US airline Frontier criticised for charging for more space on planes

US airline sparks anger with move to charge passengers extra to guarantee they will sit next to an empty middle seat while flying.

A passenger checks in with Frontier Airlines at Denver International Airport. Picture: AP

A US budget airline has sparked anger by moving to charge passengers extra to guarantee they will sit next to an empty middle seat while flying during the coronavirus outbreak.

Politicians on Capitol Hill labelled the move by Frontier Airlines “outrageous”.

The chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Peter DeFazio, said the Denver-based airline was using the need for social distancing “as an opportunity to make a buck ... capitalising on fear and passengers’ well-founded concerns for their health and safety.”

Senator Amy Klobuchar added: “I don’t think it’s appropriate for some passengers who can’t afford to pay an additional charge for a seat to be less safe than other travellers.”

US air travel has dropped more than 90 per cent from a year ago because of the pandemic, and many flights are nearly empty. However, some flights - highlighted on social media - have been much more full, with many passengers not wearing face coverings.

On Monday, Frontier announced that from Friday through to August 31, passengers can pay a fee, starting at $US39 per flight, to guarantee an empty middle seat next to them.

CEO Barry Biffle rejected the notion that his airline is charging for social distancing.

“We are offering the option, and it is guaranteed. We don’t believe you need it - if everybody is wearing a facial covering - to be safe,” he said.

“It gives people more peace of mind if they want it.”

Mr Biffle said ticket sales rose after previous announcements around safety, including a decision to require passengers to wear masks, and he expects the same reaction to the empty-seat offer.

Airlines steal ideas from each other all the time, but so far, none have copied Frontier’s “More Room” offer.

Hilary Godwin, dean of the school of public health at the University of Washington, said the Frontier policy “is exactly the reason that some national-level guidance” is needed for social distancing on airlines and in airports.

Ms Godwin said crowded planes and long flights create the greatest risk for spreading the virus.

AP