"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.

FMI: www.aa.com