Originally Posted by
dc10forlife
It would be interesting to see the percentage of MCE/Comfort Plus/Extra Legroom seats that are purchased by customers vs. those that are given to elites for free vs. those that are given away for free to non-elites (due to a fully booked cabin).
As an elite, free access to an extended legroom seat for me and at least one travel companion is a major reason for me to pursue status. And if I fly on an airline where I don’t have status, I usually buy such a seat.
If I can’t get a seat with decent legroom at the time I book the flight, I am unlikely to book that flight. So if there are only a few onboard, that means for many flights I will book some other flight and likely different airline.
So UA is likely sacrificing some legroom from regular Y to fund that (in addition to not having a bulkhead behind premium economy).
I hate to say I agree with UA’s approach here, but if AA is allocating more legroom to regular Y on the XLR, they’re unlikely to get a fare premium for it.
More Room Throughout Coach.