What Do People Use AS More Legroom Seats (Premium Class and Exit Rows) For?
Sep 7, 2018, 3:27 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: AS 75K (OW), SK Silver (*A), UR, MR
Posts: 3,346
What Do People Use AS More Legroom Seats (Premium Class and Exit Rows) For?
The answer may seem obvious. For your legs of course. But sitting vertically for full back support with your knees at a 90 degree angle leaves space to the seat in front of you. Or while more relaxed, leaning the seat back allows you to stretch your legs under the seat in front of you.
What am I missing? A JFK-SFO $113 economy seat up front that I reserved long ago on Virgin later changed to Alaska premium class. I was amused I got to keep it, but just couldn’t find comfort in the extra space, just as sticking my leg into the aisle doesn’t enhance my 6” tall experience.
What am I missing? A JFK-SFO $113 economy seat up front that I reserved long ago on Virgin later changed to Alaska premium class. I was amused I got to keep it, but just couldn’t find comfort in the extra space, just as sticking my leg into the aisle doesn’t enhance my 6” tall experience.
Last edited by vanillabean; Sep 7, 2018 at 3:43 pm
Sep 7, 2018, 4:58 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Renton, WA
Programs: Alaska Mileage Plan MVP
Posts: 58
Everyone's different, but at 6'3" my knees hit the seat in front of me even if I'm sitting up straight in most standard economy layouts (AS included).
Plus I'm sure many people don't like the cramped confines of an airplane in general, and a few extra inches of space can do wonders for their psyche.
Plus I'm sure many people don't like the cramped confines of an airplane in general, and a few extra inches of space can do wonders for their psyche.
Sep 7, 2018, 6:13 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AS MVPG, HH Diamond
Posts: 232
Bingo (At least for me.) The few extra inches are great, especially if the person in front reclines, simply because it makes it somewhat less claustrophobic. On a transcon, that's a big deal.
Sep 7, 2018, 6:37 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 1,357
With more legroom, I can still use my laptop even if the person in front of me reclines the seat -- big difference compared to regular economy seats! Also, easier to get in/out of a window or middle seat to use the lavatory.
Sep 7, 2018, 7:08 pm
#5
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,429
The answer may seem obvious. For your legs of course. But sitting vertically for full back support with your knees at a 90 degree angle leaves space to the seat in front of you. Or while more relaxed, leaning the seat back allows you to stretch your legs under the seat in front of you.
What am I missing? A JFK-SFO $113 economy seat up front that I reserved long ago on Virgin later changed to Alaska premium class. I was amused I got to keep it, but just couldn’t find comfort in the extra space, just as sticking my leg into the aisle doesn’t enhance my 6” tall experience.
What am I missing? A JFK-SFO $113 economy seat up front that I reserved long ago on Virgin later changed to Alaska premium class. I was amused I got to keep it, but just couldn’t find comfort in the extra space, just as sticking my leg into the aisle doesn’t enhance my 6” tall experience.
) with extra long legs. My knees pretty much touch the seatback in United E Plus. My one and only Spirit flight had me absolutely mangled. I've been very lucky with my AS assignments, so don't recall sitting in regular economy - or it's been years and I blocked it out of my mind 
Sep 7, 2018, 9:48 pm
#8
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Frankly, if I'm in a regular AS seat, the person in front of me *cannot* recline; there is no room. And they sometimes try- forcing the seat back into a wall.
Sep 7, 2018, 9:57 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
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If I'm in an aisle, and I almost always am, the legroom surely facilitates the exit of the other poor fools to my right or left when #1 or #2 is calling, which means it facilitates my comfort during their departures and arrivals. And since I have a rather large .... (oh, get out of the gutter) laptop, it permits the screen to remain upright while I watch lascivious content for all the passengers to see.
Sep 8, 2018, 12:22 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: WA State
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold, Hilton Gold, Red Lion Gold
Posts: 177
At six foot five, with long legs, I physically do not fit in an economy seat. On that rare occasion that I have zero choice but to fly WN, I literally want to cry because I know the experience will be miserable because I just don’t fit in their seats.
Im happy to pay extra. I’m lucky I’m a Seattleite and 97% of my flying is on AS and with status I’ve had at least an exit seat on every flight for years.
Im happy to pay extra. I’m lucky I’m a Seattleite and 97% of my flying is on AS and with status I’ve had at least an exit seat on every flight for years.
Sep 9, 2018, 6:13 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
The answer may seem obvious. For your legs of course. But sitting vertically for full back support with your knees at a 90 degree angle leaves space to the seat in front of you. Or while more relaxed, leaning the seat back allows you to stretch your legs under the seat in front of you.
What am I missing? A JFK-SFO $113 economy seat up front that I reserved long ago on Virgin later changed to Alaska premium class. I was amused I got to keep it, but just couldn’t find comfort in the extra space, just as sticking my leg into the aisle doesn’t enhance my 6” tall experience.
What am I missing? A JFK-SFO $113 economy seat up front that I reserved long ago on Virgin later changed to Alaska premium class. I was amused I got to keep it, but just couldn’t find comfort in the extra space, just as sticking my leg into the aisle doesn’t enhance my 6” tall experience.
Having said that: A few months ago I flew LAX-PDX-LAX, and got a Premium Class seat one way and the ext row the other way. They were slightly different versions of the 737. But anyway, I found the seat cushion in the premium class seat unusually uncomfortable (and I see warnings all the time on SeatGuru that exit row seats can have shorter cushions, but that's never bothered me in actual exit row seats), but then when I flew the return in the exit row seat it seemed normal exit row amount of comfort in the cushion..
I don't know if the uncomfortable (for me) cushion in Premium Class was because of a messed-up seat, or that specific plane type, or Premium Class in general.
Meanwhile, a totally separate reason some people choose Premium Class is to deplane faster (than anyone else in coach, though not before anyone in First). I don't know how many people pay extra for that reason, but certainly I would think some elites who get Premium Class free might choose it for that reason.
Sep 9, 2018, 9:48 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Anchorage, AK
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Posts: 735
To echo others, for me, it's all about when that person in front of you reclines.
I mean, it's the different between being slightly annoyed, and being able to floss my teeth with the person's coiffure.
BUT, I won't pay much for it. And with the recent "adjustments" to the pricing scheme, they'll get even less of my revenue.
Because four inches of pitch is only worth so much to me. I've got an upcoming ANC-SEA flight were they're asking $39. That one is a solid "maybe" for me.
And then, two weeks later, I've got another leg on the EXACT same flight, and they wan't $79. That one falls into the "Not just no, but oh HELL no" category.
I mean, it's the different between being slightly annoyed, and being able to floss my teeth with the person's coiffure.
BUT, I won't pay much for it. And with the recent "adjustments" to the pricing scheme, they'll get even less of my revenue.
Because four inches of pitch is only worth so much to me. I've got an upcoming ANC-SEA flight were they're asking $39. That one is a solid "maybe" for me.
And then, two weeks later, I've got another leg on the EXACT same flight, and they wan't $79. That one falls into the "Not just no, but oh HELL no" category.