United President Says Passengers Should Get Used to Tight Coach Seating
Photo Credit: United Airlines has no plans to make coach seats roomier for passengers, its president told employees recently. United Airlines
Skift Take
We like Scott Kirby because of his honesty. He's right. Travelers may say they want comfort, but most value price over everything else.
As one of its major competitors, American Airlines, reduces seat pitch on some new airplanes, might United Airlines seek a competitive advantage by offering more room to coach customers?
"The short answer is no," United President Scott Kirby told employees recently at a town hall meeting in Cleveland.
United has been coy about whether it will copy American, which said in early May it will reduce seat pitch to 29 inches in some rows on new Boeing 737 Max aircraft, and admitted it might retrofit existing 737s to a similar standard.
For most of the past decade, U.S. carriers have been adding seats and reducing seat pitch to increase revenues. But until American's announ
