Skift Take
This is a tough call. In some ways, what United is doing with preferred seats is unfair. It may make it harder for families to sit together. But at the same time, most of United's competitors have similar fees.
United Airlines soon will charge extra money for what it calls preferred seats in economy class that do not have extra legroom or any other amenities but are considered more desirable, the airline's president, Scott Kirby, said Tuesday in an interview.
It will depend on the aircraft, but the seats will be located just behind United's extra-legroom section called Economy Plus. The seats available for the extra fee generally will be aisle and window seats passengers tend to prefer. Kirby did not say when United will implement the changes, or how much preferred seats will cost.
"We've got Economy Plus today, which has more legroom, but there are also rows that don't have more legroom but they are at the front of the airplane," he said during a discussion at the International Aviation Forecast Summit in Denver. "We are now going to let those people select those seats as well for a fee."
Once, an airplane's cabin consisted just of a coach and first class cabin. But today, most airlines are segmenting offerings so passengers get exactly what they pay for — and nothing more. As the president of three airlines — US Airways, then American Airlin
