In a change to longstanding policy, American Airlines is asking flight attendants to crack down on passengers who seek to move to extra legroom seats within economy class.
American Airlines Tells Flight Attendants To Stop Passengers From Moving to Extra Legroom Seats
First noted by airline insider JonNYC, American Airlines has now instructed flight attendants in a November 3, 2022 memo to block moves from Main Cabin to Main Cabin Extra:
It’s not unusual for Main Cabin (MC) customers to ask to change seats after they’ve boarded the aircraft – to sit next to a family member or get out of a middle seat, for instance. However, customers may not be familiar with our seat change policy; particularly when it comes to Main Cabin Extra (MCE) seats. While you may allow a customer to move to an available Main Cabin seat after boarding is complete, they’re not permitted to move into an MCE seat unless they are booked in that class.
So, if a customer asks to move to a seat in a different seat classification (i.e., MC to MCE, MCE to First, etc.) politely decline their request unless there is a customer service or regulatory conflict present. If a customer asks to change seats before the boarding door closes, work with the gate agent to accommodate the request. As always, please remain on the aircraft to avoid a minimum crew violation while assisting the customer.
— 🇺🇦 JonNYC 🇺🇦 (@xJonNYC) November 11, 2022
The prior policy allowed passengers to move to any open seat within economy class once the aircraft door was closed. American Airlines offers complimentary alcohol on domestic flights in Main Cabin Extra, unlike in its Main Cabin.
As JonNYC notes, “Whether they actually care enough to enforce, remains to be seen.”
On United Airlines, which I fly most often, flight attendants are very clear and actively police the cabin to ensure that United Economy passengers do not move up to United EconomyPlus seats, which like Main Cabin Extra, offer up to five extra inches of legroom. Unlike on American, there is no difference in service between the two sections of economy class (prior to the pandemic there was on premium transcontinental flights, but that is now a relic of the past).
CONCLUSION
American Airlines has asked flight attendants to stop passengers from moving to extra legroom seats if they did not pay for them or qualify for them based on elite status. Whether flight attendants will actively police the cabin remains to be seen.
(H/T: View From The Wing)
IME UA FAs relish scolding pax from seat poaching, so it won’t surprise me if their AA equivalent will relish scolding pax who seat poach.
Do both Delta and American offer free booze in economy plus on all flights?
Yes, both do. And if you’re executive platinum on AA then you get it comped even in main cabin.
Sometimes, to my annoyance on DL. No soda/juice, beer and booze only, on some flights.
Yes, premium economy seats do get free drinks!
In both Delta and American, why they are denying to use the extra Leg room.
IMO since AA actually provides differentiated service (free booze) in MCE, it’s fair not to permit seat poaching if you don’t pay for MCE. The problem, as is almost always the case on AA, is enforcement is almost guaranteed to be inconsistent. Some FAs will militantly police the policy, others won’t care, and so you’ll be hearing the old “but the FA on my last flight said it was OK” excuse.
Then put a curtain between economy and economy plus if you don’t want the unwashed masses to move around !!
I’m in the camp where I see this as theft of services. On an AA flight a couple years ago I called out a couple of these thieves. I brought to the attention of the flight attendant in clear view of the couple. But it backfired on me. The FA told me literally to mind my own business and shut up. I’m not paraphrasing. I was quite calm and not agitated when I brought this to her attention.
Not wanting to escalate I did exactly that. And then I endured the gloating of the couple during my 2 hour flight.
My personality is not one to let things slide. I waited until the plane was empty then I deplaned. I spoke with the captain to inform him in front of the FA (I did not play the EP card). She denied she used that language.
The captain apologized but I expect it stopped there.
I followed up with AA customer service. Because I’m EP I expect it carried more weight. I received two subsequent calls from different levels of CS to assure me this would be addressed but they could not share the details.
I actually have a number of similar stories over the years. I think because I travel alone and I am confrontational by nature, it creates the environment for these type events.
I know many will feel like I got what I deserved. Maybe so. I can take it. But if I see something that’s wrong I will confront. It makes for a more interesting life.
Glory to the confronter’s, brother! 🙂
I’m not a Karen in that if I see a no-harm/no-foul situation, I’ll keep my lips zipped perhaps because I’m guilty of minor transgressions myself. Perhaps a 2 inch or so larger carry on that fits just fine in the overhead?
But rudeness and theft is something that gets to me and I will discreetly snitch BUT I wouldn’t do it in front of them, if possible. Yeah, it’s passive/aggressive but precisely because I avoid the confrontation makes it more likely to succeed. If I do need to confront, such as some kid blasting his video game for the whole cabin to hear, I’ll speak up and here’s why: It’s a double imposition on me to be rude towards me AND for me to suffer in silence for hours taking it. It’s a double whammy.
I’ve been on the other side myself. I tried to recline my seat on a FRA-IAD flight and the German woman, presumably tall?, when UTTERLY ballistic as in she started KICKING HARD my seat. I mean full kicks into the air. I did a visual and she didn’t seem tall, she just wanted the extra space. I let her have the victory (maybe she really did have a problem?)
We don’t want Karens but a society of timid creatures doing nothing is just as bad. I try to walk in the middle.
Learn to pick your battles.
I agree Aaron. I pick them all.
I actually have a great story that backfired on me in a MNL airport lounge.
I remember my failed attempts much better than my successes.
Bravo for masochists, I guess.
Aaron, you should learn definitions before using big words you don’t understand. Nothing I wrote suggests being a machochist. There’s no enjoyment in these events. Quite the contrary. They’re just more memorable.
Nah, I used the right “big” word. You must enjoy it on some level, otherwise you wouldn’t keep doing it.
Oh Aaron, just stop and go kick your dog.
You stupid Karen. Yes you should mind your own business. If you’re so concerned at lack of enforcement self-upgrade yourself.
The main option to stop selfupgrading pax is if the crew actually does enforce the seat rules per cabin, that each airline company has. Plenty lazy crew out there. That don’tcare, they want to be liked, had a bad day, personal problems, etc. Bottom line is pax will always try to get somethi g for nothing any way they can. We. As crew all know this.
Once the door closes.all the seats.have the same value. They are not making any more money. With the current staffing issues and canceled flights, there is almost never any open seats. I’m 6’4″ with long legs and I think its despicable they have tried to optimize the can packing to the point that when the seats are up.my knees are firmly plantEd.in the back of the seat in front. If u want guaranteed leg room then pay, if you’re willing to take ur chances then don’t. If u find this objectionable then fly Emerits.
Reminds me of a Seinfeld episode with Elaine.
Allowing “Self Upgrading” after the doors close still impacts revenue generation as it allows a pax to roll the dice at time of initial reservation and hope he/she can still get upgrade for free by only purchasing a lower revenue coach tkt.
Until pre-Covid staffing levels return, don’t expect flight attendants to prioritize or find time to police the cabins even more than than they are doing now.
It’s important to note that the policy makes an exception for customer service and operational needs; for example, a passenger is seated in a middle seat and wants to allow a family to sit together; so an FA moves them to an MCE seat (it also makes sense to reward the good behavior) or perhaps a conflict develops between two passengers… move the non offending pax to MCE.
The way I look at it – if the MCE pax have an open seat next to them, while they only paid for one seat – it makes sense to enforce this policy as it maintains the integrity of the product that’s being offered. Why pay if you can just move to those seats free, and if paying guarantees a better chance of having an open seat next to you, even better.
Now flight attendants are required to confront some aggressive passengers. Sounds like an extra burden and an extra job risk for the flight attendant in dealing with people.
Oh, good grief. If seat poaching is such an issue, fly business and be done with it. Life is much too short to sweat this nonsense.
The easy solution would be for the airline to set an in-flight upgrade fee. Then the flight attendants can just whip out their credit card reader and tell the passenger that there is a $XX upgrade fee for moving to that seat.