Tips to snag seats together on holiday flights

Airlines are making it much more difficult for groups of travelers to sit together — unless they want to pay extra for seats with more legroom or those near the front of the plane. Since last Thanksgiving, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier and United have increased the number of coach seats requiring an extra fee. That means it's much more difficult to find adjacent seats unless passengers pay an extra $25 per person, each way.

But don't fret. There are still a few things fliers can do between now and takeoff to snag seats together:

— Confirm your seat assignments online with the airline now. Sometimes plane types are switched between booking and departure, meaning there's a whole new seat layout. And if you booked through Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity or other third-parties, your assignment might not have been recorded correctly with the airline.

— Set up alerts for seat openings. ExpertFlyer.com offers free notifications when a window or aisle seat becomes vacant. For 99 cents, it sends an email if two adjacent seats become available.

— Check the airline's website five days before the trip. That's when some elite fliers are upgraded to first class, freeing up their coach seats. Another wave of upgrades occurs every 24 to 48 hours.