American Airlines on
Wednesday said it would begin selling some premium coach seats through its
airport checkin kiosks, with pricing starting at an additional $19, based on
length of haul.
American said the new
Express Seat offering, part of its Your Choice suite of a la carte services,
would allow passengers for a fee to reserve seats in the first few rows of the
coach cabin, including bulkhead seats, while also allowing those who purchase
the option to be among the first group to board.
American, however,
said it still would allow its passengers to "pre-reserve other seats in
the coach cabin at no charge," while elite members of its AAdvantage
program still would have access to coach seats not covered by the Express Seats
offering.
Introductory pricing
shared by American ranges from an additional $19 per leg for a short-haul flight from St. Louis to
Chicago and up to $39 for such long-haul flights as New York to Los Angeles.