actually, I think that the first time I heard of it, it may have been from a frum ElAl person at the airport who asked me if I wanted what she referred to as “mehadrin seating”. That was the first time I heard of it.
That’s how I remember it, but does that make sense? Don’t you usually get a seat when you call and reserve your ticket? Is it possible that someone at the airport asked me what seat I wanted?