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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Extra legroom to cost more

Air Canada's move follows other carriers

By: Sarah Schmidt

Posted: 11/13/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

Air Canada will be charging up to $35 for a prized seat with more legroom on domestic flights — and that applies to new moms with babies. (TED JACOB / THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES)

OTTAWA -- Canada's largest airline announced Thursday passengers looking for extra legroom will have to cough up extra cash.

Air Canada is joining a growing number of carriers, including its main Canadian competitor, WestJet Airlines, by offering customers preferred seats for a price.

The seats, costing up to $35 per one-way trip for domestic flights and up $75 for international flights, are usually located in exit or bulkhead rows.

The new policy also applies to new moms travelling with infants hoping to snap up a prized seat with room for a bassinet in the bulkhead row. In some aircraft, these seats, located directly behind a physical partition or wall, still have bassinets dubbed "sky cots" for infants to sleep.

In the past, airline staff would routinely place new moms travelling with their infants in seats in the bulkhead row.

In a statement, Air Canada's executive vice-president and chief commercial officer said the airline is responding to consumer demands.

Some customers "have indicated they prefer the additional legroom afforded by certain seats in the economy cabin of our aircraft, notably those located in exit rows or near internal dividers known as bulkheads," said Ben Smith.

"With our Preferred Seat option, we are giving customers the opportunity to reserve these seats in advance so they can look forward to their trip knowing they will enjoy extra comfort."

Air Canada already charges up to $22 one-way for passengers to reserve a standard seat in advance of domestic Tango flights. Now, a family of four flying on the same Tango flight will have to pay an additional $13 per person, or $35 each way, to reserve seats with more legroom, totalling $280.

Harry Gow, a spokesman for the Canadian Association of Airline Passengers, said paying extra for legroom is becoming common in the airline industry and is part of a pattern of charging for "everything, including the air you breathe."

He also said "it does provide an option for those who are longitudinally challenged, that is they're over five-foot-five," pointing out "seat pitches in airlines have gotten tighter."

But Gow took exception to applying the new charge to new moms seeking bulkhead seats in aircraft with bassinets.

"I suppose now the mommy and kiddie have to pay extra? That's really a backward move," said Gow.

"There's the airline Scrooge giving out its pre-Christmas gifts."

WestJet last year started charging passengers up to $15 to reserve seats with extra legroom.

Porter Airlines, a Toronto-based regional carrier, does not charge passengers to book special seats.

A spokeswoman said Porter aircraft have five to 7.5 centimetres more pitch between seats throughout the aircraft, so all seats are comfortable.

-- Canwest News Service

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 13, 2009 B4

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