Frontier Airlines will drop $39 open-seat fee that drew attacks

Frontier Airlines is dropping plans to charge passengers extra to sit next to an empty middle seat after congressional Democrats accused the airline of trying to profit from fear over the new coronavirus.

“We recognize the concerns raised that we are profiting from safety and this was never our intent,” Frontier CEO Barry Biffle said late Wednesday in a letter to three lawmakers. “We simply wanted to provide our customers with an option for more space.”

Biffle said the airline will rescind the extra fee, which Frontier called More Room, and block the seats from being sold.

Earlier in the day, Democrats had railed against Frontier’s plan to charge passengers at least $39 per flight to guarantee they would sit next to an empty middle seat. The offer was to begin with flights Friday and run through Aug. 31.

The chairman of the House Transportation Committee called it “outrageous.” Peter DeFazio, DOre., said the Denver-based airline was using the need for social distancing during a pandemic “as an opportunity to make a buck ... capitalizing on fear and passengers’ well-founded concerns for their health and safety.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., highlighted the fee during a congressional hearing on how COVID-19 is affecting the airline industry.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate for some passengers who can’t afford to pay an additional charge for a seat to be less safe than other travelers,” Klobuchar said.

U.S. air travel has dropped more than 90% from a year ago because of the pandemic, and many flights are nearly empty. However, some flights — highlighted on social media — have been much more full, with many passengers not wearing face coverings. That has led airlines to say they will block middle seats when possible to create space between passengers.

From the outset, Biffle rejected the notion that his airline would be charging for social distancing.

“We are offering the option, and it is guaranteed. We don’t believe you need it — if everybody is wearing a facial covering – to be safe,” he told The Associated Press earlier this week. “It gives people more peace of mind if they want it.”

Biffle said ticket sales rose after previous announcements around safety, including a decision to require passengers to wear masks, and he expected the same reaction to the emptyseat offer.

Airlines steal ideas from each other all the time, but so far, none have copied Frontier’s More Room offer.