Some questions about the new SlimLine seats
 

Hello!

I believe they've starting installing the new "SlimLine" seats in Feb. and will continue replacing the old seats through the fall. Any idea on what percentage of planes so far have been converted over the new seats?

Can the inside arm rests be lifted up (out of the way)?

Do the new seats impact the amount (or size/shape) of the under-seat storage area?

Also, Wi-Fi available on these planes?

Any other comments about the new seats?

Thanks!!

The arms in the exit row seats are fixed (and so are the backs much to my discomfort). But, at the 1 minute mark, the following video shows that the arms do lift elsewhere .

The video mentions that there are still seats that recline. I'm guessing those are the seats in the first few rows of the front Stretch area.

Yes.
Not really.
No.
They suck, especially for flights over 15 minutes.

Wow, talk about damning with faint praise. I'm thinking that F9 had to wade through about 100 interviews of "these seats suck" and "what happened to the TV?" to get to those two "it's not horrendous" passenger quotes.

Thanks everyone.

I did get to experience the new seats first hand. I didn't find them particularly uncomfortable, actually. They may have given me slightly more knee and hip room. But, the seat wasn't as deep as the old seats. I thought the under-seat storage was about the same as more standard seats EXCEPT that because the seats weren't as deep the under-seat storage wasn't as deep. For several years I've been traveling with the same backpack. Usually it nearly fits fully under the seat. But on the new Frontier seats, it seemed that about half of it was sticking out. The new seats do have legs that extend beyond the seat base (the seat cushion area) -- and my backpack didn't extend beyond the legs. But that left me with only about 8-10 inches of foot space.

I have mixed emotions regarding the new, smaller trays.

Just finished a round trip in these seats and I must say they truly suck:

Seats in regular coach DO NOT RECLINE.
Made of thin, barley padded plastic.
No plug ins, no entertainment system of any kind.

Frontier has TRULY differentiated themselves from Southwest, but not in a good way.

TV news has been talking about the new seats, including the no-recline feature.

They're also claiming that the seats are an inch wider, which doesn't make sense to me as that would decrease the width of the center aisle on the standard narrow body 3-3 configuration by a full six inches and those aisles are also already narrow when people are trying to board and deplane with luggage or when there are carts (does Frontier still have carts on aircraft) in the aisle. Perhaps more significantly, it would be a huge problem for handicapped passengers who currently must use the special narrow aisle wheelchairs. I don't think the seat sections can be moved by very much if anything in the direction of the sides of fuselage. Could Frontier somehow be eliminating or narrowing the arm rests to make this work? Can anyone explain how seats can be made significantly wider on existing aircraft?

Its quite simple really, there are about 2 inches of insulation and structural support surrounding the fuselage. Once you remove that you can add a little less than 1" per seat. I think its rather clear that this is what they're doing. I believe the Stretch seats in the front still come with insulation though.

It is my understanding that it is only the middle seat that is wider:

http://money.cnn.com/2015/07/14/pf/frontier-airlines-middle-seat-wider/

"Frontier Airlines has widened the dreaded middle seat

http://fortune.com/2015/07/14/frontier-airlines/

"Frontier Airlines' new perk will make you actually want the middle seat"

http://www.twcnews.com/nc/triangle-sandhills/news/2015/07/15/frontier-airlines-adding-space-to-middle-airline-seats.html

"Frontier Airlines Adding Space to Middle Airline Seats"

I sat in the middle seat on both of my flights with the slimline seats. It did seem a tad wider (compared to the old seats) but I didn't compare it to the window or aisle seat.

I guessed that the seemingly wider seat was due to the much thinner arm rests and less bulky seats. The center aisle on the plane isn't any narrower.

Sitting on 1F now, no recline.

They tried rice padding but it wasn't as effective. :D :D :D

Who exactly do you think your flying? Virgin America?

In most cases you are paying much less than southwest (except for some cities where they have decieded to match Frontier aka if Frontier wasn't lowering fares we would be charging you alot more)

1. Southwest doesn't have power either (I assume that is "plug-ins" refer to)
2. If you want a seat that reclines and is sufficently padded you can get that by upgrading to a Stretch seat. If you don't you can always bring a back pillow with you.
3. Well yes they did remove the entertainment. Again you are paying less. You could always bring your tablet and perhaps a power bank to use to recharge it.

If your looking for Southwest or Virgin America, don't look to Frontier. If you are looking for a cheap no-frills way to get around then try Frontier. But don't go to the dollar store and say these creme filled chocolate cookies I got for a dollar aren't as good as Oreos

Atleast with a fully powered IPad, it should last over 5 hours. The bring your tablet approach is better for the airline, and can be totally reasonable for passengers. Even Southwest is endorsing it, although it's offering Dish network. If I was traveling long haul like to London, I probably would want IFE though.

I have downloaded from ITunes for $4.99 a movie before the flight. I get to choose something like a new release movie and it's better than commercials and reality TV on the cable channels. Often, I just do things the old fashioned way- just bring magazines and books.

My last flight was an 8:40am departing flight but it was on a Sunday. Frontier dimmed the cabin and most shades were down. Many pax were actually closing their eyelids as well. I think if it was a Monday morning flight, more would be trying to do things like tablet watching.

One of the frills that I feel would be valuable would be TSA PreCheck even if Frontier is a ULCC. Even if it's catering to discount expectations, this amenity is somewhat like the cheapest Rodeway Inn or Econo Lodge still having WiFi. Or Aldi still selling organic milk.

How much would it cost Frontier to participate in that program?

I think it would help Frontier keep repeat customers especially as it is fare matched against Southwest and US at times, on routes like PHL-ATL/MCO. And it distinguishes it a notch above Spirit.

At certain airports like MCO where Frontier runs a lot of flights, the security lines can be quite long and if one is traveling a lot back and forth, like every two-three weeks on their own budget to visit family, Frontier could be a reasonable airline to choose to offer repeat business.