American Airlines is launching an Express Seats service allowing travelers to purchase seats in the first few rows of coach (economy) - including bulkhead seats in that cabin.
Travelers who purchase an Express Seat are able to board with ‘Group 1’ of General Boarding for their flight, allowing them the convenience of being among the first coach travelers on and off the plane.
Express Seats are available to all American Airlines’ travelers and can be purchased exclusively via airport self-service check-in machines at anytime from 24 hours to 50 minutes before scheduled flight departure for travel wholly within the United States, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Introductory prices for Express Seats (based on distance) start at $19 per flight. Examples of starting prices on popular routes: St. Louis to Chicago O’Hare, $19; San Francisco to Dallas/Fort Worth, $29; Boston to Chicago O’Hare, $29; New York JFK to Los Angeles, $39; Chicago O’Hare to Honolulu, $39.
There’s nothing new under the sun, they say. Some twenty years ago, the Canadian carrier Wardair (long since subsumed by Air Canada) offered quality at reasonable prices with a single standard of cuisine and service throughout the plane and a ‘Big Seat’ option. No matter how much you paid for your ticket, you could trade up to a Big Seat in the front of the cabin for about 50 Canadian dollars.