Continental Airlines to charge for extra legroom

Continental Airlines, based in Houston, Texas, the United States, has announced that it will offer the passengers the option of buying, at check-in, premium seat assignments for unreserved economy-class seats which have extra legroom, from March 17, 2010.

However, members of the airline’s OnePass Elite frequent-flier programme and their travelling companions can continue to assign themselves seats having extra legroom in the economy-class seats without charge, Jim Compton, executive vice-president and chief marketing officer of Continental Airlines said in a statement.

Jim Compton said that members of the Platinum and Gold programmes of the OnePass Elite can book the seats with extra legroom when they make a reservation.

Continental Airline’s elite frequent-fliers are those who log over 25,000 miles a year. While the Platinum members typically fly 75,000 miles a year, the Gold members fly 50,000 miles a year. The Silver members, who fly 25,000 miles a year, can book the seats with additional legroom at check-in.

The fees for the exit-row seats will vary depending on the route and day of the week, according to Jim Compton. For instance, the extra fee for an exit-row seat on a Continental Airlines flight between Houston and Newark will cost $59 on March 17, 2010.

Jim Compton said in the statement that Continental Airlines’ passengers would like to have more choices and that the seats with additional legroom are “higher-value seats” that the airline is offering to those who “recognise that value.”

Exit-row seats on regional airliners give passengers an additional 7 inches of legroom. On bigger jets, the exit-row seats offer an extra space of 10 inches to 12 inches for the passengers to stretch their legs.

Continental Airlines said that its customers can buy these seats at the airline’s website continental.com or at the airport kiosk during the normal check-in period, which begins 24 hours before to the departure of the first flight in a journey.

Apart from Continental Airlines, many domestic and international airlines based n the United States offer similar programmes to select premium seats, by charging fees.

During the last few years, carriers worldwide have been charging extra fees for a number of services such as booking ticket via telephone and for checking bags.

Continental Airlines, a member of Star Alliance, is the 4^th biggest airline in the United States and the 5^th largest airline in the world. According to the statement from the company, Continental Airlines, along with Continental Connection and Continental Express, has over 2,500 daily departures throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.