Continental Airlines introduces new legroom charges

Customers choosing to fly Continental Airlines will soon be able to request additional legroom – at a price.

The cost for extra legroom onboard Continental flights will be dependent on the popularity of the route chosen and how long the flight itself is. In announcing the new move, a spokesperson for the carrier suggested that a charge of $59 would be applied on the domestic booking of a New York to Houston flight. No figures were mentioned for international travel other than the acknowledgment that the charge would be significantly higher.

The new changes will come into effect on the 17th of March, when economy class fliers would be able to request and pay for the exit-row seating on check-in. These seats have, on average, around seven inches more than standard seats in terms of legroom. The exit row seats will also continue to be made available to premium members of the airline’s frequent-flyer program. Members who accrue a minimum of 25,000 air miles each year and their travelling partners can still obtain the exit row seats without any additional charge.

Continental, the fourth-largest US carrier, has said it will not be making any modifications to its existing fleet and that the actual number of seats with the additional space will vary given the size of the individual plane. According to the group, the move is a direct result of listening to customer feedback and providing flyers with what they want.