When American Airlines receives its newest 737 model, it will come with less legroom.
American Airlines Group is about to give coach passengers even less legroom.
The company will shrink the space between most rows to 30 inches on its newest Boeing Co. 737 jets, spokesman Joshua Freed said Wednesday. That’s an inch less than on its 737-800 planes. At least three rows on the new 737 Max jets will have only 29 inches, moving the world’s largest carrier closer to the offerings of deep discounters such as Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines.
American’s effort marks the latest push by U.S. airlines to cram more passengers onto each plane by using slimmer seat designs that are supposed to maximize room for a passenger’s knees even as rows move closer together. America’s newest contribution to the so-called densification trend will begin in the third quarter when the carrier takes delivery of its first 737 Max planes.
“These are welldesigned seats built for this kind of a layout,” Freed said. “We believe we’re still providing a good product for customers.”
He declined to identify which rows will have the least legroom. The Max will have 172 total seats, including 36 in Main Cabin Extra, a higher-priced option with more legroom than the rest of the coach section. American will receive four of the narrowbody 737 Max planes this year and 16 in 2018. It has 100 on order with Boeing.
The change may signal that American is ready to challenge the deep discounters for customers rather than battle with Delta Air Lines in particular over business travelers, Alan Bender of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University said. Having more seats means American can sell more lower-priced tickets.
American is considering similar changes for any new 737-800 planes, Freed said. The airline raised the seat count on its 737-800s to 160 from 150 starting in 2015. It also had increased seats on its wide-body 777200 jets to 289 from 247.