Northwest charging more for Aisle seats

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

$15 to reserve an aisle seat 24 hours in advance.
Something similar to, This has been working with UAL with United plus.

People are willing to pay extra to have extra room.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

This is only on domestic flights. I don't know if elites get charged extra, but since comping my elite status from DL to NW, I have been upgraded to first class on every domestic segment I have flown except a couple that had tundrajets without a first class section. So, it doesn't appear likely that it will impact me.

Also, NW is the only carrier based in America that still gives free alcohol trans-Atlantic in coach, a nice perk. European carriers do that routinely, but US-based carriers have really cut the amenities. No wonder that many of the European carriers are profitable and US based carriers are in the red.

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

$15 to reserve an isle seat 24 hours in advance.
Something similar to, This has been working with UAL with United plus.

People are willing to pay extra to have extra room.

They'll start charging for use of the toilets next!

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Delta just installed $.50 coin locks on the restrooms and have installed a change machine that keeps 20% for a fee to make change. Toilet paper, hand soap, and Texas t-shirts (aka butt gaskets) are extra.

They'll start charging for use of the toilets next!

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Delta just installed $.50 coin locks on the restrooms and have installed a change machine that keeps 20% for a fee to make change. Toilet paper, hand soap, and Texas t-shirts (aka butt gaskets) are extra.

Thanks I needed that today!

[coatrack Member Find all posts View Profile Close coatrack]

Soooo....what happens if only 1/2 the people pay for an isle seat but the plane is full?? I would be pissed if I paid $15.00 for an isle seat and the guy across from me, one seat up and one seat back of me got them without paying.....I do see that happening....can you imagine all the middle seats taken and all the isle seats empty? NOT

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I d/n think the aisle is any bargain. They should give you a discount for getting your legs and arms bashed into by the cart, and having to get up every time one of your neighbors need to pay to use the toilet

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I d/n think the aisle is any bargain. They should give you a discount for getting your legs and arms bashed into by the cart, and having to get up every time one of your neighbors need to pay to use the toilet

Different preferences for different folks. I always take ani aisle seat if available. If the middle seat is occupied by a large person, you have a lot more room than if you are by the window.

Wtih a window seat, the stowage area under your seat is often a bit smaller due to the curvuature of the fuselage. My computer case carry-on is sized pretty closely to fit under a seat. Those lost couple of inches by the window often make it difficult to store my case.

I appreciate the ease of being able to get out of my seat to use the lavatory or to get some more to drink instead of waiting for the flight attendants to come by again.

But the big thiing is the space and not being squeezed between the window and another large body.

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

Soooo....what happens if only 1/2 the people pay for an isle seat but the plane is full?? I would be pissed if I paid $15.00 for an isle seat and the guy across from me, one seat up and one seat back of me got them without paying.....I do see that happening....can you imagine all the middle seats taken and all the isle seats empty? NOT

The obvious question is how would you know if others had not paid for an aisle seat and you had? The other way of looking at it is that you paid to be certain of getting an aisle seat. Others may want window and end up with an aisle seat, if that happens why would they be expected to pay extra for not getting the seat they want?

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

From posts on Flyertalk, NW is applying this new fee to elites, who formerly had a a perk of preferrerd seats in coach. This is causing quite a stir. An airline can lose much more money in upsetting their elites and driving them to other airlines than they can possibly make in such silly nickle-and-dime fees. Delta out that irritating an airline's elite hurts the bottom line when they made their Medallion changes a few years ago, and then had to rescind them a couple of years later. I, myself, was one of the Delta elites who fled to NW at that time.

Personally, I have had such an upgrade success on NW since comping my elite status over from DL, that I almost never sit in coach on a domestic flight anyway. I reserve a seat on an exit row, and then when I look at the seat assignment a couple of days before the flight, it shows my upgrade to first class. Until that changes, this fee will be insignificant to me.