Scott O’Leary stated on Milepoint that United will be retaining Economy Plus and will be adding it to the Continental fleet in the beginning of 2012.

This is certainly a big relief, though not unexpected. Though it was certainly going to be a ground up review, and management of Continental was going to make a decision on the basis of whether they thought economy plus would give incremental revenue compared to having the additional seats in coach to sell.

United has become quite skillful in selling passengers these seats and economy plus without any doubt drives product differentiation and consumer choice at the low and mid-tier elite levels.

A United Premier flying twenty five thousand miles in one year doesn’t see the front cabin very often, but is better off in back on United with extra legroom than on other carriers.

Now, it should be said that they haven’t decided whether Premiers will hold advance access to economy plus going forward.

At present, all United and Continental elites get economy plus access on United. Continental only provides Golds and above passengers with access to preferred coach seating in advance, which is not that good a benefit as economy plus. For Premiers and Silvers its catch as catch can at the airport. They’ll carry on with one method or the other and seem not to have made that decision yet.

Continental also has not decided on the matter of removing a row of coach or a row of first class for getting the extra legroom on the Continental planes, it’ll possibly come from coach on some aircraft and first class on others, and the particulars remain to be announced.