Comments on: Airlines Are Starting To Sell Blocked Middle Seats And Even Entire Empty Rows

By: Why Business Travel Is Dead, In One Simple Chart [Roundup] - View from the Wing

Why Business Travel Is Dead, In One Simple Chart [Roundup] - View from the Wing — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 14:36:15 +0000

[…] similar concept, which would make sense and generate incremental revenue for the airline, would be to proactively sell empty middle seats to passengers during the checkout process. You can buy those anyway so why not market the option […]

By: Woman Removed From Coach Seat Because Her Breasts Were Too Large - View from the Wing

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 12:44:08 +0000

[…] middle seat though the booking process can be cumbersome. Several international airlines, though, will even sell extra seats or even a whole row through the booking path. You don’t even necessarily need to buy a business class […]

By: Man Checks Out Of Hotel Leaving 20 Cats Behind In His Room - View from the Wing

Man Checks Out Of Hotel Leaving 20 Cats Behind In His Room - View from the Wing — Mon, 09 May 2022 18:35:13 +0000

[…] Wow – Points.com (Points) is being acquired by PlusGrade the bidding for upgrades folks who also sell blocked middle seats […]

By: SeanNY2

SeanNY2 — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 17:25:54 +0000

@Rob I think what Simon is saying is quite clever. They could offer you a choice of buying any extra seat as now. But then they could also show you open seats on the other side of a seat someone else already blocked (if any). You can buy one of these seats for the regular price plus maybe 60% of the cost of the blocked seat. They could then refund say 40% of the price the other person already paid for that seat.

That way, two travelers are happy because they bought extra space next to them, at only 60% of the usual cost, the airline is happy because they sold two seats for 100% and one seat for 120%, even though that seat doesn’t even need a meal or overhead space.

If this became popular the average sale price of a seat could go above 100%, planes would on average be less crowded (comparing to pre-pandemic days) and customers would be happier.

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 14:57:53 +0000

@Simon Judging from the link in the article, you can actually do what you’re describing – i.e., if you’re travelling with someone you can buy a third seat and all sit in that block to share in the benefits (or I guess two seats if you’re in a 4-seat block in the middle of a widebody?). I think the interface lets you pick your seats on a map, but I guess maybe it will vary by airline…

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 13:42:48 +0000

The slightly irrational negative that bugs me about paying for an extra seat next to me is that you’re also paying for a positive externality for whoever is on the other side of that empty seat who gets the same benefits that you’ve funded – unless you’re travelling with them of course. Would be nice if somehow they’d be able to match into rows those that are seeking the benefit to distribute the costs.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 12:37:03 +0000

@Liz, while of course I applaud Southwest and denounce other airlines’ decisions to pack people in so closely — Southwest has always been in a unique financial position, and it’s very likely the other airlines have done an analysis and figured their Sophie’s choice is either to sell full flights or go out of business. As consumers we continue to have choices, and I’ll continue to fly either airlines that block seats, or to drive, even if it’s across the country.

By: Liz

Liz — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 12:15:07 +0000

One more reason to keep flying Southwest. Not necessarily my favorite airline, but they have the decency of not charging for the middle seat. If they can do it why the other carriers can’t?