American Airlines Charges For Front Row Seats

NEW YORK — American Airlines has found another fee.

The Fort Worth, Texas, airline said Wednesday it's now charging between $19 and $39 for "Express Seats" – those spots in the first few rows of coach that include bulkhead seats.

American said the price of the seats includes getting on the plane in the first "general boarding" group of passengers. The seats that will cost extra are in the first two or three rows of the coach cabin, depending on the size of the plane.

Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com, thinks passengers will see more packaged fees like this in the future – where benefits like free standby or boarding perks are included.

The carrier, which is operated by parent AMR Corp., is following in the footsteps of several other airlines who already charge for special seats. UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, Continental Airlines, US Airways, JetBlue, Frontier, Spirit and AirTran all have some seats that cost extra.

The American seats don't give passengers much extra for their money, said Steven Hall of CompareAirlineFees.com. Most of the other airlines' premium seats offer more legroom. But it is a benefit for passengers to be among the first to board the plane, he added.

The seats on American can only be bought at airport kiosks between 24 hours to 50 minutes before the flight for travel within the U.S.

American, the country's second-largest airline behind Delta Air Lines, still provides its elite frequent fliers those seats for no extra charge. American also charges fees for checked bags, priority boarding, booking on the phone or in person, "sleep sets," unaccompanied minors and pets.

On Tuesday, AirTran raised its fee for the first checked bag by $5 to $20 for travel starting in September. The cost is now on par with bigger airlines.

U.S. airlines collected about $1.9 billion from fees in the first quarter, the most recent period for which data is available from the Transportation Department. American's share of that was $261.1 million.

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AP Airlines Writer David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.

Comments

[Isac C]

03:49 PM on 09/16/2010

Go Southwest!

[domingueza]

12:09 PM on 08/20/2010

They charge $20 for the first bag?
I guess I'll have to travel without any bags, I think it's offensive what they already charge only to add all these great ideas.
Terrible service and high costs.
I'd rather drive whenever possible, it's cheaper, I get to enjoy the drive and I get to stop wherever I want.

[Thinklongterm]

01:12 AM on 08/20/2010

Are they trying to piss people off and go bankrupt in the process? Sure seems like it.

[Mahi Joe]

03:20 PM on 08/19/2010

I think I should charge all the airlines that fly in the air space over my house a fee something like $19 per plane.

[poorker]

01:49 PM on 08/19/2010

Here are the missed opportunities for the airlines:
- Charging for using the bathroom
- Charging for the flight attendants
- Charging for a reclining seat
- Charging for seating on the back of the plane - boards first and is safer
- Charging for the section of the plane with least noise
- Charging for seats with the clearest panorama views
- Charging for getting out of the plane first regardless of seat
- Charging for using e-tickets (this one would be interesting)
- Charging for handling the luggage and not just the luggage space
- Charging traveling on faster planes
- Charging for water and drinks
- Charging for safety - The more experienced the pilot, the more expensive the ticket
- Charging for air conditioning and/or heat
- Charging for boarding via a skyway as oppose to walking to the plane
- Charging for booking the ticket beyond the cost of the ticket
- Charging for a pillow - hard to find anyway
- Charging for being late, even if enough time to board. Whatever time they set
- Charging for faster security checks
- Charging for the equipment (the airplane itself, since they already charge for the fuel).
- Charging for the Air Marshall) someone has to pay for that seat)
- Charging for confirmation emails
- Charging for TBD (just in case in flight they forget to charge for something).

So you see, there are plenty opportunities left to increase profits. Just find a way

[Georgia Yankee]

06:14 PM on 08/19/2010

25 cent coin slot to open or close the window shades

[tkns]

06:56 PM on 08/19/2010

Hey-don't give them ideas !!! They may just use these. Have to pay for those millions of dollars in bonus for the top management ya konw!

[SwingingFromCenter]

01:23 PM on 08/19/2010

American is on my list of "never fly" airlines, so this doesn't affect me, but...if you're going to fly coach, why would you want the first couple of rows? Typically the bulkhead seats up front have LESS room than the other seats, because you can't even stretch your feet under the seat in front of you.

Domestic carriers just don't get it. Consumers are angry and keep railing against this fee-based structure, and instead of abandoning it in favour of the model successful international carriers use, they just make it more convoluted and laden with stuff.

Personally, I hope they all go bankrupt.

[nomadsborker]

08:08 AM on 08/19/2010

So we get to pay extra, so we can sit further up, in Coach? That's just sad...

[DMaven]

10:08 AM on 08/19/2010

Ohhhh so close to the coveted front cabin!!!

[millebocca]

06:52 AM on 08/19/2010

an image comes to mind from an episode of either beverly hillbillies or green acres -- same difference - where they had their own airline. the interior of the plane consisted of wooden benches with seatbelts mere pieces of twine. we are just about there.

[evan la]

03:09 AM on 08/19/2010

Ya'll wanted cheap de-regulated airlines. There you go.

[chedet]

05:33 AM on 08/19/2010

Yes GOP's wet dream.

[nomadsborker]

08:09 AM on 08/19/2010

Yes, and the democratically held majorities during Clinton's and Obama's tenure sure did a lot to change that. Hypocrites.

[Thinklongterm]

01:11 AM on 08/20/2010

With Clinton you might have a point. Obama can't get anything done with the GOP tools in the Senate blocking anything that will help the consumer.

Otherwise I say deregulation is the reason why this country is in the toilet. Blame it on the corporate owned GOP and the DLC Dems.

[enh8g2]

01:16 AM on 08/19/2010

I hate nickel and diming in any form, I'd rather just pay for everything that should be included when I purchase my airfare.

[wishfulslinking]

12:20 PM on 08/19/2010

BINGO!

[ChicagoBob]

11:27 PM on 08/18/2010

My favorite, recent airline moment was out of Orlando with; 130+ people in line, TWO ticket agents serving first class, ONE ticket agent serving everybody else.

Then a dispute with the coach agent. Ten minutes of argument. The TWO first class agents stand around and watch (serving two passengers in the ten minute time) before they start to take coach passengers.

The airline? It was not Southwest.

[ChicagoBob]

11:21 PM on 08/18/2010

The last two rows are safer.

[Gary Reece]

10:56 PM on 08/18/2010

If you want to fly cheap, in a cattle car, smells like a cattle barn, then fly the friendly skies of Americas most money making airline, "Allegiant". Of course you fly in OLD< OLD MD80's that everyone else is junking, you pay your money and take your chance !

[SwingingFromCenter]

01:24 PM on 08/19/2010

I flew Allegiant once. It was actually a really good experience. They g.utted out the insides of the MD's and created seats that had a tonne of legroom, the plane had obviously gone through some noise-cancellation retrofitting, and the aircraft was obviously well taken care of, inside and out.

[Alberto Guerrini]

10:38 PM on 08/18/2010

Will I get a discount if I chose to sit in the toilet?

[wishfulslinking]

09:49 PM on 08/18/2010

American airlines are vile, crude, and no better then the lowest form of public transport.

Even a third world airline has better service, cleaniliness, and meals.

I was half in 1st class today, half in economy on United.

VILE!