United Continental Holdings said it is keeping Economy Plus seating on United flights and will expand the option to Continental aircraft beginning in 2012.
“Our customers value Economy Plus and the additional personal space that it provides,” said Jim Compton, chief revenue officer of United Continental Holdings. “Customers who sit in Economy Plus are significantly more satisfied with their travel experience, as are travelers who choose other options that enable them to tailor their travel to their liking.”
United currently offers Economy Plus on all 359 mainline aircraft and more than 150 larger regional jets operated by United Express carriers. When the multi-year conversion process is complete, the company plans to offer Economy Plus on more than 700 mainline aircraft, including all Continental mainline aircraft, as well as larger regional aircraft.
When fully deployed, the new United’s fleet will include more than 40,000 Economy Plus seats, providing more than 122,000 Economy Plus seats each day, the largest amount of extra legroom economy seating available to customers of any airline in the world, the company said.
United introduced Economy Plus in 1999, offering up to five inches of additional legroom.
