Airline marketing people often seem to have a different perception of reality, which allows them to claim that reducing legroom and adding more seats to an aircraft is a 'cabin upgrade'. It also allows them to use ridiculous terminology when trying to persuade their customers to spend additional money for extra services.
Case in point - seat reservations on American Airlines. During a recent booking, I was offered the opportunity to reserve a specific seat; including options to pay an additional fee for a seat in "Main Cabin Extra" or a "Preferred Seat". Main Cabin Extra seats offer extra legroom, thereby setting them apart from other seats, and making their purchase worthwhile for someone looking for more comfort. More questionable are the Preferred Seats, which offer no discernible benefits (even American's website can only come up with the fact that they are in "a more favorable location"), and which, in the case of my flight included the opportunity to pay an extra $16 to sit in seat 17E - a middle seat two rows behind the over-wing exits.
Really American Airlines? Does anyone "prefer" to sit in 17E?
Article written: February 2016
