This fall, Spirit Airlines plans to improve passengers’ experience with comfier seats and more legroom on their flights. USA Today reports that in an announcement on Monday, the airline introduced contoured seats with more “usable” legroom, thicker seat cushions, and an extra inch of room for middle passengers.
The pre-recline on Spirit’s seats will also grow an inch and will go even further back in the exit rows. The previous kid-sized tray tables will be full-sized and the plane’s interior will change from navy to its trademark black and yellow.
Passengers who opt for Spirit’s version of first-class or “Big Front Seats” at the front of the plane will be treated to new memory foam cushions and headrests.
The changes come as part of a larger campaign by Spirit to “Invest in the Guest” and improve their customer service reputation. The airline is known for offering cheap flights and charging for basic amenities. In a presentation to airline executives last month, CEO Ted Christie said he was confident that, “We can deliver low fares, low costs, and high quality.”
Upgrades will also include fleetwide in-flight wifi by late 2020 or early 2021.
The seat changes will be introduced on new planes arriving in November and throughout 2020. The airline hasn’t confirmed whether they will retrofit planes with the new seats, meaning that some passengers might never experience these upgrades.
In an interview, Christie said “We have to evaluate that. It’s a different cost/benefit exercise.”
For now, budget travelers can cross their fingers that they land on one of Spirit’s roomier planes this fall or winter.