Aer Lingus is to charge passengers up to €15 per flight for the privilege of choosing where they can sit on its aircraft.
In its latest revenue-boosting move, the airline has announced it is introducing the option of prebooked seating on short-haul flights.
From tomorrow until May 22nd, customers buying tickets online can prebook seats on flights in Europe for €3 per flight.
However, from May 23rd the cost of prebooking will rise to €10 for the first five seat rows, €15 for an exit-row seat, with all remaining seats costing €3 to prebook.
The chairwoman of the National Consumer Agency, Ann Fitzgerald, last night denounced the charges.
"This is purely a money-making exercise, a new way of charging consumers for something that was already available."
Last month the airline increased its baggage-handling charges by 25 per cent without any formal announcement, only two months after it first introduced the charge.
Both Ryanair and Aer Lingus have introduced baggage charges but so far there is no indication that Ryanair plans to follow its rival's example by charging for prebooking.
Aer Lingus says customers will still be able to select their seat from what remains when checking in at no additional charge.
It says seat-selection policy on long-haul flights is under review. It told The Irish Times it was looking at the possibility of charging passengers for selecting their seats, but had not made a decision.
Last night Aer Lingus commercial director Enda Corneille said the new prebooking charges were a response to customer demand.
He claimed the prebooking facility would lead to greater speed and efficiency in boarding and disembarking, particularly for the "time-sensitive business traveller".
The airline said it would be selling travel insurance online as part of the booking process from next week.
Ms Fitzgerald expressed concern that Aer Lingus would emulate Ryanair, whose travel insurance many online customers find difficult to avoid paying for even if they do not want it.
Last month Aer Lingus announced that profits after tax fell 5 per cent to €77.4 million due to the costs of defending Ryanair's proposed takeover, higher fuel costs and the effects of a terrorism incident in the UK last summer.
It promised to reduce costs further and grow "ancillary income" from extra charges to passengers.
