Expats face paying extra to fly to and from the Cyprus with British Airways after the airline announced it will charge customers to guarantee they can sit together.
The company, which operates flights daily to the UK from Larnaca, lost £401 million last year, will make customers pay to reserve specific seats in a bid to improve its dire finances.
Those who want to make sure they sit in a group or have a preference for aisle, window or exit seats will be affected.
The changes start on 7 October, and people who have already booked tickets on flights leaving after that date will not escape the charges.
A leading trade union accused British Airways of suffering an "identity crisis" over the latest moves to cut costs. Unite said the airline was following low-cost carriers by introducing charges for seat reservations and warned it could drive customers away.
The unions said the move "tarnished" the airline's image and was another "misguided attempt" to mimic budget airlines.
British Airways operation in Cyprus currently runs routes from Paphos to Gatwick and Larnaca to Heathrow.
Other airlines, including Virgin, Air France and Delta, already charge for exit seats.
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