Spirit Airlines Takes the Lead Yet Again

These seats are referred to as "pre-reclined" seats because they lean back three inches and are already on two of Spirit's Airbus A320 jets.  Two more jets will install these seats before the end of this year. The new seats weigh less which means jets will consume less fuel, which Spirit points out is better for the environment and a way for Spirit to keep its costs low.  They maintain that their plan is to pass that savings on to its customers by offering "even lower fares."

Spirit also claims that seats that do not move are less invasive for passengers sitting behind them.  Most economy seats these days are positioned so close to the ones behind them that when a passenger lowers his seat the person behind him feels as if this passenger is now in his lap. Whether other airlines follow Spirit's lead remains to be seen.  However, remember that Spirit was the first U.S. airline to charge for checked luggage, a policy now practiced throughout the airline industry.

Some fear that non reclining seats will ultimately result in airlines adding rows of seats to planes, making seating even more uncomfortable in the future.  The distance from the back of a set to the front of another for most seats on Spirit's Airbus A320'2 is 28 inches, which is a new low for a domestic airline. According to Airbus its A320 plane usually seats 150 passengers.  Spirit has 178 seats on the same plane using non reclining seats.  Wonder if Spirit management is figuring out how many passengers could fly is everyone stood on this plane?