American Airlines says 30% of seats generate half of revenue

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said the carrier is seeing a growing share of revenue come from a smaller portion of its seating, as airlines continue to add more premium cabins. He said about 30% of the airline's seats account for roughly half of total revenue. The remarks came Wednesday at a Morgan Stanley industry conference. American has been reworking aircraft layouts to include more businessclass and other higheryield seats, including a newly announced 70suite businessclass cabin on its Boeing 777300ER jets. The shift reflects a broader trend across the airline industry, where carriers are looking to boost returns from premium travelers while dealing with higher fuel costs and competitive pressure. Even lowercost airlines such as Allegiant Air and JetBlue Airways are adding upgraded seating options.