Thu, Aug 19, 2010
"Express Seating" Tacks On An Additional Charge For The First
Few Rows Of Economy Class
If you're hoping to sit in the
first few rows of coach on American Airlines, be prepared to pony
up an additional $19 to $39 bucks. The legacy carrier says it is
charging a premium seat fee to passengers who select seats in the
front section of the economy cabin.
You can still pick a seat towards the back at no charge.
Dallas Television station KXAS reports that the reserved seats
will only be sold through the self-service check-in kiosks at the
airport. Passengers paying the additional fee for "Express Seating"
will also be allowed to board in the first group of passengers. The
seats in the front will also be available to AA's most frequent
flyers.
"Express Seats highlights American's focus on offering customers
what they value most," Virasb Vahidi, the airline's chief
commercial officer, said in a statement. Others, however, see the
move as simply a way to boost the price of a regular coach seat, a
practice the government has questioned as a way for airlines to
charge more and avoid taxes, or to appear higher on low-fare
aggregator websites.
It is not clear whether American would fly with those seats
unfilled, or whether they would be offered to confirmed or standby
passengers who chose not to pay the fee if they were the only seats
available.
American is not the only airline to impose such fees. AirTran
charges for advance seat selection, and Continental charges
for "desirable" qualities such as additional leg room.
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