[Sans-Culotte]

Seats are so small on airlines that aisle seats are needed for persons as tall as me (6'5"). If the seats weren't so small it would not be an issue. A seat designed for someone larger than a small Asian woman should not be classified as an amenity.

I might pay extra for exit row seats, though.

[eraser2005]

I'd gladly pay $15 extra for an exit row seat or a seat at the front of coach where you get extra legroom (not with a hard bulkhead), as I'm tall.

The problem I have with this business model is that it doesn't improve my odds of getting a coveted exit row seat. So now I have the choice of flying Northwest, and waiting until the last moment and hoping that I can pay $15 for a seat, or I can fly Delta or American (etc) and wait until the last moment hoping that I can get a seat free. I now have an extra incentive to avoid Northwest.

If they let me pay the extra $15 when I make the reservation, then I'd have an incentive to fly Northwest. Unfortunately the airline that used to give me an exit row seat for free every time I booked a flight (at the time of booking, despite being an infrequent flyer) is no longer in business....