coach

Tag Archives for coach.

Everyone Obsesses Over Business Class—Delta President Admits Coach Matters Most, And American Airlines Doesn’t Get It

by Gary Leff on September 12, 2025

Sep 12 2025

The coach experience matters as much as business class for an airline – even (and especially) an airline that wants to maximize its premium revenue.

Becoming a premium carrier is a decade-long process. It stretches across the entire product offering, not just premium products. It takes investment and it takes a huge change in culture and mindset. It’s a journey not just for the airline, but for customers as well – who build their perception of the airline through the lens of experience in the back of the plane before considering whether to graduate to more expensive offerings.

One Thing Changed In My Life, And I Don’t Mind Coach Anymore

by Gary Leff on November 12, 2024

Nov 12 2024

Give me an exit row and decent seat padding, and I don’t mind coach at all. However, there are two caveats. I need decent seat padding, and extra legroom.

JetBlue Introduces Transatlantic Coach Product With Mix-and-Match Meals, Up To 2 Extra Inches Of Room

by Gary Leff on April 6, 2021

Apr 06 2021

I’d absolutely fly JetBlue’s Collins Meridian seat with 32 inch pitch over a 30″ slimline on some competitors. And I appreciate that they’re trying to signal a thoughtfulness in their approach to food by letting you choose which appetizer you do not want, while at the same time preparing only 3 appetizers in total to accompany 3 different entrees.

Mexico’s President Is Currently Flying Delta Coach, Connecting In Atlanta, To Meet President Trump

by Gary Leff on July 7, 2020

Jul 07 2020

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says that private jets are for the “neoliberal elite” so the populist chooses to fly commercial. Today he’s heading to the U.S. for a visit with President Trump. There aren’t currently non-stop flights between Mexico City and Washington DC. So he’s taking Delta, flying coach, and connecting in Atlanta.

Here’s the Mexican President ensconced in an exit row aisle seat on board Delta flight DL366 from Mexico City.

United Airlines Will Start Offering Free Food On More Coach Flights Starting March 1

by Gary Leff on February 20, 2020

Feb 20 2020

United has been testing giving out complimentary sandwiches in coach on the Chicago O’Hare – Honolulu flight, and they’ve found that customers like it. They’re expanding the test to other long flights to and from Honolulu.

Football Star Cam Newton Offers $1500 for an Extra Legroom Coach Seat, Gets Denied

by Gary Leff on June 23, 2019

Jun 23 2019

I’ve paid a child $5 not to recline his seat so I open my laptop and work during a Cleveland – Los Angeles flight. I paid a teen $10 for a seat at an OTG iPad near my gate during a 4 hour delay. I haven’t ever bought another passenger’s seat, though.

A View from the Wing reader, though, gave up his seat so a family could sit together and then promptly sold the seat to another passenger for $100. Who would say no to $1500?

Breakdown: Woman Can’t Face the Idea of Four Hours in a United Coach Middle Seat

by Gary Leff on January 27, 2019

Jan 27 2019

Every single day an inner battle boils in the skies, just below the service, threatening to bubble over.

A passenger videotaped a woman melting down after boarding her United flight. She said she had four hours ahead of her in a middle seat. She declares “I can’t do this.” She complains also about the size of the two passengers on either side of her. She says she’s small in comparison (she isn’t), “I eat salad.”

But that’s not what makes this story absolutely perfect. There’s an Easter egg in the video.

Northwest lies about the advantages of charging for premium coach seats.

by Gary Leff on March 21, 2006

Mar 21 2006

Last week I mentioned that I didn’t think Northwest’s move to charge for ‘premium’ seats in coach (which, outside of exit rows, aren’t in any way actually better) was a big deal. For infrequent flyers it’s neutral or a positive, the opportunity to access seats — though not meaningfully better — otherwise were mostly available to Northwest elites. For frequent flyers it’s more or less a non-issue: if you’re regularly flying Northwest and spending much time at all in coach you should be changing airlines. The only positive Northwest has is its domestic upgrade program, which isn’t just complimentary but also something they regularly deliver on. Still, charging elites for something they used to get for free (without even anything new offered up in return) is never a good thing. But what really irks me…

When First Class is Really Coach

by Gary Leff on May 2, 2005

May 02 2005

I don’t usually fly American. With the exception of an American Eagle flight booked as a Northwest codeshare in late 2004, I haven’t been on American metal in nearly two and a half years. And my review is this — American Airlines’ domestic first class can be summed up with a your choice of two words: either “ghetto” or simply “coach.” One three of four flight segments, no pre-departure beverages were served. No coats were taken. The MD80 seats are incredibly worn and dirty. Pen markings are on display everywhere, and on one flight duct tape was holding the meal tray cover onto my seat. The ‘meals’ they’re serving look like the food that used to be offered in coach. And by used to I’m not harkening back to the long-gone days at the beginning…