American Airlines has done away with plans to squeeze the space
between three of the rows on its incoming Boeing 737 Max aircraft to 29 inches.
The move comes in response to feedback from customers and
employees since the planned configuration was made public in early May.
"It is clear that today, airline customers feel
increasingly frustrated by their experiences and less valued when they fly,"
the company said. "We can be leaders in helping to turn around that
perception, and that included reviewing decisions that have significant impact
on the flying experience."
American is still planning a tighter configuration on its
737 Max then on its existing narrowbody fleet. Rows throughout the economy
section will be spaced 30 inches apart, a metric known as pitch in industry
parlance. That's compared to the standard 31 inches of pitch that American
currently offers on narrowbodies.
The configuration will allow American to fit 172 seats into
its 737 Max aircraft, up from the 160 that are on the carrier's 737-800s, which
are the same dimensions.
American said it is also looking at switching to the 30-inch
pitch on its existing 737-800.
The carrier said that passengers aren't likely to notice the
loss of an inch of space because the seats on the 737 Max are thinner than existing
seats and make more efficient use of space.