American Airlines moves you to the front, for a price

American Airlines on Wednesday announced Express Seats, which gives you seats at the front of the coach section and the right to board in Group 1.

The fee range appears to be $19 for shorter flights, $29 for medium-length flights and $39 for transcontinental and Hawaii flights.

We've been discussing here at the offices of Airline Biz the value of Express Seats, whether it has sufficient payoff for most travelers.

You get first crack at the overhead bins and you get to brush past peons like me as you board with the elite fliers and those who bought tickets that are actually profitable for American.

On one hand, you don't get more legroom or elbow room. On the other hand, you can get off the airplane more quickly at the destination.

On one foot (since we're out of hands), it's a long way back to the economy-section toilets, and you know how they feel about you trying to sneak up to the first-class toilets. On the other foot, you might get your Diet Coke and seven pretzels first.

Here's how Jami Counter, senior director of TripAdvisor Flights, sizes it up:

"The Express Seats option is really a way for American Airlines to introduce a new fee that basically charges extra for regular coach seats. Since the carrier doesn't have non-exit row or bulkhead seats with extra legroom, I think American was smart enough to realize that they couldn't really charge for 'preferred seats' in coach since there wouldn't be anything to differentiate those 'preferred seats' from other coach seats.

"Express Seats is American Airline's way around that and it is somewhat clever as it positions it as a faster way on and off the airplane since it bundles Group 1 boarding in this as well. Honestly though, unless you are able to get a good bulkhead seat, I think it offers little to no value to passengers - I wouldn't want to pay $78 roundtrip for the privilege of boarding early and sitting toward the front of coach for a trans-continental flight.

"A better strategy would be to just buy the carrier's optional Group 1 boarding fee on a standalone basis for $20 roundtrip. You might be sitting toward the back of the plane, but I don't see paying to sit a little further forward (once you strip out the Group 1 boarding) as anything of real value.

"Chalk this up as one more optional fee, but one that really isn't that good of a value (unless you are able to get a good bulkhead seat)."

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