Stuck in the middle — without you.
Frontier Airlines is offering passengers a so-called upgrade to not have someone seated next to them in the middle row.
The new “UpFront Plus” feature will allow people to buy out the middle seat and avoid awkward armrest encounters.
But it’s not like paying for an entire ticket fare.
Passengers can pay $49 for two guaranteed armrests, extra legroom and to be the first flyers to disembark the plane.
Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle called the upgrade a “great option for those who want expanded personal space and extra comfort.”
“Many consumers strongly prefer a seating option that offers extra space when flying,” he said, according to a press release.
However, these perks are only available for the first two rows on select flights.
Although the airline raves about the “exceptional value” of the extra elbow room, it’s almost the price of a one-way trip from Laguardia Airport (LGA) to Orlando International Airport (MCO) for $48 in March 2024.
So, is the new feature really a steal of a deal?
The self-proclaimed “ultra-low-fare carrier” is known to offer significantly cheap flights at low rates of nearly $40, so it’s questionable whether people will buy into the upgrade when they could save the money for another trip.
UpFront Plus is set to begin on April 10, but the $49 fee is subject to change depending on flight demand and availability.
Meanwhile, frequent flyers who don’t mind rubbing shoulders and elbows with the passenger in the middle may want to brush up on their airplane etiquette.
Previously reported by The Post, a passenger experienced every window seater’s worst nightmare after her neighbor invaded her space so he could take photos outside the airplane.
She was sitting uncomfortably by the window as an older gentleman in the middle seat repeatedly reached past her face so he could snap photos of the view outside with his phone.
“Do people not know personal space? And that you can choose a window seat?” griped user @sterlingsavannah.
The middle seat comes with an ongoing debate whether or not the middle seater should have dibs on two armrests since they’re already in the most undesirable seat.
However, a Twitter poll featured in a report by The Post revealed a divided house, with 47.1% agreeing the middle seat should have both armrests while 52.9% claim “no way.”
