible about your specific seat and just need to be seated with a reasonable view.
- On IndiGo, web check-in exactly when it opens (48 hours out) if you've booked in advance. On last-minute bookings where check-in opens in hours, do it the moment you book.
- If travelling with family or a group, one paid seat can be worth it to ensure you're not split across the cabin. Pay for one strategically placed seat and ask the gate agent to seat the group together — this works more often than you'd think, especially on half-empty flights.
- Skip the exit row mythology. Exit rows on IndiGo are often noisier than the galley rows, and the seat in front of an exit row sometimes doesn't recline. The legroom benefit is real, but it's not always the calm oasis it sounds like.
SpiceJet: The Wildcard
SpiceJet in 2026 is operating a limited schedule and their route network has contracted significantly from their peak years. They do still fly select routes, and their seat fee structure is broadly similar to other LCCs — paid preferred seats, some free standard seats during check-in. Given their operational situation, I'd generally recommend having a backup option when relying on SpiceJet for time-sensitive travel. Check their current operational status directly before booking. For most domestic last-minute routes, IndiGo, Air India, or Akasa will be a more reliable primary choice.
Bottom Line
For a family of four on a last-minute Mumbai–Delhi flight, seat fees can easily add ₹1,500–₹4,000 to the total cost if you're not careful. That's real money that could have gone toward the base fare on a marginally better flight. The move is: know your carrier's fee structure before you book, use web check-in strategically, and don't automatically click 'select seat' during the booking flow — pause and evaluate.
For more on managing total last-minute flight costs, see our OTA convenience fee comparison and our guide to fare alert tools. Search flexible-date options on FlightGPT — sometimes flying at an off-peak time on the same day saves more than any seat fee optimisation.
Frequently asked questions
Can IndiGo split a group of 4 across the cabin if we don't pay for seat selection?
Yes, this happens regularly. IndiGo's system doesn't guarantee adjacent seating on unpaid bookings. If the flight is busy, you might end up in four separate middle seats. If sitting together matters, pay for at least 2–3 adjacent seats and ask a fellow passenger to swap for the fourth — gate agents can sometimes help with this but don't depend on it.
Does Air India's frequent flyer status waive seat fees on domestic flights?
Flying Returns (Air India's frequent flyer programme) elite tiers do offer seat selection benefits on eligible fare classes — higher tiers (Gold, Platinum) typically get complimentary seat selection on domestic bookings. But this depends on the fare class you've booked; even elite members may pay seat fees on the deepest discount fares. Check the Flying Returns benefit guide for current tier privileges.
What's the cheapest way to get an exit row seat on IndiGo?
Exit row seats on IndiGo are almost always paid. The cheapest window is often during the booking itself rather than at check-in, when prices sometimes increase as the flight fills. On quieter routes mid-week, exit row prices tend to be lower than on peak Delhi–Mumbai Friday evening flights. Set a fare alert and check prices across different IndiGo flights on the same day — the seat fee on a less popular timing can be meaningfully lower.
Is Akasa's 6-hour seat release officially documented anywhere?
Akasa's general seat fee and check-in policies are on their website, but the specific behaviour of releasing seats closer to departure at lower cost is more of an observed pattern than a formally published rule. Treat it as a useful tactic to try on shorter routes if you're not fussy about the specific seat — but don't rely on it for important travel where you need a guaranteed window or aisle. Always verify current policy on akasaair.com.
Does booking through an OTA (MakeMyTrip, Ixigo etc.) affect seat selection options?
Sometimes, yes. OTA bookings can occasionally restrict your ability to manage seat selection directly on the airline's website — you may need to go through the OTA's 'manage booking' section instead. Seats selected via OTAs sometimes have a markup over the airline's own site. For last-minute bookings where seat selection matters, booking directly on the airline's website or app is generally cleaner.