Frontier Air ditches extra-space plan after congressional outcry

Frontier Airlines quickly reversed course on a plan to charge extra for passengers who want to guarantee a spot next to an unoccupied middle seat, after several members of Congress accused the discounter of seeking to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We recognize the concerns raised that we are profiting from safety and this was never our intent. We simply wanted to provide our customers with an option for more space,” Frontier Chief Executive Officer Barry Biffle said in a letter late Wednesday about the company’s new “More Room” product.

The Denver-based carrier planned to have 18 seats per flight left open for the extra spacing, priced from $39 to $89, beginning May 8. Frontier is already requiring customers to wear face coverings.

Social distancing on aircraft will become harder as more people resume flying, Biffle said. At the same time, airlines have slashed their May flying schedules, lowering the total seat capacity and setting the stage for more crowded planes. This week, Frontier is seeing flights that are more than half full “and trending higher on many flights over the coming weeks.”

The CEO was writing in response to queries from three Democrats in Congress: Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee and Representative Jesus Garcia of Illinois. The carrier’s plan was also criticized Wednesday at a hearing in the House.