Business

Walmart beat first-quarter earnings estimates but fell just short of sales expectations.
Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said consumers could start to see higher prices as soon as later this month.
The company said its e-commerce business was profitable for the first time during the quarter.

Walmart on Thursday fell just short of quarterly sales estimates, as even the world’s largest retailer said it would feel the pinch of higher tariffs. 
Even so, the Arkansas-based discounter beat quarterly earnings expectations and stuck by its full-year forecast, which calls for sales to grow 3% to 4% and adjusted earnings of $2.50 to $2.60 per share for the fiscal year. That cautious profit outlook had disappointed Wall Street in February, but the company’s shares rose slightly on Thursday in premarket trading.

Walmart also marked a milestone: It posted its first profitable quarter for its e-commerce business both in the U.S. and globally. The business has benefited from the growth of higher-margin moneymakers, including online advertising and Walmart’s third-party marketplace. 
In an interview with CNBC, Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said tariffs are “still too high” – even with the recently announced agreement to lower duties on imports from China to 30% for 90 days. 
“We’re wired for everyday low prices, but the magnitude of these increases is more than any retailer can absorb,” he said. “It’s more than any supplier can absorb. And so I’m concerned that consumer is going to start seeing higher prices. You’ll begin to see that, likely towards the tail end of this month, and then certainly much more in June.”
Walmart said it expects net sales to increase 3.5% to 4.5% for the fiscal second quarter, but declined to provide guidance for earnings per share or operating income growth because of fluctuating U.S. tariff policy.
Here is what the big-box retailer reported for the three-month period that ended May 2 compared with Wall Street’s estimates, according to a survey of analysts by LSEG:

Earnings per share: 61 cents, adjusted vs. 58 cents expected
Revenue: $165.61 billion vs. $165.84 billion expected

In the fiscal first quarter, Walmart’s net income fell to $4.49 billion, or 56 cents per share, compared with $5.10 billion, or 63 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.
Revenue rose about 2.5% from $161.51 billion in the year-ago period, but had a 1% headwind from lapping leap day in the year-ago period. Yet it marked Walmart’s first quarterly revenue miss since February 2020.
Comparable sales – an industry metric also known as same-store sales – jumped 4.5% for Walmart U.S. and 6.7% for Sam’s Club, excluding fuel.
E-commerce sales increased 21% in the U.S., marking the 12th straight quarter of double-digit gains. Global e-commerce sales jumped 22% year over year.
Walmart is often seen as a barometer for the health of the U.S. consumer because of its thousands of stores and large customer base that cuts across age, income and region. Rainey told CNBC that Walmart has not seen a noticeable shift in consumer behavior from previous quarters.
“They’re discerning. They’re mindful. They’re maybe a little concerned about possible looming price increases, but their behaviors largely have not changed. They’re still looking for value,” he said.
Sales in the quarter were “a little choppy,” Rainey said. He said results in February fell below the company’s expectations, March results came in closer to what Walmart expected and then April “was a lot stronger.” So far, he said May “feels a lot more like April” with sales patterns.
Average ticket, or the amount that a customer spent, rose 2.8% year over year. Customer transactions increased 1.6% compared with the year-ago period in the U.S. Yet despite the growth of purchases across Walmart’s store and website, that marked the fourth straight quarter of deceleration for the metric.
Trade remains a major wild card for the company — and the retail industry — as companies debate how much inventory to order and place bets about where tariff levels will ultimately land. About a third of what Walmart sells in the U.S. comes from other parts of the world, with China, Mexico, Canada, Vietnam and India representing its largest markets for imports, Rainey said on the company’s earnings call Thursday.
CEO Doug McMillon said on the company’s earnings call that tariffs on China, in particular, create the greatest cost pressure. He said imports from the country account for high volume in categories such as toys and electronics.
He said Walmart is focused on keeping food prices low, but said tariffs on countries like Costa Rica, Peru and Colombia have put pressure on the prices of bananas, avocados, coffee and roses. In some cases, he said, it’s keeping prices where they are — even if that means absorbing higher costs — such as keeping the price consistent for flowers at Sam’s Club on Mother’s Day.
In an interview with CNBC on Thursday, Rainey said the company is working with vendors to try to keep prices down. But, he added “this is a little bit unprecedented in terms of the speed and magnitude in which the price increases are coming.”
Still, he said, Walmart plans to “play offense” by keeping its price gaps below competitors. He said the company will absorb some of the higher prices from tariffs and expects suppliers will, too.
He said Walmart has not canceled any orders, but has reduced the size of some purchases. For example, he said, it is buying less of items that it anticipates may sell less because of a higher tariff-related price.
Walmart’s quarterly report kicks off a wave of sales updates from major retailers. Target, Home Depot and Lowe’s are all scheduled to report quarterly earnings next week, as investors and economists gauge the strength of the U.S. consumer and the impact of higher tariffs on the retail industry.
Unlike some of its peers, Walmart has advantages that have helped it better weather an uncertain economy and woo a more selective U.S. consumer. As the nation’s largest grocer, it sells food and necessities that drive steadier store and website traffic. And as a well-known value player, it can use lower prices to attract even middle- and upper-income customers who want to pay less. Already, Walmart has attracted wealthier shoppers with faster deliveries, store remodels and a wider assortment of brands.
Plus, the discounter has grown profits faster than sales by looking beyond retail to newer business, including advertising and its subscription-based membership program Walmart+. Sales for its U.S. advertising business, Walmart Connect, increased 31% year over year in the first quarter, excluding the Vizio smart TV business that it acquired last year.
As of Wednesday’s close, Walmart shares are up about 7% so far this year. That outpaces the roughly flat performance of the S&P 500 during the same time period. Shares of Walmart closed at $96.83 on Wednesday, bringing the company’s market value to about $775 billion.
— CNBC’s Robert Hum contributed to this report. More

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has purchased a minority stake in Chelsea FC Women.
The investment gives him an ownership stake in two of the most-valuable teams in women’s sports.
Ohanian’s Chelsea deal values the women’s club at 200 million pounds, according to a person familiar with the deal.

Alexis Ohanian, Principal Owner, Angel City Football Club & Los Angeles Golf Club, looks on during a conversation with Olympic sprinter Gabby Thomas during the Business of Women Sport Summit presented by Deep Blue Sports and Axios at Chelsea Factory on April 23, 2024 in New York City. 
Elsa | Getty Images

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has purchased a minority stake in Chelsea FC Women, giving him an ownership stake in two of the most-valuable teams in women’s sports.
The founder of venture capital firm Seven Seven Six and husband of tennis legend Serena Williams paid 20 million pounds for a 10% stake in the English soccer team, according to a person familiar with the deal. Ohanian is also a part owner in the National Women’s Soccer League’s Angel City FC alongside Disney CEO Bob Iger and his wife, Willow Bay.

Ohanian’s Chelsea deal values the women’s club at 200 million pounds, according to the person familiar, making it the most valuable women’s team in the world based on current foreign exchange rates. As part of the deal, Ohanian will be given a seat on the team’s board.
“I’ve bet big on women’s sports before — and I’m doing it again,” Ohanian said in a post on social media site X confirming the stake.
Chelsea FC Women have won six consecutive Women’s Super League titles. Ohanian says he see the opportunity to grow a worldwide brand within women’s football.

Chelsea FC Women gifted Alexis Ohanian’s daughters jerseys.
Courtesy of Alexis Ohanian

“I’m confident Chelsea FC Women is the next global women’s sports brand,” he said.
Ohanian left Reddit in 2020 to focus on building a legacy for his two young daughters through sports and other investments.

He said in 2024 he had invested $250,000 from his daughters trust fund into Angel City FC. Ohanian said the investment made them the youngest owners in professional sports and multi-millionaires.
Williams also recently became part owner of WNBA expansion team the Toronto Tempo, and Ohanian has started a women’s track competition. More

Warner Bros. Discovery is renaming its streaming platform again starting this summer, restoring a name it ditched just two years ago.
The change comes as Warner Bros. Discovery seeks to scale back its volume of content and focus on quality programming and storytelling.
The Upfronts week in New York has already been heavy on naming news.

A scene from season 3 of The White Lotus.”
Source: HBO | Warner Bros.

HBO became HBO Max, and then it became Max. Now, it will be HBO Max once more.
Warner Bros. Discovery is renaming its streaming platform again starting this summer, restoring a name it ditched just two years ago. The company announced the rebranding Wednesday during its upfront presentation in New York.

The change comes as Warner Bros. Discovery seeks to scale back its volume of content and focus on quality programming and storytelling.
“The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming,” said David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, in a statement. “Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead.”
The company’s streaming business has turned around its profitability by almost $3 billion over the past two years and scaled globally with around 22 million subscribers added in the past year. Warner Bros. Discovery aims to have more than 150 million subscribers by the end of 2026.
Still, Warner Bros. Discovery lost live rights to National Basketball Association games beginning next season. The company has focused on paying down debt rather than spending on new content to compete with Netflix, which has more than 300 million subscribers.
Ironically, the HBO Max branding was first introduced in 2019 to showcase HBO’s competitive global streaming ambitions. Now, Warner Bros. Discovery is bringing back the same name, but emphasizing the opposite — quality over quantity.

“We will continue to focus on what makes us unique — not everything for everyone in a household, but something distinct and great for adults and families,” said JB Perrette, president and CEO of streaming at Warner Bros. Discovery, in a statement. “It’s really not subjective, not even controversial — our programming just hits different.”
Competitor Disney has taken a similar tack, with CEO Bob Iger noting in recent investor calls that the way to win in streaming will be quality content.
The legacy media companies have all struggled to achieve profitability in their streaming businesses since launching their own services in recent years. That has led to an increased emphasis on advertising tiers, crackdowns on password sharing and more streaming service bundles.
The Upfronts week in New York has already been heavy on naming news. ESPN announced its upcoming flagship streaming app will be named simply ESPN. Fox said its forthcoming streamer will be named Fox One. Last week, Comcast’s cable portfolio spinoff announced its new holding company name, Versant.
Warner Bros. Discovery first launched its stand-alone streaming service HBO Max in 2020 when the brand was still owned by AT&T. The “Max” moniker was added to signify that the platform would have a wide array of content, from reality TV, documentaries, kids programming and movies, as well as the prestige branding of HBO titles.
At the time, leadership believed HBO had too small of an audience, much of which was U.S.-based, and that there was more value in making HBO a sub-brand within a larger streaming offering.
The service was later renamed Max in 2023. That change came after the merging of Discovery Communications and WarnerMedia, which was divested from AT&T in 2022. Content from Discovery+ was added to HBO Max under the new name.
Now, two years later, Warner Bros. Discovery has reversed course.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of CNBC. Versant will be the new parent company of CNBC under the proposed cable portfolio spinoff.

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Netflix said Wednesday its cheaper, ad-supported tier now has 94 million monthly active users.
That is an increase of more than 20 million since its last public tally in November.
Netflix also said its cheapest tier reaches more 18- to 34-year-olds than any U.S. broadcast or cable network.

Cheng Xin | Getty Images

Netflix said Wednesday its cheaper, ad-supported tier now has 94 million monthly active users — an increase of more than 20 million since its last public tally in November.
The company and its peers have been increasingly leaning on advertising to boost the profitability of their streaming products. Netflix first introduced the ad-supported plan in November 2022.

Netflix’s ad-supported plan costs $7.99 per month, a steep discount from its least-expensive ad-free plan, at $17.99 per month.
“When you compare us to our competitors, attention starts higher and ends much higher,” Netflix president of advertising Amy Reinhard said in a statement. “Even more impressive, members pay as much attention to mid-roll ads as they do to the shows and movies themselves.”
Netflix also said its cheapest tier reaches more 18- to 34-year-olds than any U.S. broadcast or cable network.

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Media companies are highlighting podcasts in their conversations with advertisers, including their annual pitches at Upfront presentations.
While the main avenue for video podcasts is YouTube, the free, ad supported streamers are also bulking up on the content, providing more opportunities for advertisers to get in the mix.
Netflix recently said during an earnings call that podcast videos could become part of its platform.

Jason and Travis Kelce with Dunkin Donuts on the New Heights podcast.
Courtesy: Wondery

Amazon’s second-ever Upfronts pitch to advertisers this week featured an appearance by NFL champion brothers Jason and Travis Kelce. They weren’t there to hype live football rights.
While Amazon’s Prime owns the media rights to the NFL’s Thursday Night Football games — and the streamer showcased much of its sports portfolio, including the upcoming NBA season, during the annual media presentations — the Kelce brothers were invited onstage because of the success of their video podcast, “New Heights,” made by Amazon’s Wondery.

Live sports in general have emerged in recent years as the darling of Upfronts. The category was a big part of presentations by Fox Corp., Comcast’s NBCUniversal Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery this week.
Sports content is expected to remain the dominant force in securing advertiser commitments during Upfronts this year, despite growing economic uncertainty.
But viewers’ shift toward social media on both their phones and TV screens has increasingly drawn eyes to the video format of podcasts, and now influencers, TV stars and athletes are inking multi-million dollar deals in response. The quality of the video production of podcasts has increased, too.
The growing emphasis on podcasts during Upfronts is helping to cement the format as value added in the media landscape. Its this consumer gravitation toward social media, tech and streaming platforms that has led advertisers to spend more on these digital platforms than traditional TV in recent years.
Now, they’re more and more turning their attentions to podcasting.

“We’re constantly looking at all different types of content and content creators. The lines between podcast and talk shows are getting pretty blurry,” said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, during an April earnings call in which he said podcasts could soon join the platform. “We want to work with kind of great creators across all kinds of media that consumers love. Podcasts … have become a lot more video forward.”

From pod to video

Jason Kelce on the New Heights podcast featuring Dunkin Donuts.
Courtesy: Wondery

The shift in preferred podcast format from listening to viewing signals another opportunity for media companies vying for advertising dollars.
Video podcasts have been soaring in popularity on Google’s YouTube, which is a dominating force in the media landscape and on TV screens.
The consumer preference has been evident with popular podcasts like Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy,” which has almost 1.3 million subscribers on YouTube. Joe Rogan’s interview last year with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump has 58 million views on YouTube, and counting.
“One of the most relevant formats driving culture — podcasts — is thriving on YouTube,” said YouTube CEO Neal Mohan in a recent post, specifically highlighting Rogan’s interview with Trump. He also cited a report from Edison Podcast Metrics, which named YouTube as the go-to platform for podcasts.
YouTube will hold its presentation to advertisers Wednesday evening.
While podcast companies are able to generate revenue from the sponsorships embedded in the shows, YouTube is typically in charge of the traditional ad spots during breaks. However, Wondery, which is also known for podcasts like “Dr. Death,” was an early “preferred partner” with YouTube, allowing it to sell its own advertising inventory, said Angie More, head of advertising at Wondery.
Amazon acquired Wondery in 2020, putting the podcast maker in Amazon’s advertising ecosystem. Amazon also utilizes video podcasts to create free, ad-supported streaming channels — or in industry jargon, FAST channels. This means Amazon can sell advertising for these channels for the videos outside of YouTube, too.
Having a visual component to the traditional audio content opens up more advertising opportunities, too.
“You can have a more linear TV spot, or you can do full integration with the host, so you can actually have the host talking about the brand and having a visual aspect with product placement,” said More in an interview. “If it’s Coca-Cola, you can actually show them drinking the actual product, or having banners around them, behind them. There’s a lot of different ways to do it, which is nice.”

Sports talk

Hosts (L-R) Rob Stone, Jerry Ferrara, Urban Meyer, Matt Leinart, and Mark Ingram II from the podcasts “The Triple Option” and “Throwbacks” at the 2025 NFL Draft.
Courtesy: Sinclair, Inc.

As the conversation around video podcasts picks up during Upfronts, much of the excitement is driven in particular by sports.
Broadcast station owner Sinclair centered its Upfront presentation earlier in May around its growing podcast content, particularly in sports.
At the event in New York City, executives talked extensively about how brands and sponsors are integrated into the conversation between podcast hosts, such as staging a Nissan Armada onsite or indulging in Wendy’s Frosty treats on air.
Sinclair announced upcoming sports video podcasts after successes with “The Triple Option” and “Throwbacks,” both of which include former NFL players.
Sports-related podcasts, whether discussing the game itself or simply led by former athletes, have been popular among consumers and have led to highly valued partnerships.
The Kelce brothers’ deal with Wondery was reportedly valued at more than $100 million and will run three years.
This year Wondery also announced it had entered into a multi-year deal for the “Mind the Game” series with the NBA superstar LeBron James and former NBA star Steve Nash. This video podcast is one of the first to be made available on Amazon’s Prime platform, along with external sites like YouTube.
“We’re getting to the point where the word podcast means something almost different than it did years ago. It’s really a digital content series, for lack of a better term, and it’s video-first these days,” said Matt Schwimmer, CEO of the Better Collective’s Playmaker HQ. The company makes sports podcasts like “Roommates,” which counts the New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart among its co-hosts.
Conversations between media companies and podcast creators are happening more frequently and becoming “more meaningful,” said Schwimmer.
“A lot of them are really starting to kick the tires on syndicating that content from podcast-first companies, and not necessarily making their own,” said Schwimmer, noting discussions with traditional TV networks, the leagues and others.
“I wouldn’t say the budgets are there yet to spend on it, but I think there’s a lot out there and the budgets will come,” he added.
Disclosure: Comcast’s NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC. More

American Eagle withdrew its 2025 guidance and said it was taking $75 million in write-offs related to spring and summer merchandise.
The retailer said it expected comparable sales in the fiscal first quarter to fall 3%, while it anticipates overall sales will drop 5%.
American Eagle previously warned that the first quarter was off to a slower-than-expected start.

A customer enters an American Eagle store in Miami, Florida on April 4, 2025.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images

American Eagle on Tuesday said it is writing off $75 million in spring and summer merchandise and withdrawing its full-year guidance as it contends with slow sales, steep discounting and an uncertain economy.
The apparel retailer said it expects revenue in the first quarter, which ended in early May, to be around $1.1 billion, a decline of about 5% compared to the prior-year period. American Eagle anticipates comparable sales will drop 3%, led by an expected 4% decline at intimates brand Aerie. American Eagle previously expected first-quarter sales to be down by a mid-single-digit percentage and anticipated full-year sales would drop by a low single-digit percentage. 

Shares plunged more than 17% in extended trading. 
When it reported fiscal fourth-quarter results in March, American Eagle warned that the first quarter was off to a “slower than expected” start, due to weak demand and cold weather. Conditions evidently worsened as the quarter progressed, and the retailer turned to steep discounts to move inventory.
As a result, American Eagle is expecting to see an operating loss of around $85 million and an adjusted operating loss, which cuts out one-time charges related to its restructuring, of about $68 million for the quarter. That loss reflects “higher than planned” discounting and a $75 million inventory charge related to a write-down of spring and summer merchandise, the company said. 
“We are clearly disappointed with our execution in the first quarter. Merchandising strategies did not drive the results we anticipated, leading to higher promotions and excess inventory. As a result, we have taken an inventory write down on spring and summer goods,” said CEO Jay Schottenstein.
“We have entered the second quarter in a better position, with inventory more aligned to sales trends,” he said. “Additionally, we are actively evaluating our forward plans. Our teams continue to work with urgency to strengthen product performance, while improving our buying principles.” 

The company added it is withdrawing its fiscal 2025 guidance “due to macro uncertainty and as management reviews forward plans in the context of first quarter results.” It is unclear if recent tariff policy changes had an effect on American Eagle.
Some companies bought inventory earlier than usual to plan for higher duties, but American Eagle repeatedly said in March that it was in a solid inventory position and was able to go after trends as customer preferences shifted. 
At the start of the first quarter, the company said it had some inventory outages and needed to supplement stock in a few key categories, particularly at Aerie, one of its primary growth drivers. 

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Shares of Hertz plummeted Tuesday morning following the company reporting disappointing first-quarter earnings and fleet cuts amid slower bookings and tariffs.
Hertz shares were off more than 20% during early morning trading before coming back slightly.
Much of the negative sentiment during the call seemed to revolve around Hertz’s plan to offer fewer cars for rent as it deals with lower bookings and President Donald Trump’s tariffs as well as lower consumer sentiment.

Andrew Kelly | Reuters

DETROIT — Shares of Hertz Global plummeted Tuesday morning after the embattled rental car company reported disappointing first-quarter earnings and a $250 million stock offering.
Hertz shares were off more than 20% during early morning trading before ending Tuesday nearly 17% lower after the company’s morning quarterly earnings call.

Shares of the company were only off roughly 3% heading into the call, following the company’s report that came out after markets closed Monday.
Here’s how Hertz did, based on average analysts’ estimates compiled by LSEG:

Loss per share: $1.12 adjusted vs. a loss of 97 cents expected
Automotive revenue: $1.81 billion vs. $2 billion expected

Hertz announced the at-the-market $250 million stock offering during the call to begin working on deleveraging.
“The combination of an improved earnings profile, refinancing levers and the ATM optionality gives us a number of alternatives for addressing upcoming maturities,” Hertz CFO Scott Haralson said during the quarterly call.
He said the timing, total proceeds and final number of shares offered will be determined as the process occurs.

Investors are also concerned about Hertz’s plan to offer fewer cars for rent as it deals with lower bookings and President Donald Trump’s auto tariffs that have impacted new and used vehicle prices for many models. Hertz and other companies, also are dealing with lower consumer sentiment and less U.S. tourism.
“We prioritized fleet and cost actions at the top of the list. Cost because it moves quicker. Fleet because it’s so impactful,” Hertz CEO Gil West told investors during Tuesday’s call. “So not saying we haven’t focused on revenue … but as we’re moving through revenue transformation, we’re pruning some revenue.”
Hertz’s revenue fell 13% year-over-year primarily due to the reduced fleet capacity, which was down 8% compared with the first quarter of 2024, Hertz said.
The company’s lower fleet is part of its “Back-to-Basics Roadmap” plan to turn around the company to optimize vehicle utilization and, as West put it Tuesday, create “more demand than we can satisfy” to improve profits.

Stock chart icon

Hertz stock

During the call, Hertz outlined several key accomplishments under the plan, such as a $92 million year-over-year improvement in direct operating expenses. It also retained many previously announced objectives such as getting depreciation per unit below $300 by the second quarter and positive adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization by the third quarter of 2025.
The company also said the first quarter was a record for vehicle sales to retail customers amid a strong residual value market given the tariffs.
“While HTZ is accelerating its transition strategy and has some benefits on depreciation, we believe the risk ahead is on demand. On balance we see the result as net negative,” Barclays analyst Dan Levy said Monday in an investor note.
The stock had increased 90% this year through Monday’s close, largely thanks to Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management amassing a 19.8% stake in Hertz. More

Spirit Airlines announced it will offer new premium options for its travelers, including an extra-legroom seating option.
Spirit exited bankruptcy in March after years of losses and failed merger attempts. 
The extra-legroom seating will include seven rows near the front of the aircraft totaling more than 40 seats.

A Spirit Airlines aircraft undergoes operations in preparation for departure at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 12, 2024.
Brandon Bell | Getty Images

Spirit Airlines announced on Tuesday that it will offer new premium options for its travelers, including an extra-legroom seating option and a two-free-checked-bags policy for its cardholders.
The new seating will begin being installed in June and roll out across the majority of Spirit’s fleet by July, according to the company.

Spirit will offer its two-free-checked-bags policy as a collaboration with Bank of America, offered only to travelers with its branded credit card. It will roll out later in 2025, Spirit said.
The announcement is the latest development in the budget airline’s turnaround strategy of leaning into premium options, banking on spending from wealthier leisure travelers. Spirit Airlines — which had transformed the industry by offering cheap fares and charging extra for everything else — exited bankruptcy in March after years of losses and failed merger attempts.
Spirit’s embracing of premium options reflects a larger trend in the airline industry. United Airlines announced Tuesday it is unveiling larger business-class suites, while American Airlines said earlier this month it will start flying suites with sliding doors on some of its planes in June.
Southwest Airlines, meanwhile, shocked travelers in March when it announced it will end its “two bags fly free” policy.
Spirit is “adding more value and perks for our loyalty members at a time when others are taking away benefits,” said Rana Ghosh, Spirit Airlines senior vice president and chief commercial officer, in a press release.

The extra-legroom seating will include seven rows near the front of the aircraft totaling more than 40 seats. The new option will replace the airline’s previous “Go Comfy” offering, which blocked off a middle seat for passengers who picked that fare.
Along with the seat, which is 32 inches instead of the regular 28 inches, the premium option includes a carry-on bag, no change or cancel fees, Priority Boarding, reserved overhead bin space, a snack and nonalcoholic beverage.

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