Spirit Airline’s new and very controversial carry-on baggage fees created enough ill-will but their latest innovation may also not sit well with passengers: the carrier is switching over some of its planes to seats that do not adjust.
Instead, the seats will remain stationary in a 3-inch, pre-reclined position.
The reason for the move: the seats will be almost one-third lighter, meaning they will use less fuel, according to the airline.
“The space under the seat is also 20 percent larger, which is a good thing since this is, for now, the only free baggage option on Spirit Airlines,” reports the LA Times.
By eliminating a steeper recline, the airline said it can also fit more seats into the plane – 33 more passengers to be exact – in the airline’s new Airbus A320 than in an older Airbus model with conventional reclining seats.
“Less fuel cost plus more passengers equals better financial statement for the airline,” says the Times.
Passengers can try the new seats on two Airbus A320 planes that Spirit flies between Fort Lauderdale, FL, and Washington, DC, and between Fort Lauderdale and New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
Spirit plans to put two more A320 planes in the air in the next few months, but airline officials don’t know which routes they will serve.
By David Wilkening
