繼長榮及國泰決定將777經濟艙由一排9座改為一排10座之後，
AA決定將窄體機椅距由31"縮減至29"/30"，UA考慮跟進。
港龍(誤): 有什麼好驚訝的，我的A320老早就是29"/30"的了。
新聞標題 American Airlines is cutting more legroom in economy class
媒體日期: CNN
報導日期: May 3, 2017: 9:33 AM ET
網址: https://goo.gl/8wH6VD
Just when you thought your legroom in economy class couldn't get tighter.
American Airlines (AAL) is planning to decrease the front-to-back space
between some of its economy class seats by another two inches.
The airline says it plans to add more seats on its coming Boeing (BA) 737 Max
jetliners. To do that, it will shrink the distance between seats, also known
as pitch, from 31 inches to 29 inches on three rows of the airplane, and down
to 30-inches in the rest of its main economy cabin.
American isn't the only big airline heading in this direction. United
Airlines (UAL) is considering a similar move, according to a person briefed
on its evaluations. United declined to comment.
The move signals a new step in the shrinking of U.S. airline cabins, and
comes even as carriers are promising to improve overall customer service.
With the change, American will become the first large U.S. carrier to offer
legroom with a pitch that's nearly on par with ultra-low cost carriers Spirit
Airlines (SAVE) and Frontier Airlines. Those seats are an industry minimum
28-inches apart.
By comparison, economy class pitch on Delta Air Lines (DAL) and United ranges
between 30 and 31 inches, while JetBlue Airways (JBLU), Southwest Airlines
(LUV) and Alaska Airlines (ALK) have between 31 and 33 inches.
The one advantage the big U.S. carriers still have over their lowest-fare
rivals was a few more inches in economy.
The bathrooms on American's 737 Max jets will also be smaller, one person
familiar with the planning said.
The new Max jets will have more than 170 seats, two sources said, compared to
160 on its existing 737-800s. The airline said it is keeping its
extra-legroom 'Main Cabin Extra' economy seats, as well as its 16 first class
seats.
These new single-aisle aircraft will go into use later this year and will
primarily be flown on routes in North America.
Fliers will still pay regular economy fares for the 18 seats with two inches
less leg room. Two of those three rows of 29-inch pitch will be in the back
of the plane and a third farther forward. These seats won't be part of its
new basic economy fares, which sell for less because fliers don't get access
to overhead bins, a seat assignment or frequent flier miles.
An American spokesman said the airline will add 40 Max jets to its fleet by
the end of 2019. It has 100 on order. The airline also said it might make
similar changes to its existing fleet of 737-800s after the Max arrives, but
no decisions have been made.
The tighter legroom may mean that some corporate travel agents who avoid
ultra-low cost airlines will balk at American, said Henry Harteveldt, founder
of the Atmosphere Research Group.
As the big airlines match each other move for move, the risk is that 29
inches becomes the standard for flying economy in the United States. American
has been a bellwether before for the airlines. For instance, it was the first
big U.S. airline to introduce bag fees in 2008.
Airlines have enjoyed strong profits and low fuel fuel prices after a decade
of consolidation. They're adding seats now to help offset rising employee
wages.
"This is one of the best economic environments the U.S. airline industry has
seen in decades," said Harteveldt. "There is no need to race to the bottom."