Frontier reverses plan to let passengers pay extra if they want an empty middle seat

After backlash from lawmakers, Frontier Airlines will no longer allow passengers to pay extra to ensure the middle seat next to them remains empty on flights.

In a letter to lawmakers, Frontier CEO Barry Biffle said the airline would withdraw the price increase for the “More Room” option in favor of doing its best “to ensure as much social distancing as possible throughout the aircraft,” Reuters reported.

“We recognize the concerns raised that we are profiting from safety and this was never our intent,” the letter said, according to ABC News. “We simply wanted to provide our customers with an option for more space.”

The airline announced the $39 “More Room” option on Monday that would let passengers pay extra to keep the middle seat next to them open due to coronavirus concerns, KDVR reported.

Biffle said Frontier decided to implement the plan after noticing the airline was topping 50% system-wide load factors and was “trending higher on many flights over the coming weeks,” Reuters reported.

“Load factor is an indicator that measures the percentage of available seating capacity that is filled with passengers,” according to Investopedia.

The “More Room” option would have been available on flights from May 8 to August 31, ABC News reported.

Peter DeFazio, chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, criticized the “More Room” option, saying Frontier was “capitalizing on fear and passengers’ well-founded concerns for their health and safety,” the Associated Press reported.

Likewise, Sen. Amy Klobuchar mentioned concern over the option during a hearing on the effects of COVID-19 on the airline industry, according to The AP.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate for some passengers who can’t afford to pay an additional charge for a seat to be less safe than other travelers,” Klobuchar said, The AP reported.

A number of airlines have announced they are taking precautions such as blocking middle seats, assigning seats to passengers and capping aircraft capacity in an effort to promote social distancing on flights, according to Fox News.

This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 8:27 AM with the headline "Frontier reverses plan to let passengers pay extra if they want an empty middle seat."