American Airlines will charge $20-40 more for exit-adjacent seats

Every week when airlines introduce a new way to get people to pay for stuff that used to be a standard part of flying since people started putting planes in skies, everyone gets completely scandalized and shocked that airlines haven’t just resorted to turning you upside down and shaking you for loose change when you stop to remove your shoes at security, already.

So another week, another surprising grab by the airlines for your greenbacks. American Airlines has introduced a new fee, or option if you’re an airline exec, that preys on people’s inability to sit the frick down and shut up after the plane lands. Last week’s high-profile plane rage incident involving Steven Slater stemmed from a passenger impatient to disembark- could he be the inspiration for this latest fee?

You know how when you get your seats, some lucky bastards get to get up first and get off before you because of where their seats are? Those seats are now going to cost more on AA flights- they’ve been dubbed express seats:

The Fort Worth, Texas, airline will charge between $19 and $39 more for “Express Seats” — those spots in the first few rows of coach that include bulkhead seats.

The carrier’s parent AMR Corp. said today that the price of the seats includes getting on the plane in the first “general boarding” group of passengers.

The seats can only be purchased at airport kiosks between 24 hours to 50 minutes prior to the flight for travel within the US.

How about, if you’re in one of the seats where you’re obligated to assist in evacuation that if the event comes to pass, your airline gets to charge you for more in-flight entertainment?

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