The battle for the window: United charges $70 for seat selection

United Airlines charges up to $70 from passengers who are not club members for choosing a window or aisle seat. The CEO defends the move, claiming the money funds free internet for all passengers. The company is also exploring a new configuration on A321XLR aircraft with a blocked middle seat to save costs.

United Airlines charges up to $70 from passengers who are not club members for choosing a window or aisle seat. The company's CEO, Scott Kirby, defended the policy in an interview with the New York Times, arguing that the revenue funds services like free wireless internet and personal entertainment screens for all passengers. Kirby rejects the claim that the model creates a two-tier system. The reporter who interviewed him deliberately chose a middle seat to avoid the fee. Additionally, United is exploring an innovative solution on Airbus A321XLR aircraft: in the Economy Plus section, the middle seat is blocked and replaced with a table, reducing the aircraft's capacity to 150 seats and allowing operation with only three flight attendants instead of four, a significant cost saving.