Industry battles for high-paying flyers as Frontier Airlines installs first-class seats.

• Frontier Airlines intends to add two rows of first-class seating at the front of its Airbus planes.
• The airline also plans to increase perks for its top-tier frequent flyers.
• The carrier anticipates that the initiatives will bring in over $250 million in revenue by 2026 and more than $500 million in revenue by 2028, as stated by Frontier CEO Barry Biffle.

One of the world's largest budget airlines is introducing first-class seats.

As the industry competes for customers who are willing to spend more on personal space, the strategy of rewriting the input sentence has changed.

In September, Frontier will remove the first two rows of economy seats and install four first-class seats in a two-by-two configuration.

The airline is updating its loyalty program to offer free seat upgrades and companion tickets to its higher-tier members, and customers will be able to redeem their miles for seating upgrades and baggage fees in mid-2025.

Barry Biffle, CEO, anticipates that the new projects will generate approximately $250 million in revenue in 2026 and over $500 million in revenue in 2028.

In an interview, Biffle stated that although we have the lowest costs in the industry, our revenue model is not the best.

The biggest revenue gaps for the company are due to not providing premium seats and not offering enough rewards for loyalty program members, according to Biffle. He stated, "This is going to be a game-changer."

He anticipates that the new seats will be highly sought-after on some of Frontier's cross-country flights.

The airline industry is intensifying its competition to attract higher-paying customers by upgrading their planes with premium seats, putting pressure on budget airlines to offer more spacious options.

The upgrades in the industry have primarily come from large carriers such as and , which generate the majority of profits. However, smaller carriers like Frontier will have to compete with carriers that offer additional perks, such as full meals. Despite this, Biffle stated that Frontier's best seats will still be more affordable than those of its competitors.

Frontier plans to continue offering rows with blocked middle seats, while the carrier in March announced it would begin selling such seats.

The airline is considering introducing extra-legroom seats and seat assignments to boost revenue, shifting away from the open-seating cabin it has operated for over 50 years.

Last month, Spirit Airlines, which is currently under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, provides a "Big Front Seat" on its aircraft that is similar to a domestic first-class seat.