Frontier Airlines has abruptly abandoned plans to charge $39+ for customers to buy up empty middle seats. Why? Heavy criticism and bad optics.
Recall from our discussion earlier this week that any expectation of an open middle seat is too great an expectation. As travelers slowly begin to return while airlines maintain reduced flight schedules, planes will fill up…including middle seats.
When that happens, the question becomes who should benefit from the few remaining open middle seats? Luck of the draw? Those who paid more? Frontier Airlines, being a budget carrier grasping for new revenue streams, decided to sell remaining middle seats starting at $39. The final price would depend upon the length of the flight and how busy the flight was.
But after making media rounds yesterday to tout the new ancillary offer, Frontier CEO Barry Biffle told a handful of Congressional members last night it would not proceed with the new program on Friday, as planned. Biffle said:
“We recognize the concerns raised that we are profiting from safety and this was never our intent. We simply wanted to provide our customers with an option for more space. We will leave the seats blocked which were associated with this product and honor purchases made by all customers who bought the product up until now.”
That’s a quite different tune from yesterday, when Biffle told the Denver Post:
“We continue to see a lot of feedback from customers that say ‘OK, I get it, I see that I’m safe but I’d just like a little more peace of mind,’ so we have offered this product, this guaranteed middle seat open.”
Many accused Frontier of trying to profit off people’s safety fears. Biffle again dismissed that charge:
“We offer the lowest total prices in the United States. Period. So we are not profiteering off customers at all. We don’t know how much real demand there is for this. And it’s a little like a belt and suspenders, because, again, we believe you are safe on Frontier without this.”
Offering lowest total prices has nothing necessarily to do with profiting off safety. But that statement doesn’t pass the smell test. Spirit Airlines would have been honest about it…
> Read More: Want More Space On An Airplane? Fly Private Or Stay Home…
CONCLUSION
It merits mentioning here that you can ALWAYS ensure the middle seat is open on your flight by buying a second seat. In that sense, I don’t see what the big problem was in Frontier trying to offer that service at a discount. Sure, a few extra inches of spacing between passengers may be marginally safer and certainly more comfortable, but the notion that Frontier was putting passengers at greater risk is simply absurd.
In any case, Frontier expects its aircraft to be full again soon. Biffle said:
“It’s not going to be long before airplanes are full again. Our plan is to have our entire fleet back in the air in July and all of our destinations should be served.”
That may be more wishful thinking than drumming up ancillary revenue by scaring people into buying the middle seat next to them that would likely remain open anyway…
What are your thoughts on the nixed Frontier Airlines middle seat sale?
The way you wrote this article it’s as if it’s the future and airlines are filling up. Right now if you fly on any airline there’s no way they will sit someone next to you (I’ve taken a flight or 2 a week since pandemic) there’s about 10 people on the flight. Why would there even be an option for me to pay more knowing the flight will only have 10 people. This will now scare me into purchasing the middle flight door safety reasons only to get onboard and there’s 6 people. Theres literally nothing airlines can do right now with people not flying like before. This plan is simply taking from my pocket and giving it to airlines for no reason. I would like to see airlines raise prices right now which is what you said there only option is.
@Peter
No reason? If you are afraid of sitting next to someone on a plane, you can pay extra to prevent it from happening. That is a price increase for you. Others who don’t share the same fear can pay less. Why should your fears/desires dictate how others interact with airlines? You can already purchase the type of accommodation you desire without forcing others to pay more.
There’s a reason they changed it and why other airlines don’t charge for this. Now say when airlines are back to their normal routines, then yes at that time I believe paying extra to not have someone sit next to you wild be a great option, but definitely not now mid pandemic.
They changed it because of public outcry. That doesn’t mean the public is in the right. This often won’t be an issue given low loads, but as route capacities have been reduced, more crowded flights will return. Passengers should expect to pay more for guarantees of service. One can hope for a complimentary upgrade, use an instrument to confirm one or pay for the premium seat outright. Each passenger can decide according to his preferences. Is the case with middle seats any different?