United to sell empty middle-seat rows on Airbus A321XLR jets
United says select A321XLR rows will leave the middle seat open, adding another paid option as airlines split cabins into more fare types.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
United Airlines plans to charge passengers for a row with no middle-seat neighbor on its Airbus A321XLR aircraft, CNBC reported. The move adds another paid option to cabins that airlines have been dividing into more fare categories and add-on products.
United said Tuesday that one row on the long-range narrow-body jet will keep the middle seat empty and replace it with a tray table shared by the passengers in the aisle and window seats. CNBC reported that the seats will be located in United’s extra-legroom section.
The airline has not disclosed the price for the new seating option, according to CNBC. United said the seats are expected to go on sale later this year and that it could add the setup to aircraft beyond the A321XLR.
A European-style seating product
CNBC reported that selling an empty middle seat is more common in Europe, where airlines often use the format for short-haul business class. In those cabins, carriers can offer a wider-feeling seating experience without installing a separate business-class seat.
United’s version will appear on a narrow-body aircraft designed for longer routes, according to CNBC. The Airbus A321XLR is a long-range single-aisle jet, and United is using the aircraft as part of its broader effort to sell more premium and semi-premium options.
The empty-middle-seat product sits in the airline’s roomier section rather than in a separate front-cabin product, CNBC reported. That gives United another way to price seats inside the economy cabin by offering more space and fewer seatmates.
Airlines keep dividing fare products
CNBC described the new United option as part of a wider push by airlines to sell more cabin extras or charge separately for benefits that were once bundled with a ticket. Last week, CNBC reported that Delta Air Lines joined United in offering lower-priced business-class and premium-economy fares that exclude some perks.
According to CNBC, Delta’s least expensive long-haul business-class tickets will no longer include access to the carrier’s top Delta One lounge or seat selection. United has also been adding other products aimed at passengers willing to pay more for comfort inside existing aircraft layouts.
In March, United said it planned to introduce a set of three economy seats that can convert into a bed on some wide-body planes, CNBC reported. The airline calls that product the “Relax Row.”
CNBC reported that airlines have spent years expanding premium cabins because spending in those sections has held up better than in some other parts of the business. More elaborate premium seats have also created production bottlenecks that have delayed deliveries of new aircraft, according to CNBC.
United’s empty-middle-seat option gives the carrier a smaller cabin change than a new business-class suite while still creating another fare tier. The airline has not said when the first flights with the product will operate or which routes will use it, CNBC reported.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.