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Passengers on Air France looking for extra legroom will now have to pay to sit in emergency exit rows or in the front rows, making the carrier the first in the industry to introduce this type of supplement charge.

The seats involved are those not having other seats directly in front of them, making it possible for passengers with long legs to stretch out a bit more.

Until the introduction of this charge, in many cases passengers have been able to request these seats when checking in for a flight.

From this point, however, these seats on Air France will be sold at a premium, with passengers paying the surcharge either on the phone when making a booking, or online.

“It will be a small charge to have to pay for extra legroom,” said a spokesman for the airline, noting that the £40 charge will be applied to long-haul services first.

Passengers who are members of the airline’s Flying Blue card will still be able to reserve the seats at the standard price, after they have reached the frequent flier Gold or Platinum status, according to the spokesman.

The surcharge is now in effect on flights from France to North America, and will be expanded to cover the remainder of the airline’s long-haul network.

Industry observers anticipate that the idea will be copied by other airlines, as the industry continues to struggle financially in the challenging economic climate.

Thanks to www.telegraph.co.uk for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

(Air France)