The number of scheduled premium seats in the domestic US market has increased by 14% since 2019, compared with a 4% increase for scheduled economy seats in the same period, according to research from Visual Approach Analytics. Noting that premium seats are “suddenly important,” the report noted that even airlines that have not had premium seats, like Frontier and Southwest, are talking about adding them.
On a percentage basis, United Airlines has seen the largest growth, but that carrier, said the report, is growing from a relatively low base. The largest growth in overall domestic first and business class seats is American Airlines.
The report said regional aircraft have seen “an incredible increase” in premium seats since 2019. The second most significant increase in premium seats for American came from the E175, a regional plane.

The report also noted that defining premium can be complicated, saying that Spirit files with authorities that its Big Front Seat is business class, so those seats are counted in this research as business class. Meanwhile, Breeze Airways’ Ascent, which looks “pretty swanky,” according to the report, is not filed by the carrier as premium, so is not counted Image: American Airlines/Newsroom