Holidaymakers Warned of New Airline Scam Targeting Seat Reservations
Travellers jetting off on their well-deserved holidays are being warned about a sophisticated new scam designed to fleece them out of their hard-earned cash. Fraudsters are now impersonating airline staff, contacting unsuspecting passengers with fabricated issues regarding their seat selections and demanding payment for non-existent guarantees. This cunning tactic, which has already seen millions lost to holiday booking scams, is now specifically targeting the pre-flight booking process.
Consumer protection platform ‘Who Called Me’ has been inundated with reports from concerned travellers who have narrowly avoided falling victim to this elaborate deception. The modus operandi is chillingly simple yet effective: a scammer, posing as an employee of a major UK airline, contacts the holidaymaker. They typically claim that a “system glitch” has caused a problem with the passenger’s seat selection, often offering to resolve it over the phone.
The Deceptive Offer
The crux of the scam lies in the offer to “secure” preferred seats. The fraudulent caller will inform the traveller that the issue can be rectified, and their desired seating arrangements confirmed, but only if they pay an additional fee. This fee, of course, is for seats that do not exist and will never be allocated.
Consumer experts at Phonely have been quick to highlight the danger, strongly advising that these “guaranteed” seats are entirely fictitious. They stress that legitimate airlines almost never contact passengers directly to solicit payment for seat reservations. Such arrangements are typically handled exclusively through the airline’s official website or mobile application.
Tales of Close Calls
Several holidaymakers have bravely shared their harrowing experiences anonymously with the ‘Who Called Me’ platform, recounting how close they came to losing money.
One individual described their unnerving encounter: “I’d done a Google search to manage my booking and select my seats when I received a call. The person on the other end claimed there was a computer glitch and that my seat selection could be done over the phone. I had already accessed the British Airways website, so I initially thought it was legitimate.”
However, this savvy traveller became suspicious when the scammer became insistent. “The person wouldn’t end the call and insisted the seat wouldn’t be guaranteed unless I paid. I knew that wasn’t true because my airline membership already guaranteed my seat. I ended the call. It was a very close call.”
In another alarming instance, a passenger was contacted by a fraudster mere minutes after concluding a legitimate conversation with the airline’s customer service. “No sooner had I put my phone down than another man called, claiming he could help me with my preferred seats. He quoted £95 each,” they recounted. “He sounded so convincing, as he had information I had just been discussing with customer care. I almost gave him my details… a very close call indeed.”
The Growing Threat of Holiday Scams
The scale of financial losses to holiday booking scams is staggering. According to the Report Fraud show, an eye-watering £11 million was lost to such fraudulent activities in 2024 alone. This new tactic of impersonating airline staff to extort money for non-existent seat guarantees represents a worrying escalation in the methods employed by these criminals.
Bryn Thompson, director at Phonely, has issued a stern warning about this evolving scam. “While impersonating airline staff is not a new tactic, targeting passengers specifically with fake seat reservation calls is something we have only recently started receiving reports about,” he explained.
Thompson reiterated the crucial advice for travellers: “Airlines do not typically call customers out of the blue to take payment for seat reservations. This is usually done through their official website or app. If you receive an unexpected call asking for payment, that should immediately raise alarm bells.”
How to Protect Yourself
Holidaymakers are urged to remain vigilant and follow these essential tips to safeguard themselves from this and similar scams:
- Never Share Sensitive Information Over the Phone: Be wary of unsolicited calls asking for personal details, payment information, or booking references.
- Verify Directly with the Airline: If you receive an unusual call regarding your booking, hang up and contact the airline directly using their official contact details found on their website. Do not use any numbers provided by the caller.
- Book Through Official Channels: Always book flights and manage your bookings through the airline’s official website or their authorised mobile app.
- Be Skeptical of Urgent Requests: Scammers often create a sense of urgency to pressure victims into acting without thinking.
- Trust Your Instincts: If something feels too good to be true, or if a caller is making you uncomfortable, it’s likely a scam.
By staying informed and adopting a cautious approach, travellers can significantly reduce their risk of becoming another victim of these predatory schemes and ensure their holiday plans remain secure.
