ONE low-cost airline that flies from the UK will be testing out a new seating option – to block the middle seat.
Passengers willing to pay a little more for the perk will no longer have to squeeze next to someone on the aircraft.
Wizz Air is launching middle seat free options from December 2025 as part of a test.
Essentially the airline is targeting ‘low-cost’ business travellers who want extra space to work on a flight but don’t want to pay such a high premium.
The new system will allow travellers to ‘block’ the middle seat next to them from being booked.
The new initiative is called ‘Wizz Class’ and was unveiled by the airline at a media event on October 28.
Unlike other airlines which have cabins dedicated to business class, there won’t be any reconfiguration for Wizz Class.
In fact, Wizz Class is likely only to be possible in the first front row of seats that has extra legroom.
The announcement also suggested that no other perks, like lounge access or meals, would be included.
Michael Delehant, Senior Chief Commercial and Operations Officer explained that the move comes off the back of requests from front-row passengers.
And the new idea has landed well with some customers, one person said: “Love it. Blocked middle seat is something that makes flying economy bearable. But this should extend to more than just the first row.”
Another added: “Blocking seats in the first row is nice. It compensates for the lack of storage space in front of the seating. It also gives you the opportunity to be first off on landing. I would pay extra for that.”
Wizz Class won’t be available on all flights, but will be rolled out on certain journeys from its hubs in Bucharest, Budapest, London, Rome, and Warsaw.
Another product Wizz Air is testing is lightweight onboard connectivity solutions called ‘Wizz Play’.
This is to appease the business traveller, but also other passengers as it hopes to provide a service so customers can use online messaging and streaming.
The airline is also launching a third wave of its ‘All You Can Fly‘ membership.
It’s making space for another 10,000 memberships across 34 countries.
The cost for signing up is €499 (£439.31) but the membership includes unlimited flights for 12 months across 950 routes and 53 countries.
Although there is a €9.99 (£8.80) booking fee each time.
It’s a popular scheme with frequent passengers saving hundreds on flights.
Here’s more on Wizz Air’s newly relaunched ‘All You Can Fly’ membership.
Plus, more on flights as Wizz Air launches new flight routes from UK to 5 top Spanish destinations.