Upgrade your airline seat on the cheap

By George Hobica

updated 1:55 p.m. ET Oct. 5, 2007

Have you noticed that padding on airline seats is getting thinner? Back in the days of the Lockheed Constellation and the DC-6, seats used to be less punishing — they were more like La-Z-Boys.

But don't expect to find cushy swivel chairs on your next economy-class flight. Today, in order to save fuel and squeeze in more passengers, the padding has been minimized — and, as we all know, the rows of seats have been placed closer together.

All of this adds up to considerable discomfort, unless you happen to have a well-padded back porch. So here are some strategies from Airfarewatchdog.com to alleviate the pain.

Making the best of economy class
Fly JetBlue: This is easy. JetBlue has added extra legroom on its Airbus jets, with at least a 36-inch seat pitch in the first 11 rows of its Airbus 320 fleet and at least 34 inches in rows 12-25 (seat pitch is the distance between any one point on the seat and that same point in the row ahead or behind). Some airlines have 32 or even 31 inches between seats.

Pay for exit rows: Some people think it's obnoxious to charge for what was once free, but this perk is well worth it. Northwest and AirTran will sell you an exit row seat, with more leg room than in first class, for $15-20. Frequent flyers on Northwest get to reserve these seats when booking, for free if they're "elite" members. Mere mortals can book them within 24 hours of flight time.  Northwest also sells other "premium" seating for $5 to $25 per leg within the 48 states (the fee may be higher for Hawaii, Alaska, and international routes).

Premium economy: When passengers are checking in, United Airlines sometimes offers them upgrades to "Economy Plus," which has up to 5 inches more leg room, for relatively little money. If you're a frequent United customer, check out Economy Plus Access, which allows you to reserve economy plus for yourself and a guest for a full year of travel. The basic plan costs $349 per year.

If you're an elite member of United's MileagePlus program, you'll be offered complimentary, space-available Economy Plus seating.

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Fly AirTran: If you're flying somewhere on its route network, AirTran offers very inexpensive confirmed upgrades to its roomier business class. Pay from $40 to $140 and you can upgrade from any full-price coach fare at the time of purchase. For about a year now, AirTran has offered a "special promotion," with first come, first served upgrades from any fare, not just full fare coach. Spirit Airlines sells what it calls a "Big Front Seat," with two-by-two seating, at the front of its planes, for far less than other airlines charge. Don't expect any amenities other than a more comfortable seat: there's no free booze.

Fly Midwest Airlines: This airline has all first-class seating — every row of the plane — on some routes, all at economy-class prices (Midwest calls this "Signature Service"). The food for purchase is great, too. In September, the airline announced that it would add a few rows of "Signature" seats to its entire jet fleet, charging $60 per flight to those who wish to upgrade.

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