United Airlines to boost seating in Airbus jets

9/4/2012
BLADE NEWS SERVICES

LOS ANGELES — United Airlines plans to install slimmer seats next year on some of its planes, enabling the airline to squeeze in more passengers.

The Chicago-based airline said it would add the seats manufactured by German company Recaro Aircraft Seating to its fleet of 152 narrow-body Airbus planes.

The padding on the Recaro seats is thin enough that United can add a row of seats on each plane without reducing legroom, the airline said.

United is not the first to turn to slimmer seats to pack more passengers per plane. Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines this year separately announced plans to install slimmer, lighter seats.