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Extra legroom to cost more

Air Canada's move follows other carriers

By: Sarah Schmidt

13/11/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 10

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 Enlarge Image

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.

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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10 Commentscomment icon

Hey Proud AC Employee, you do make some good points. And I give AC credit for the seatback entertainment system they put in to compete with WestJet, they really used their heads on designing that. (I enjoy it but I literally cringe when I find out my AC flight doesn't have it.)

But my impression of AC, and I think this is what the others are getting at, is flying AC is just somehow a negative experience. The staff always seem miserable and cranky and as a result it's a downer. In fact flying AC is like a common Canadian joke that bonds us all from East to West - like talking about the weather, we can bond from how unpleasant our AC experience was.

BTW:
WestJet introduces new seat selection option
July 16, 2008

WestJet today announced the introduction of a new seat selection option, which for a nominal fee, will allow guests to choose where they will be seated at the time of booking, or up to 24 hours before their flight departs.

The seat selection fee will be $10 for an aisle, middle or window seat, and $15 for seats in the coveted exit rows, which have substantially more legroom. WestJet guests will still be able to select their seat at no charge when using Web check-in or Mobile check-in within 24 hours of their flight.

This amounts to nothing less than discrimination. I did not chose to be tall, why should it cost me more?

I'm still waiting for the airline that goes to the natural conclusion of all of this and requires that all passengers be sedated for the flight so each person can be laid on on a cot and packed more efficiently. This would reduce the need to upgrade the cabins, provide in-seat audio/visual, or provide any food or beverage service. Heck, they can even do away with the washrooms.

About the only options would be the traveler's choice of standard or comfy pillow, and having the surly or cute flight attendant tuck you in before you are sedated.

In these conditions the 2+ hour flight to Toronto might not seem so bad, and I'd be rested when I arrive at Pearson.

How narrow minded people are. One word about AC and it is "how we hate Air Canada" and how wonderful Westjet is. Did anyone bother to read the line that says 'WestJet last year started charging passengers up to $15 to reserve seats with extra legroom, and not a damn word from anyone. The bottom line is IT IS AN OPTION, you do not need to pay it if you dont want to. Pay your 99.00 plus taxes and you will get a seat and arrive safely.

Has anyone ever looked at the number of employees the 2 airlines employ in Winnipeg. AC probably 2000+ WJ maybe a couple of hundred.

As for the misconception that WJ is cheaper I checked out 5 ramdom routes from Winnipeg and compared the 2 airlines. The fares were identical on both and you can even save money on AC by not collecting Aeroplan Points(something WJ has been talking about for years)

I was going to check out Regina and Saskatoon but remembered WJ pulled out of there as they could not make enough money.

Have you ever tried to buy anything tasty on WJ. NOT..Have you ever tried to watch a movie for free on WJ NOT!

WJ is far from the end all to be all and YES they also get lots of complaints as well




yep.. good ol' Air Canada... can I say I hate this company?? Not sure it's worth the energy.. they could care less. I would give anything if westjet could increase their number of routes into the US and smaller centres.

wow. its actually impressive. not sure how much harder you would have to work to frustrate and anger customers.

who is greenlighting all these policy changes. unbelievable way to treat customers.

mums and mums to be should be given preferential seating. [edited]

Then consider charging $35 less when they sit you next to the toilet!!

All I have to say is lord help you if you end up in the row in FRONT of the emergency exits. The seats don't recline at all because of the isle behind you. If the people with the extra legroom pay more, those in front should get a discount for getting the worst seats.

Finally. I am a big guy and pay more for my cloths and am, most willing to pay for more room. Air Canada is not my preferred air line but westjet is not always an option.

Why would anyone fly Air Canada unless there is absolutely no choice? Their Motto should be: "We're not happy until you're not happy."

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