How to use ExpertFlyer alerts to get a better seat

ExpertFlyer overview

How to set ExpertFlyer chair alerts

Once you’ve signed up for ExpertFlyer, you can set seat alerts even if you choose the free membership tier. But before you go to ExpertFlyer to set a seat alert, gather your flight information. Specifically, you will need the following information about your flight:

• Departure airport.
• To the airport.
• Day.
• Airline name or International Air Transport Association (IATA) code.
• Flight number.
• Service class.

Once you have this information, log in to your account and click “Create New Seat Alert” from the home page.

Next, enter your flight details and click “Search”.

Now, click “Create seat alert.” Name your alert and choose your criteria on the right before clicking “Create”. Note that if you are a free ExpertFlyer member and are using your free alerts, you will only be able to set up alerts for any seat, any seat in the aisle, or any seat sit by the window.

After you create an alert, ExpertFlyer will notify you via email if you have the desired seat available.

When you want to set seat alert

There are a number of circumstances where you may find yourself in need of a better seat, including the following:

1. Doesn’t have your preferred seating type (aisle or window).
2. You’re stuck in a middle seat and prefer a window or aisle seat.
3. You cannot find a seat together for you and your spouse/friend/family member(s).
4. You want a seat in a different part of the plane (like closer to the front for easier landing or closer to the back for closer to the restroom).
5. You want a specific seat, such as an exit row seat or a two-seat row seat.

In any event, ExpertFlyer’s seat alert feature can help you get out of your existing seat and move on to a better seat.

Use the ExpertFlyer seat alert

Now, let’s look at how to use the ExpertFlyer chair alert. Let’s say you’re flying American Airlines flight 171 from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on November 27, 2022 – a flight that’s about four weeks away on time of this writing. Given the length of the flight, you want to avoid sitting in the middle seat. Unfortunately, there are no more standard aisle or window seats – only paid seats:

To set up alerts, log into your ExpertFlyer account and click “Create new seat alert” from the home page. Enter search criteria for your flight:

• Departure airport name or code: JFK.
• Destination airport name or code: LAX.
• Date: November 27, 2022.
• Airline name or code: American Airlines (AA).
• Flight number: 171.
• Service class: Economy.

The site will then pull up the seating chart above. You can then select specific seats. In this case, I checked all aisle and window seats free except for the last row of the plane.

Once you’ve added these details, click “Create”. You will receive an immediate notification that your alert has been created successfully.

Once ExpertFlyer finds a seat that matches your alert criteria, you’ll receive an email notification. At that point, you can access your booking directly with the operating airline and select your seat. Do so immediately, especially if your flight departs within 24 to 48 hours. Open seats tend to be purchased quickly at the last minute, so you’ll want to maximize your chances of picking a better seat.

You are limited to only one alert at a time with the free account. You can only use free alerts to notify you of open passages or windows. But you can purchase additional alerts that are also valid for the three additional alert settings above – exit row, two seats together, or specific seats – for $0.99 each.

If you find yourself purchasing seat notifications with a free account, you may want to upgrade to a Basic or Premium membership. These memberships unlock four or 200 simultaneous alerts, respectively, and allow you to use additional alert settings. Plus, the Basic and Premium memberships offer a wealth of invaluable perks for frequent award-winning travelers.

How often is the ExpertFlyer seat alert successful?

In 2019, TPG ran a data test to determine how often ExperFlyer seat warnings were successful. TPG reviewed all ExpertFlyer seat warnings that had at least one search associated with them between August 1 and September 24, 2019 – for a total of 29,706 unique alerts for 111 airlines no – and found that 91.4% of individual alerts were successful at least once.

Of course, this analysis used pre-pandemic data. But I can tell you that I regularly set ExpertFlyer seat alerts for my flights when I want to switch to a better seat, and these warnings come up frequently. A few things that could explain why ExpertFlyer’s seat warnings often find a better seat before take-off:

1. Other passengers are upgraded.
2. Other passengers change flights.
3. Other passengers change seats.
4. An airline changes the type of equipment to a plane with more seats.
5. An airline blocks seats but then opens them up several hours (or days) before departure.

However, as noted above, you must act quickly after receiving the email if you want to benefit from these ExpertFlyer seat alerts.

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