Pay $39 To Guarantee A Blocked Middle Seat On Your Next Flight

Piece updated in footnote after publication due to Frontier suspending their “More Room” product a day before it was set to begin.

Would you pay $39 or more to guarantee a blocked middle seat next to you on your next flight?

Frontier has introduced a “More Room” program where customers can pay a starting price of $39 to guarantee that a middle seat will remain empty next to them on their next flight. This creates a 21 inch separation between customers.

Not every seat on the plane will be blocked, however — only 18 middle seats will be part of the program. The social distancing initiative will run until August 31.

Prices will vary depending on the flight and seat location, though some of the 18 blocked seats will be in the front part of the cabin and exit rows where the coach seats already have more legroom. Passengers who book in this area can create a “business class lite” experience, almost reminiscent of premium cabin products in Europe, where they’ll have extra room to stretch out with additional space next to them. 

Frontier CEO Barry Biffle shares this, “While we believe the best measure to keep everyone healthy is to require face coverings, for those who want an empty seat next to them for extra peace of mind or simply additional comfort, we are now offering ‘More Room.’”

In contrast to other airlines, American Airlines and Delta have temporarily reduced capacity on their planes through the end of the month, to limit the number of passengers onboard. United is not reducing capacity, and only limiting advanced seat assignments — but will fill every seat should the plane sell out.

Paying to block a middle seat is actually one of the best ways to satisfy customer fears — while some airlines can only hope to keep an area around you empty, Frontier is going one step further to actually guarantee that space remains empty, for a fee. At the current rate of $39, the extra seat comes at a very reasonable rate, one that many passengers are likely to take advantage of. Due to the limited availability of these seats, it’s best to secure them prior to arriving at the airport.

To purchase a “More Room” seat, customers can visit FlyFrontier.com, or see an agent at check-in.

Worth noting, Frontier has required their crews to wear face masks as of April 13, and the requirement will soon expand to passengers on May 8, an additional measure to help create a safer environment onboard.

Analysis

Don’t expect these cheap empty middle seats to last for long. Frontier is offering this option as a way to monetize on low demand — chances are, those empty seats won’t sell this summer, anyways. As soon as things pick back up, expect Frontier to release these blocked seats and begin selling those spaces at normal ticket prices to increase profitability.