[Phillippe M]

Qantas to charge fees for exit-row economy seats
The Daily Telegraph | May 26, 2009 12:01am

- Qantas introduces new fees
- Charging for reserving exit-row seats
- Move follows Vigin Blue

QANTAS will penalise the tall by charging passengers extra for reserving economy class exit-row seats on its international flights.

Passengers looking for more leg room will be charged an extra $160 on long-haul flights, and $80 per sector on short-haul flights to Asia and New Zealand.

The charge will net the airline more than $2500 each flight and will begin next month.

An airline spokesman said yesterday: "This will give customers greater choice and access to seats that offer more leg room."

The move follows similar charges employed by Virgin Blue across its domestic routes.

Introduction of the fee comes at the same time the airline begins forcing its uber wealthy travellers to "slum it" in business class on selected international flights.

Qantas will cut its first-class service from 42 weekly flights because of a drop in demand caused by the financial crisis.

First to be cut back will be its 747 flights between Sydney and San Francisco and Buenos Aires and the daily service from Melbourne to London.

The 14 first-class seats will be blended into business class.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/...014090,00.html