Qantas will be charging passengers a fee for requesting emergency exit-row seats with more legroom.
Fees are still being finalised but passengers are likely to pay between A$80 and A$160 (US$62-125), according to Australian media reports.
The extra fees will apply to such seats in Economy cabins on all international flights. Pre-purchase options will be made available and frequent flyers can pay for the seats using their frequent-flyer points.
However, the new fees will not be included on trans-Tasman flights and passengers will likely be charged differently depending on the length of flight.
This follows a recent announcement of the suspension of First Class seating until October 31 on three routes from Australia – namely, Sydney-Buenos Aires, Sydney-San Francisco and Melbourne-Hongkong-London.
The Australian national carrier, together with many international carriers, have seen a drop in demand for premium cabins, although “Economy demand remains relatively strong,” said Qantas executive manager Rob Gurney.
For more information, visit www.qantas.com
Joshua Tan
