US Airways has no plans to follow its legacy peers at Delta and United-Continental in configuring its aircraft with a premium economy offering.
Delta recently unveiled plans to expand its premium economy offering to its entire mainline fleet of more than 550 aircraft. In February of this year United-Continental revealed its intent to retain economy plus seating on the United fleet and expand it to the Continental fleet through a retrofit programme scheduled to start in 2012.
Queried during a 27 October earnings call about a premium economy offering, US Airways President Scott Kirby noted the carrier was pleased with its Choice Seats offering that allows customers to pay for their choice of seat in the carrier's existing aircraft configurations.
"We're having great success in selling that product," said Kirby, who stressed US Airways did not have to remove 6-12 seats from its aircraft to enjoy that success.
He stated US Airways "just reached a different conclusion about those economics".
But the carrier is expanding its connectivity offering through plans to fit its new-delivery Airbus narrowbodies with Gogo in-flight high-speed Internet.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
