Empty middle seat, more legroom | Wilnesh News

The first class is at border? Not completely. But the budget airline launched a new add-on service on Tuesday to gain more space at the front of its crowded planes — without a middle seat.

On flights starting April 10, Frontier will offer UpFront Plus in the first two rows of its Airbus aircraft and block the sale of middle seats. The seats will also have four to five inches more legroom than most seats on the plane, an airline spokesman said.

Prices start at $49 for flights between April 10 and April 30 when booked before March 20, but a spokesperson said the seat option “is not a limited-time offer.”

Low-cost airlines such as Spirit and behemoths like Frontier delta, Unity and American Airlines are looking for ways to segment cabins, sell customers more expensive products, or add fees to select seats in advance.

Budget airline Spirit offers “big front seats” in its Airbus cabins. The new Frontier option is not a new seat, but a different pitch than most seats on the plane.

Fees are especially important for budget airlines, which charge more on top of base fares for everything from seat selection to carry-on luggage. Last year, Frontier’s average ticket revenue per passenger was $42, down 22% from 2022, while non-fare revenue increased 1% to nearly $74.