AC

The chase is on for the corporate trekker. Airlines are racing to fill premium cabins on their planes with bed-like seats. They're speeding up access to the Web. And they're carving out space in coach class for those who'll pay more to stretch their legs. The goal? To woo business travelers, who often book the more expensive, last-minute fares, as well as others willing to pay more to fly. The premium-paying customer has always been valuable, but they're more important than ever as airlines grapple with up and down fuel prices and try to compete in an industry increasingly dominated by a handful of mega-sized competitors. "Premium customers are fewer in number, but they spend a greater amount of revenue,''says Chris Kelly Singley, a spokeswoman for Delta. "You have to continue to really invest in the product that's bringing those customers to you in the first place.'' Lie-flat seats, which allow road warriors to get some quality shut eye before heading to meetings, have become a...