Looking for a bit of extra legroom without paying? Think again. Airlines have strengthened their policies—either pay up or miss out. This trend has taken off on flights to Hawaii, leaving passengers with fewer ways to stretch out.
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I think that only people who pay for the extra leg room should get it. If the airlines give them away to passengers who didn’t pay extra for them, then they should have to refund the money to those that did. Everyone had the opportunity to pay for them and some made the choice to decline.
I think we having to pay even more for a seat with extra comfort Is wrong. We pay enough for the ticket and our seat should be included to be comfort! It is just another way to rip us off!
As a small business owner in a big business world I am increasingly concerned about the direction of business/society. There seems to be a mean and punitive attitude toward one’s fellow man. The bottom line is the only concern. Airlines are part of this ‘business model’. The result is not good or fair for the in the trenches, (flight attendents) workers. This negativity spills over to the passenger. It’s time we really think about what we are doing. When is enough enough?
Seems fine to up-charge during flight or keep seat empty. You get what you pay for. No freebies as it seems to cause more entitlement issues. Plus if airlines find more people willing to pay for business class legroom, then maybe they’ll add more business class seats to flights and less of the cramped standard seats in the future.
And this folks is why the world is so divided. No one is living Aloha or having the Aloha spirit. Comfort, kindness and Free Upgrades be damned! You paid for an economy seat you Shall Not Pass! Truly sad and pathetic at all the greedy boomers here refusing to show one ounce of empathy, kindness, compassion or charity. If a seat is empty and someone asks for it I’ll be happy to move them there. And yes I am a flight attendant and yes my brother is a pilot. (will not say which airline)
Hi
Unless you can accommodate all the other passengers to upgrade at no charge. That would not be fair to the other passengers. I don’t think it has to do with greed. Pay for the seat that you will be comfortable in.
Thank you! I could not agree more!
Airlines need to survive. United has been selling ‘special seats’ for many times. Southwest would be assigning seats in 2025. So buying an extra legroom during purchase is a good idea. I am slightly handicapped. I don’t need a legroom – I need an aisle seat and if I have to pay for comfort so be it.
Former flight attendant here: The product is available for purchase. If the row has two empty seats then that is a lucky plus for the purchaser. But if you choose to purchase the cheaper fare, why on earth would you be entitled to something more?
It didn’t happen often but when it did we had no trouble telling the passenger to return to their seat.
Agreed…those premium seats carry an extra fee (which I paid for). Customers who have not paid for those and chose to purchase an economy seat are not authorized to sit in the vacant premium plus seat. You get what you paid for.
You should only get what you pay for on a plane or anywhere else.
I always pay extra to fly first class domestically and for premium economy when flying internationally (and I select and purchase my seat ahead of time.) I would be most offended if a passenger in regular economy was allowed to just wander over to one of the more comfortable seats without paying extra for it!!! I am appalled to think that is being allowed! If there are better, empty seats available, the airline should definitely be able to regulate their assignment!!!
Flying today is like putting rats in a box – with no room to move, the rats start attacking each other. Airlines putting in more rows of seats leaves no room for leg room nor can you recline your seat back without infringing on the passenger behind. It is outrageous and now airlines want to charge extra to be somewhat comfortable. Greed is what it is all about. Charge a fare price and treat your passengers like human beings rather than rats.
For me, it’s not about the airline making more money. It’s about the fact that if I had to pay extra for my extra comfort seat, then so should anyone else who occupies the available extra comfort seat.
What about very tall people? When seated in a regular leg room seat and having a bag under the seat in front of me, I’m unable to put the tray down to a level position. Some airlines accommodate extra wide passengers, but I’ve never seen an accommodation for a tall person. I fly Southwest, and always pay for upgraded boarding which usually takes care of it for me, but in this regard, should I really have to pay extra?
Probably should have said, I’m 6’5 also.
Bob,
Yes, you should have to pay extra. Why wouldn’t you? It’s not the airlines fault that you’re tall.
Agreed! I’m tall too and have zero problems paying for any upgrades whether on planes or for hotel rooms.
Yes.
I have never once had an extra tall European complain about the lack of space in coach. Body builders also have a problem.
That’s what I’m saying this feels just keep adding up I’m glad the people can pay and get the extra room but some of us can’t afford it when you have 3 kids flying with you
Sorry, Tracy when I had younger kids we all sat in coach. Now that kids are grown my wife and I pay extra for comfort or 1st class. Your time will come too.
Hi, Bob. We also always have to pay extra for my big and tall husband so he has leg room. Although I fit anywhere, I also pay extra just to be next to my husband. So we end up paying twice for his comfort. It is what it is but worth it for his comfort. I hope they put in more extra comfort seats and less general seats in the planes some day. It will be more expensive, but that’s flying. Airlines need to stay in business or we’ll have to take a cruise to get to Hawaii.
I always purchase the extra leg room seats and totally agree the free loaders need to be held accountable. The airline is doing what should have been standard practice from day one.
As a person 6ft. 5 in. Tall person, I resent having to pay extra to get legroom that proportiantly is the same compared to a shorter person in a standard seat size. Perhaps a cheaper upgrade for persons over the national average ht?
Sorry, life isn’t always fair. I’m tall too, but gladly pay for the extra space.
This comment may not be directly related to the article posted but I wanted to make mention of this. Paying for a premium seat will not always equate to a premium experience. For example, I recently flew in a paid upgraded seat. However, the upgraded meal choices were limited to me and my son traveling with me because we chose the last row in the premium section resulting in being last to take whatever premium meal was left. I ended up having the economy meal, a disappointment I’d say. You’d think they would change the direction of meal service during the second meal but nope, I was still the last to choose, well….not really a choice.
You know you have to pay for your bags, food and now seats come on airlines give us something for free. I look at it this way it’s a gamble maybe there’s going to be a comfy seat maybe not if your willing to take that chance why not let people sit there. It’s not going to bankrupt the airlines it’s Seats. Assign seats the way you used to I don’t know when this all all started but it’s not right it puts the flight attendants in a bad spot saying no you didn’t pay so you can’t sit here
That’s not right. You didn’t pay for it. Others pay for it don’t freeload. Customers put employees in a tuff spot by trying to take advantage
How about just make every seat extra comfort? Newer planes are trying to squeeze as many people as they can. They should make it standing room only, so they can squeeze more people in. My knees practically touch the back of the seats now.
I wonder whether the article meant “Premium Plus” or “Economy Plus”, because United doesn’t have anything called “Comfort Plus”. The former is a separate cabin with curtain dividers, while the latter is part of the Economy cabin.
There are no physical barriers to Economy Plus but the flight attendants do sometimes keep an eye on them and occasionally market upgrades for them on some flights. I have never seen trays down in empty Economy Plus seats on United.
I’m constantly amused by how obsessed people become with airline seating. You’re basically renting the seat for a relatively short period of time. You’re not taking it home with you! A better sense of perspective might benefit all concerned.
Short is relative if your flying island to island. But sitting for 8+hrs is killer
As someone who typically pays for the extra leg room, as you mentioned in your article, I find this to be the correct thing to do. I am a frequent flyer on JetBlue and they have done this for years. Bravo.
Will flight attendant offer me cash when they see my 6’4″ frame is crammed into a regular seat?
Why would they offer you cash? You’re the one choosing to purchase a less spacious seat.
No, I didn’t choose to buy a less spacious seat; I could only just afford the seat I had. All these people telling us less fortunate people to “just buy a premium seat” ignores reality. We can’t all afford to, it’s all we can afford to buy the seats we have. If the airline is willing to grab your money to allow you to sit more comfortably, then why can’t they take a few of those dollars to give to those us who have to suffer by sitting in their uncomfortable seats.
If you did not pay for it, you are not entitled to the more comfortable seat. If you buy a Ford, you are not entitled to a Lincoln.
If I buy a Ford it’s because I can’t afford (or choose not to squander) the money to buy a Lincoln.
Maybe the airlines should just put a temporary tattoo on everyone’s forehead and hand so they know exactly where they are to be seated and that everyone is just “a number” to the airline. 🙄🤔😂. In response people can start moo-ing like the cattle they are treated like. IMHO the USA based airlines are horrible compared to most foreign airlines for customer service.
As a Hawaiian Pualani Platinum member who flies on Hawaiian Airlines about 10 times a year – roundtrip between LAX and LIH – I have a very strong opinion regarding extra comfort seating. As a Pualani member, I am entitled to upgrade to extra comfort seating at no charge 24 hours prior to departure. I believe I deserve that. What I have found however is that Hawaiian does not make available all the unoccupied extra comfort seats for me to select. Instead, and this is the case when the flight is pretty full, they reserve some of those extra comfort seats so that they can seat the passengers who bought basic economy seats where they do not have a seat selection choice. They do this to fill the seats when it is full. I have had numerous times in the past year where the person sitting next to me in the extra comfort seat told me that they bought the cheapest ticket in the past 2 days and this is where they were seated. Lucky them, unlucky me – Pualani Platinum.
I agree with Hawaiian Airlibe restricting premium seating to those who pay for those services. There is no more frustrating experience when you have paid for an upgrade and stupid people move up to try and not pay for the upgrade.
Interesting comments here… I love the way people, I assume are visitors, translate the word Aloha to mean Entitlement. “The rude flight attendant sent me back to my original seat when I tried to jump into an Extra Comfort seat. No Aloha!”
Isn’t it stealing from the airline if you take something that you have not paid for?
Maximize profit at the expense of safety.
This is not about comfort. This is about not worrying that overly narrow seats and constrained movement from limited legroom increases the chance of deep vein thrombosis, a potentially fatal condition that results from air travel.
It is really quite shameful.
If you have a medical condition then maybe you should pay for the service that makes that more comfortable or maybe not fly if your health is at risk
Maybe airlines should stop making normal seats torture devices for anyone over 5’2″ 100 lbs and charge extra for service instead of charging for less pain.
Matt,
Agreed that the tight seats should be replaced with more comfortable seats. However, that would lead to higher costs per seat, which everyone would have to pay for. So why not just pay for extra comfort anyway? But I suspect folks who want to purchase the “cheap” seats won’t have that option if the plane only has extra comfort. That would leave out a lot of people.
Matt, this is not what it’s about. It’s about getting something you didn’t pay for or earn.
I have zero problems paying for upgrades and I do so that I can enjoy the amenities of a better seat or a hotel room.
You pay for what you get! We all pay for a an air worthy plane to take safely to our destination but it’s up to the passengers to pick the type of seat or class they want. Seats should be strictly enforced.
No profanity so I am not allowed my Free speech. All airlines need a new policy to make passengers comfortable. I’m a senior citizen and remember real leg room real food and real silverware for domestic flights. So if I can drive there I will.
You don’t need profanity to make your point. I too am a senior citizen (62) and gladly pay for the “extras”.
I would gladly pay for the “extras” if I could afford to. Again, someone assuming we can all afford what they can.
Thank you Wade. Drive on!
Sit in the seat you paid for. Want to fly First Class, pay for a First Class ticket. Don’t whine and cry if you don’t get a free upgrade!
What happens when they’re overbooked? Who gets those seats or will they leave them empty?
Typically the move people up when they are oversold in the back.
If the seats are empty, the flight is not overbooked. They’ll upgrade loyalty customers to the next class of seat, opening up the less expensive seats.
This is only proper and fair, some of us ( at 6’6″) need those extra space seats and we pay fir them. It was frustrating that after I had to pay for the seat once we were in the air along comes a poacher and they just sit down
FYI I work for an airline and enforcing extra comfort seats is not a new practice. Many families pay for these seats for their entire group ahead of time. It’s simply unfair to them if a non paying passenger takes the seat inflight.
Having worked in the travel industry since 1987 so much has changed – except for the entitled freeloaders on planes, on cruises, in hotels, and car rentals.
Why not add seat fees, meal fees,air fees legroom fees and meal feels. The airlines take morethan hey give it seems.
I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask if you can move to a better seat but I do get irritated when people sneak into a better seat when I have paid for the extra comfort privilege.
This is the same as walking up to business class and taking an empty seat you didn’t pay for. Should not be allowed or you can buy the upgrade on the plane.
I usually fly Hawaiian to Maui, where my son and grandson live in our condo. I do pay for the upgraded seats and would be annoyed if someone just sat in an empty one without paying. I do like the idea of being able to buy one on the plane if it’s available. And in the past, I have seen a flight attendant, removed someone who tried to sit in a premium seat who hadn’t booked it.
I sit in the extra leg room seats because I have gold status for life. I really don’t want someone sitting next to me who only paid for basic economy. But there’s rarely an empty seat on United anyway. I can’t imagine that anyone would ask to be seated in a middle seat even if it had extra legroom. They seem to assign those seats to people who didn’t think ahead and have seat assignment or who were flying standby anyway.
God forbid someone who only paid for basic economy should next to you!
It’s not about class, it’s about the fairness. If U need it or want it….pay for it!
Can you say spolied!!!! Geez
So….who R U calling spoiled? The one paid for the seat or the freeloader who wants it for free?