Buying an entire row or the seat next to you would, previously, have been a fairly niche purchase and often difficult to automate.
But as the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on the operations and fortunes of the travel industry, airlines are trying to both assist anxious passengers and shore up their ancillary revenues.
Airline merchandizing platform provider Plusgrade has this week launched Dynamic Seat Blocker, a tool that it says will capture incremental revenue for carriers and meet the requirements of passengers in a COVID-19 environment.
The tool allows passengers to purchase an empty seat or row beside them on a flight, at a fixed price set by the airline.
It then ensures the seat or row remains empty (no late or distressed sales via other channels) and provides "in-flight social distancing" to buyers.
Plusgrade says Oman Airways, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Etihad Airways and others are due to go live with the tool in the coming weeks.
The tech company's CEO, Ken Harris, says the industry is facing unforeseen challenges "that we feel are ripe for solving."
Plusgrade secured a $150 million boost from an institutional investor in November 2018.
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CPDQ) took equity in the Montreal, Canada-based business as it continued its expansion plan to target new markets as well as grow its products and services out of three main offices in Montreal, New York and Singapore.