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US Airlines In Legroom Battle
January 28, 2004
The biggest airlines in the world are in a battle for the kneecap as United said earlier this week it was taking on American in offering more legroom for passengers in economy class.
United Airlines rolled out advertisements in its hometown of Chicago and other markets saying it plans to expand a service it calls "economy plus" to its entire fleet.
The service offers up to 36 inches (91.4 cm) of pitch -- the distance between two rows of seats -- where the industry standard for pitch is 31 inches to 32 inches (78.7 cm to 81.3 cm). A United spokesman said on Wednesday its entire fleet would be fitted with economy plus by the end of May.
In ads announcing the change, United directly challenged American in the battle for legroom, and American responded by advising customers to read the small print.
American offers its "more room in coach" service on about 75 percent of the planes in its fleet. The seats with more room have between 34 inches to 35 inches (86.4 cm to 88.9 cm) of pitch and do not cost extra.
United's economy plus is only for a few rows of seats. It is offered to customers paying full economy fare and as a frequent flyer reward. Most coach customers on United would still be flying in seats that have the industry standard for legroom.
Last May, American also took away some extra legroom on about 25 percent of its fleet, adding more seats on aircraft used mostly on routes between New York or Miami and the Caribbean or in leisure markets where customers demand low fares.
Last November, low-fare carrier JetBlue said it was removing a row of seats from each aircraft in its fleet. This gave most of their seats a pitch of 34 inches, and the airline did not raise fares when it offered more room.
With so many airlines struggling to repair their fiances after the sharp downturn in business that followed the September 11, 2001 attacks, analysts said carriers must think hard about any plan, such as removing seats, that could cut revenue.
David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, said the most important factor for passengers when selecting a flight is price. Schedule convenience is a close second while factors such as frequent flyer arrangements, or legroom, may be the deciding factor if the other options are equal.
He said United's plan to expand economy plus makes sense because the service offers perks to customers, such as business travelers, who may pay extra or take the carrier frequently.
"It's a good compromise for the people who are loyal. And the people who are paying more are getting more, " he said.
(Reuters)
January 28, 2004
The biggest airlines in the world are in a battle for the kneecap as United said earlier this week it was taking on American in offering more legroom for passengers in economy class.
United Airlines rolled out advertisements in its hometown of Chicago and other markets saying it plans to expand a service it calls "economy plus" to its entire fleet.
The service offers up to 36 inches (91.4 cm) of pitch -- the distance between two rows of seats -- where the industry standard for pitch is 31 inches to 32 inches (78.7 cm to 81.3 cm). A United spokesman said on Wednesday its entire fleet would be fitted with economy plus by the end of May.
In ads announcing the change, United directly challenged American in the battle for legroom, and American responded by advising customers to read the small print.
American offers its "more room in coach" service on about 75 percent of the planes in its fleet. The seats with more room have between 34 inches to 35 inches (86.4 cm to 88.9 cm) of pitch and do not cost extra.
United's economy plus is only for a few rows of seats. It is offered to customers paying full economy fare and as a frequent flyer reward. Most coach customers on United would still be flying in seats that have the industry standard for legroom.
Last May, American also took away some extra legroom on about 25 percent of its fleet, adding more seats on aircraft used mostly on routes between New York or Miami and the Caribbean or in leisure markets where customers demand low fares.
Last November, low-fare carrier JetBlue said it was removing a row of seats from each aircraft in its fleet. This gave most of their seats a pitch of 34 inches, and the airline did not raise fares when it offered more room.
With so many airlines struggling to repair their fiances after the sharp downturn in business that followed the September 11, 2001 attacks, analysts said carriers must think hard about any plan, such as removing seats, that could cut revenue.
David Stempler, president of the Air Travelers Association, said the most important factor for passengers when selecting a flight is price. Schedule convenience is a close second while factors such as frequent flyer arrangements, or legroom, may be the deciding factor if the other options are equal.
He said United's plan to expand economy plus makes sense because the service offers perks to customers, such as business travelers, who may pay extra or take the carrier frequently.
"It's a good compromise for the people who are loyal. And the people who are paying more are getting more, " he said.
(Reuters)