When passengers pay for an upgrade to extra legroom seats, what do they get?
The airlines are taking full advantage of the confusing definitions of extra legroom. Each airline sets its own definitions. They are all now carving up their planes into different sections. Some define these as different cabins. Some don’t. Reality is that though many passengers are treating themselves to extra space, many are paying for nothing.
Heck, I can’t tell the difference between an inch more or less between the seats in the basic economy or the extra-legroom seats. The difference is wasted on me, and I’m 6″2″ tall and weigh about 200 lbs. Readers have asked me whether or not they are getting what they paid for. I swore that different airlines had different definitions of extra-legroom seats and amenities included in the extra-legroom seats. Some airlines seemed to have no difference at all.
Once, I was flying on United Airlines to Europe and got what I considered a regular seat. Of course, I had no boarding card, I was flying on the regular cheap ticket, and I didn’t have to pay for the upgrade. But, as I squeezed myself into the seat, I remember thinking I was sure happy that they provided the extra legroom. It wasn’t until I saw this list that I realized that United Airlines had not offered me anything except a name on the seat.
Most passengers do not know what amenities they receive. Nor have the airlines defined extra-legroom or ensured these benefits.
Here is WSJ’s listing of what passengers get when they pay extra for the seats:
American Main Cabin Extra: Priority boarding, dedicated overhead bins, and complimentary beer, wine, and spirits.
Delta Comfort Plus: Priority boarding, overhead bin space, premium snacks, and free beer, wine, and spirits.
Alaska Premium Class: Priority boarding and complimentary beer, wine, and spirits.
JetBlue Even More Space: Priority security lane and boarding.
Spirit Airlines Big Front Seat: If they have the Big Seat Option, you will get priority boarding and check-in, beer, wine, spirits, snacks, and free wifi.
Frontier Upfront Plus: Blocked middle seat, complimentary beer, wine, spirits, dedicated bin space, two checked bags.
Southwest Airlines hasn’t announced the prices or the amenities in the extra legroom section.
United Economy Plus: Literally nothing.
On short flights you’ll often have no beverage services.
American Main Cabin Extra: Priority boarding, dedicated overhead bins, and complimentary beer, wine, and spirits.Added by the WSJ. Often the drinks are excluded, the water is provided, and the snack basket never makes it out of first class when it is offered. The overhead bins are dedicated where you have dedicated flight attendants; otherwise, it is the normal free for all.
Basically you have few amenities or nothing other than priority boarding and sometimes free drinks. We didn’t get any complimentary drinks on the international flight except wine and beer, which everyone received.
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Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
