June 2003

American Plans to Add Coach Seats

American Airlines announced plans to add seats to all of its 757 and A300 aircraft within the next year, partially reversing the "More Room Throughout Coach" initiative it launched in February 2000. That initiative, you may recall, included an ad blitz that featured airline employees ripping seats out of aircraft and tossing them off the plane. Don't count on the carrier running ads showing employees putting seats back onto the planes!

American plans to begin the fleet reconfiguration this fall, with the airline's thirty-four A300s finished in time for holiday travel. The 757s, flown in a variety of U.S. markets, are scheduled for completion by mid-February. According to American, the fleet reconfiguration is part of its "turnaround plan."

Those affected aircraft account for 23% of American's fleet. That means the extra leg room will remain in place on more than 75% of its fleet, or about 80% of its daily departures. The carrier plans to return to standard seating in those markets where customers say price--and seat availability at low prices--is predominantly how they choose a carrier. American plans to keep the "More Room" product and continue to promote it aggressively, in markets where the customer base is weighted more toward premium travelers and corporate customers.

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