Avelo Airlines Adds Premium Seating, With Stretch & Stretch+

Houston-based low cost carrier Avelo Airlines is the latest to introduce premium seating options, following the industry trend. The airline is also doing this with amazing (unbelievable?) efficiency…

Avelo Airlines introduces extra legroom seating on 737s

Avelo Airlines operates a fleet of just over 20 Boeing 737s, including 149-seat 737-700s, and 189-seat 737-800s. Up until now, the airline hasn’t had any sort of premium seating option, but that will be changing. For flights as of September 3, 2025, Avelo is introducing two new seating products:

• Avelo will offer Stretch seating, featuring 32-36″ of pitch, compared to the standard 29″ of pitch
• Avelo will offer Stretch+ seating, offering extra legroom, as well as an empty middle seat

These new products are already on sale for flights as of September. When you go to make a booking, you’ll see the option to select one of these premium seating options when you get to the seat map page.

Here’s how Avelo Chief Commercial Officer Brian Davis describes this new seating option:

“Stretch and Stretch+ reflects our commitment to giving travelers more choice and comfort while staying true to what sets us apart: convenient, reliable, and affordable service. We know comfort matters and this new option offers a better experience for those who want it, without changing the value our Customers expect from us.”

In recent years, we’ve seen a huge increase in premium leisure demand, and Avelo is obviously trying to tap into that with this change. On a vast majority of flights, not every single seat is occupied, so the question becomes how airlines can generate additional revenue without carrying more travelers. Premium seating options are a great way to accomplish that.

While Avelo had surprisingly impressive financial results following launch, the industry has become even more difficult in recent times, especially with the current weakness in domestic demand. This has even caused Avelo to (controversially) get into the deportation flight business.

Avelo Airlines 737s are maintaining their seat count?!

Avelo Airlines has revealed that Stretch and Stretch+ seating will make up roughly one-third of the seat count throughout the fleet. I was curious how Avelo is reconfiguring its jets to add this new seating, so I pulled up the seat maps for both the 737-700 and 737-800.

To my surprise, the 737-700 and 737-800 seat maps still show 149 and 189 seats, respectively. Given that Avelo previously had 29″ of pitch at most seats, I’m genuinely confused to as how the airline is adding this new seating without decreasing seat count.

It is interesting to see how the airline is adding these new products. On the 737-700, Stretch+ seating is in the first several rows on the left and at the exit rows on the left, while Stretch seating is in the first several rows on the right, and at the exit rows on the right.

On the 737-800, Stretch+ seating is in the first several rows on the right and at the exit rows on the left and right, while Stretch seating is in the first several rows on the left.

Bottom line

Avelo Airlines is introducing premium seating for flights as of September 2025. This includes Stretch seating, featuring an extra three to seven inches of legroom, and it also includes Stretch+ seating, featuring extra legroom and a blocked middle seat.

Based on Avelo’s updated seat maps, it appears that the seat count isn’t actually being reduced. Either that’s a glitch, or Avelo is doing something really puzzling.

What do you make of Avelo introducing premium seating?