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Joel Widzer makes the contrarian case FOR Northwest’s new policy of charging for aisle seats.

Widzer’s apologia suggests that the best justification for CoachChoice is that it gives travelers more, well, more choice. (A proponent of a la carte ticketing, Widzer must love the Ryanair model…)

Sure, the airlines are against the ropes financially, and at the same time, we all want to fly as cheaply as possible.

To have our cake and eat it, too, we need to support airlines that seek alternative revenue streams.

Huh? How about supporting airlines that actually respect their customers, and who provide a better product for the price? Just today we heard about JetBlue and United making the inflight experience better. We’ll have to wait and see which model will win: a package of quality, or a patchwork of choices.

Nonetheless, I’d agree with Widzer on two counts on the benefits of CoachChoice: First, it IS an effort to differentiate Northwest from its competitors. But second, and more importantly, it encourages customers to exercise their choice to fly a different airline.