United to Reward Loyalty With More Legroom

UAL Corp.’s United Airlines said it will reconfigure the first six to 11 rows in its economy class sections to provide more legroom for loyal customers who have too few frequent-flier miles to upgrade to first class. The seats will be available to Premier Mileage Plus travelers--those who log at least 25,000 paid miles a year on the airline or its partners. Customers who pay the full economy fare can also pre-book the seats. The reconfiguration comes as airlines seek to reward their most loyal customers. On Thursday, AMR Corp.’s American Airlines said it was eliminating expiration dates on frequent-flier miles, a move that is expected to push United to eliminate expirations for at least some miles. A spokesman for American said it had no plans to change legroom. United said its reconfiguration will cost about $35 million and will be completed by April.