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Business Select

Leisure travelers tend to look for the cheapest airfares they can get. But frequent business travelers may care more about comfort, in the form of bigger seats and extra leg room, than about ticket costs.

Scrambling to appeal to both of these very different types of passengers - and make a profit - the nation's airlines are introducing major changes that will affect the way we fly in the years ahead. In an announcement overshadowed by last month's crash of Flight 427 outside Pittsburgh, USAir unveiled a new look. For short-haul flights of two hours or less, the carrier has created "Business Select" class, which provides roomier business-class seating to any passenger paying a non-discounted coach fare.

Business travelers often complain they are charged for a full-fare ticket because they don't qualify for an advance-purchase discount, but then are squeezed into a coach-class cabin with leisure passengers who have paid substantially less.

USAir's initiative, scheduled to get under way Dec. 1, is a $50 million project that will require the installation of new flexible-type seating not found aboard any other U.S. airline.

With a flip of a lever, says airline spokeswoman Susan Young, flight attendants can convert a standard row of six coach-class seats into five roomier business-class seats. At the same time, a movable divider can quickly enlarge the business-class cabin from two rows to a maximum of nine - all with increased leg room.

The conversion mechanism, designed in Germany for USAir, also allows the carrier to expand or diminish the size of the business-class cabin from flight to flight, as demand warrants. More business seats

With up to 45 business-class seats available, the airline expects to be able to accommodate all full-fare passengers as well as frequent fliers using awards to upgrade from coach class. Initially, Business Select will be offered on 210 daily flights from 16 East Coast cities, and the program gradually will be expanded to all domestic short-haul flights by early 1996.

USAir spent 18 months researching the project, much of it devoted to finding out what frequent travelers wanted. The strongest demand came for more space to spread out, rest and work, says Young. At the same time, USAir is increasing the number of first-class seats on planes flying its longer domestic routes, giving frequent fliers a better chance at upgrading

Article published October 16, 1994

 

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Article published October 16, 1994

Among other major developments:

Alaska Airlines has taken the unusual - and commendable - step of reducing its first-class fares by as much as 60 percent.

In mid-July, when the cuts took effect, the price of a one-way firstclass ticket between Seattle, Wash., and Oakland, Calif., dropped from $536 to $170. This compares to a one-way coach-class fare of $109. The difference of only $61 is expected to attract more paying customers into the first-class cabin. So far, this is exactly what is happening, according to spokesman Greg Witter.

United Airlines is creating a separate no-frills operation called Shuttle, which debuts this month on short-haul flights in California and may be expanded to other parts of the country.

Unlike Southwest and other no-frills carriers, which offer only coach-class seating, Shuttle will have a first-class cabin. Also unlike other no-frills, it will assign seats, although only at the boarding gate on a first-come basis. Instead of boarding the planes from back to front, the Shuttle will board them window to aisle. This is supposed to fill the plane faster.

Continental Airlines has introduced its no-frills operation, Continental Lite, on many of its short-haul routes. Although Lite got under way a year ago offering a first-class cabin, the carrier has decided to switch to one-class service only on these flights, according to spokesman David Messing. However, it will continue to provide assigned seating up to 30 days in advance. Removing first-class seats is seen as a way to keep fares low.

While USAir's research shows business travelers want comfort even on short flights, Messing says Continental's experience is that they will put up with tight seating for an hour or so in exchange for lower fares.

Meanwhile, Continental has joined several foreign airlines in dropping first-class service on transatlantic flights. Instead, the carrier offers what it calls BusinessFirst, an enhanced business class offering most of the amenities of first class at a business-class fare.

American Airlines recently announced it is enhancing its business-class and first-class service on domestic and international flights.

While some industry observers argue that first-class service is doomed to extinction, Michael W. Gunn, American's senior vice president for marketing, believes "premium travel" is on the rebound.

American is convinced it can provide leisure travelers low-cost fares that are competitive with those of the no-frills airlines, says Crowley, while continuing to cater to the comforts of business and luxury travelers.