Airlines Increase First-Class Seats To Accommodate Upgrades

Some airlines are adding seats to their first-class sections to attract frequent travelers who typically pay full-coach fares.

Few people pay for first-class seats anymore; they are used increasingly to reward frequent fliers in coach class with upgrades.

Trans World Airlines said it is expanding the first-class section in its narrow-body aircraft by an average of 60 percent, to between 12 and 20 seats depending on the model of plane. The airline said the expansion will increase the number of confirmed upgrades it can offer to people paying full-coach fares.

Typically, passengers who pay such fares are business people making last-minute plans, and all airlines are competing aggressively to win them over.

Other airlines are expanding first class as well. US Airways, for example, is expanding first-class sections in its smaller aircraft to 12 seats from as few as four in some planes.

Airlines compete not only on quantity of seats, but also on quality. United Airlines said it will replace every seat on its planes over the next several years. One feature of its new first-class seats is a head rest that can bend in to provide more side support.

Test your skill: The longest and fastest ride ever at Walt DisneyWorld will give visitors a chance to play the part of test driver by the end of the summer.

The new attraction at Epcot Center, Test Track, is a mile-long re-creation of an automobile proving ground, with six-passenger vehicles that take riders up hills, around hairpin turns, along bumpy roads and down straightaways at speeds of up to 65 miles an hour. Through some Disney magic, riders will even experience a simulation of a crash test.

Test Track will have limited operating hours in late August or early September, said Disney spokesman Mark Jaronski, and the ride should be fully operational by October.

Epcot and the rest of the Walt DisneyWorld attractions are in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., southwest of downtown Orlando.

One-day admission to Epcot is $42.14; $33.92 ages 3 to 9. Information: (407) 824-4321.

Paris bargain: Paris-bound travelers in search of bargain accommodations can hardly do better than the Bel Air Hotel, at 9 Rue Tarbe 75017. Through the end of August, the 24-room hotel is offering double rooms with a private bath at $54 a night.

Boasting two stars, the quarters are predictably tight. But during a visit last month, we found the rooms clean and nicely furnished and the hotel located on a quiet residential Right Bank street, a pleasant walk from the Champs Elysees.

For reservations at the Bel Air and 324 other discounted properties in Paris and elsewhere, call Utell International, a U.S.-based hotel marketer, at (800) 448-8355.

Amtrak on track: Though its Web site has been up since last year (http://www.amtrak.com), Amtrak’s online operation now allows you to make reservations and buy tickets online, besides perusing route maps, timetables, tour packages and specials.

Access the reservation page directly at http://reservations.amtrak.com.