Airline passengers hate middle seats. But that’s not why United is getting rid of some of them

By Chris Isidore, CNN

(CNN) — United Airlines is getting rid of some of its middle seats, the bane of any airline passenger.

Last week, the airline announced it will block out two of the middle seats in the “economy plus” section of a new jet debuting this fall. That will give adjoining passengers a bit more elbow room and an extra table – for an additional cost, of course.

“We’re giving customers choice and value in every cabin,” said Andrew Nocella, United’s Chief Commercial Office, in a statement. “Our customers are going to love all these new options.”

Middle seats are among the least popular things for customers, alongside canceled flights and crying babies. Ditching some middle seats is just the latest evolution of how major US airlines cater to passengers willing to pay extra for comfort. Airlines are creating tiers within economy and premium offerings, letting them charge high-paying passengers even more.

“Ten years ago, we were a blunt instrument. We had just a couple of price categories on the shelf,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian told investors last month. “Today we’re continuing to add to that.”

Focusing on higher-paying customers has become central to the business models of United, Delta and American Airlines. Even traditional lower-fare airlines, such as Southwest, JetBlue and Frontier, are seeking to offer more comfort for a price.

Premium seat demand juiced profits for United, Delta and American in the second quarter despite soaring jet fuel costs. Revenue for United’s premium seats was up 16% from last year compared to the 11% growth in basic economy. Delta also saw a 17% jump for premium seats compared to last year, while main cabin revenue rose 8%.

Meanwhile, airlines for budget travelers are having financial trouble, with ultra-low fare pioneer Spirit even going out of business in May.

“Economy plus” seats with extra legroom, at a modest charge of about $40 per seat, is only the first of many premium options for customers of major US airlines. Then comes business class seats, which are wider, all the way up to lie-flat “suites” with privacy doors for long-distance flights.

Air travel experts say that removing middle seats could prove to be a financial win for the company.

These changes will debut with United’s new plane, the Airbus A321XLR, which has 152 seats. By removing the two seats and taking capacity down to 150 seats, United could conceivably eliminate one flight attendant per flight and save money on staffing, said Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst for Atmosphere Research. Federal Aviation Administration regulations require one flight attendant for every 50 passenger seats on a plane.

United told CNN its longer, trans-Atlantic flight with the blocked-out seats will keep the same number of flight attendants.

But whatever the staffing, the new arrangement also allows the airline to charge extra for the adjoining seats, likely recovering any lost fare.

While bargain-hunting passengers at the back of the plane are more likely to accept the middle seat to save on airfare, those in economy plus are more difficult to sell, said Zack Griff, author of the airline newsletter From the Tray Table.

“The (economy plus) middle seat is the last one to get chosen for a reason,” he said.

And adding four seats with extra elbow room is a relatively easy way to create yet another class of seats for travelers within economy plus.

“(United will) charge more than economy plus, but less than premium seating,” Griff said.

United said it will announce pricing for the seats later this year. But Hartevedlt said it may sell the “extra elbow room” seats at a lower introductory price and increase the price over time.

“One thing airlines do well is gauging consumers’ willingness to pay for various products,” he said.

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