KLM flight from AMS to Venice

They​ will not charge you. just let the computer default to select the seat for you. This just another way airlines try to make money

The leg from AMS to VCE is operated by KLM. Just buy the ticket for now. Then once you have it, contact KLM and see if they can select a seat for you for free. If you don't select ahead you might end up in a middle seat. Which may not be ideal but on the other hand it's only a short 90 min flight therefore it's not a big deal.

I'm going to be flying AMS to Lyon next month, and yes, there is a $5 fee to select a seat in advance, but no charge if we just wait. So far I've held off reserving a seat. Last I looked there were plenty of seats, and in any event it's a short flight.

For $5, I would choice my seat. After spending several hundred dollars to get there you bulk at $5. Understand if it was $50. It is irritating, I know (nickle, dime to death) but that is the game these days.

$5 is what I paid to reserve a seat from Paris-Nice on May 1 of this year. It's a KLM flight and to avoid the fee you must wait until 24 hours before the flight to select your seat.

Although I don't like to support this particular airline revenue-enhancement technique, I opted not to get excited about $5 (or the $20 or so I paid from the US to Paris) after scoring a $536 RT fare into Nice and returning from London. Virgin Atlantic hasn't (so far) gotten any money from me for the return flight. The fee is higher for that one, and I'm trying to hold out.

it's kinda funny what we will not pay for after paying a few hundred for a ticket. If I want to advance pick a seat with our BA flight next month, I think it's $25 (or most likely GBP, which is about $40). I'll tale my chances - on a short flight from LHR to AMS, I don't really care where I sit. If it was $5, I wouldn't blink an eye and would pick a seat.

When we flew from Nice to LGW, I think we just got seats when we showed up at the airport. Hubby was one row ahead of me, but we both had an empty middle seat in our rows...but we both liked the idea of having that bit of extra elbow room (as I'm sure the window seat people did as well). So we just went with it (plus - we weren't sure someone else wouldn't show up to claim the seat).

The Atlantic is a business barrier as well as a travel obstacle. Intercontinental amenities on international airlines may not be mirrored by their interior European operations, at least for cabin and luggage services.
The cost of jet fuel expended is not a deciding factor. On their "domestic" European runs they must compete with aggressive budget airlines. Often they have imitated the budget pricing strategies on seat assignment and baggage limits within Europe. Aer Lingus, for instance, goes head-to-head out of Dublin to the European continent with Ryanair, the biggest airline in Europe by passenger volume. To survive on those routes, Aer Lingus employs budget tactics. But at least the traditional lines will book all legs of the itinerary together.

For the record, I now recall how we ended up with our seats when we flew Nice to LGW...I checked in in during the 24 hr window, and BA assigned us seats. I could then change it for a fee! And this was within the 24 hr check in. Needless to say, I wasn't going to pay $25 to change my seats for a short flight.