Virgin Atlantic is to start charging economy passengers to pre-select seats from next year.
The airline said the charges, £50 ($82) for a round-trip flight, will be introduced from April 1 on Gatwick-Las Vegas flights.
The charges will apply on other UK-US routes from June 1, and other worldwide routes out of the UK from May 1.
The exception is UK-Tokyo, which will remain exempt from the charge.
Seat selection can be made on most routes 336 days in advance to passengers prepared to pay the fee; those who wait until check-in opens will be able to choose from the seats that are left, which might mean parents travelling with young children risk being separated on a long-haul flight.
However, a statement on the Virgin Atlantic website says: "Don’t worry, if you’re flying with children, we always make sure they sit next to a parent or adult guardian. We’ll also always make sure you get a seat most suitable for your needs if you’re a disabled passenger.
A spokeswoman said all passengers will still be able to reserve a seat free of charge when online check-in opens 24 hours before departure, but if they want to select a specific seat any earlier they will have to pay.
The charges will only apply to Virgin’s long-haul services; seat selection on Little Red domestic flights will remain free.
A note on Virgin’s website says frequent flyers won’t be able to pay for seat selection using Miles or Miles Plus money, but the airline hopes to be able to offer this facility shortly.
Rival British Airways already charges a £25 per flight (£50 return) if passengers want to select their seats on long-haul flights.
