Economic crisis hits economy class: Air France taxes legroom

PARIS: Air France has slapped a 50 euro (64 dollar) surcharge on the most comfortable seats on its long-haul flights, the firm said on Friday, as the economic crisis forces carriers to look for savings.

Henceforth, passengers who want economy class seats next to emergency exits, which have more legroom and are prized by experienced travellers and tall passengers, will need to reserve them in advance and pay the extra fee.

Frequent fliers with the company's Flying Blue card will still get the seats at standard price once they reach Gold or Platinum status, the spokesman said.

The charge has already been levied on flights from France to Canada or the United States, and will now be expanded to the rest of the long-haul network.

Air France is not the first airline to think up such a charge, and the decision comes against the background of an industry battered by years of high fuel prices and the onset of world economic slowdown.

Last month, the Air France-KLM group warned shareholders it would fall short of its earnings forecast and announced that it would seek to cut costs by 1.2 billion euros (1.53 billion dollars) over the next five years.

The number of seats with extra room varies from only four in a small A-330 regional jet to up to 37 in a Boeing 747, and Air France hopes firms now unwilling to stump up for business class will buy them for their executives.