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Alaska Airlines’ new seats have power outlets but less cushion

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Alaska Airlines has begun to install seats with slimmer seat-back cushions, enabling the company to squeeze two or three more rows of seats onto most of its planes.

But the airline is trying to put the focus on the seats’ other features, such as power outlets for every passenger.

Alaska joins Southwest, United and Spirit airlines in installing seats with thinner back cushions so the carriers will be able to add extra seats. Alaska will install six to nine more seats per plane.

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Alaska announced last week that the new seats, manufactured by German company Recaro Aircraft Seating, will also include 110-volt and USB power outlets on the seat back in front of every passenger.

Virgin America also includes plugs and USB outlets in the cabin, but not on every seat, according to Alaska.

So far, the airline has installed the slim seats with plugs on seven new planes and plans to have them on 75% of its fleet of 125 planes by the end of 2014.

“Customers are loving them so far,” said Marianne Lindsey, a spokeswoman for Alaska Airlines.

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