Mobissimo

Give them credit for trying to squeeze blood from a stone. Northwest announced today that they would offer passengers extra leg room for a couple of extra bucks. So those emergency exit rows you used to sit in at no extra cost are now going for $15:

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) - For an extra $15, Northwest Airlines Corp. will sell coach passengers a few more inches of legroom.

Starting Tuesday, Northwest will ask passengers on most domestic flights if they're interested in paying extra for certain prime seats in coach - exit-row seats or aisle seats near the front of the cabin.

The "Coach Choice" program will involve about 5 percent of seats on domestic flights.

Northwest's exit-row seats can have 10 to 13 inches of extra leg room, And many air travelers prefer the convenience and extra elbow room of aisle seats to center and window seats.

If they really want to make some money, they should open it to the highest bidder eBay style. Oh, and they should charge to go to the bathroom and to de-plane first. And maybe a few duckets for a glass of water. In fact, EasyJet and RyanAir pioneered the whole "nickel and dime you to death business model" a few years back charging for things like carry on baggage. Northwest should look across the pond for interesting revenue opportunities like gambling and lottery tickets.