Does it seem to be that lengthy stroll again to economic system class goes previous increasingly rows of comfortable premium seats? You could also be proper.

Driven by an increase in leisure vacationers keen to pay extra for a wider seat, further legroom and a nicer meal in premium economic system or first or enterprise class, airways are cashing in by reconfiguring their cabins to accommodate extra of these higher-priced comfortable seats, and utilizing bigger planes which have extra premium seating on present routes.

The strikes are vital: Major U.S. airways are increasing premium seating by 25 to 75 p.c in parts of their fleets.

Leisure vacationers started upgrading in earnest because the pandemic eased, stated David Slotnick, who follows the aviation trade for the journey web site the Points Guy. Still feeling the lingering worry of an airborne virus, some fliers felt safer with slightly more room between them and the passenger subsequent door, and have been keen to pay extra for it. And after months of not spending any journey {dollars}, there was a great deal of pent-up demand.

Premium seat costs fell through the pandemic as a result of enterprise vacationers weren’t flying, stated Mr. Slotnick, giving leisure vacationers an opportunity to expertise life on the entrance of the airplane in first, enterprise and premium economic system seats. Airlines seen the urge for food of those prospects, and have been setting costs as excessive as they’ll whereas nonetheless feeling reasonably priced, he stated.

The value of airline tickets general has additionally surged as inflation has risen and vacationers have rushed to make up for misplaced time. At the identical time, beforehand lagging enterprise journey has began to choose up once more.

Airlines see this shift in demand as a monetary boon, stated Chris Lopinto, a co-founder of ExpertFlyer, a web site that gives seat maps, cabin improve availability and different data to frequent fliers. Aircraft are being upgraded with extra premium seating to extend income per flight, Mr. Lopinto stated.

Cabin retrofit tasks are deliberate over a number of years and take note of the age of the prevailing interiors and buyer demand and expectations, amongst different elements, in keeping with Mark Muren, United Airlines’ managing director for id, product and loyalty. Planes must be taken out of rotation to get this work carried out, so airways don’t undertake this work calmly, stated Helane Becker, an airline analyst at Cowen, an funding financial institution.

United, for instance, has elevated the capability of home premium seating — which incorporates Economy Plus and top quality — by 25 p.c general in contrast with the start of 2019. In North America, there shall be greater than 53 premium seats per flight by 2026, about 75 p.c greater than there have been in 2019. On some planes that fly internationally, United expanded the variety of enterprise class seats to 46 from 30 by eradicating a few of the economic system seats. Passengers are almost definitely to expertise these adjustments on United’s cross-country flights (between San Francisco and Newark, for instance) or these to Hawaii, in keeping with the aviation information analytics agency Cirium.

American additionally has plans to increase premium economy and business class seating, including 45 p.c extra on long-haul flights by 2026. The service’s Boeing 777-300ER, 787-9 and Airbus A321XLR jets will all provide extra premium economic system and enterprise class seating. Those plane are usually used on long-haul worldwide and transcontinental routes, in keeping with the corporate, however the schedule has not been set for 2024 community routes but, which is when the adjustments will start to seem.

Delta will provide 15,000 extra premium economic system or enterprise class seats a day in contrast with earlier than the pandemic, in keeping with the corporate. On Delta’s 767-400 planes, 20 economic system and 6 enterprise class seats have been taken out to make room for a 20-seat premium economic system cabin. On some A330 fashions, 16 premium economic system seats have been eliminated to put in 21 enterprise class seats. Customers will almost definitely see the adjustments on Delta’s trans-Atlantic routes, and probably additionally on home routes like New York to Los Angeles, and Atlanta to Honolulu, in keeping with evaluation by Cirium.

Some of the cushiest seats are getting much more luxurious. Delta One “cabins,” obtainable on some worldwide flights, provide full-height closing doorways together with a lie-flat mattress and different facilities.

The premium cabins could also be rising, however if you wish to lie again and luxuriate in one in every of these new seats, it’s nonetheless going to value you: In early May, a pattern round-trip from New York to Los Angeles on the three main airways for the primary week of June began at about $300 for economic system, $900 for premium economic system and $1,200 for enterprise.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get skilled tips about touring smarter and inspiration to your subsequent trip. Dreaming up a future getaway or simply armchair touring? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2023.