Prepare for the Big Squeeze

Tight seats or cheaper tickets? I choose cheaper tickets. The government should stick to safety and stay out of the economy.

I don't like government meddling either, but the airline industry as a whole is really a monopoly. There isn't an alternative in this country because we basically have no train system and driving is just too long. These airlines follow one another and wink at collusion. Happened with bag fees, non-refundable tickets, change fees, charging for seats, paying for food, etc.

Normally I would let the market sort this out, but no airline is stepping up and making travel comfortable without an enormous price.

Bring back Freddie Laker!!!

I don’t understand why they make seats that recline so much that the person behind you is trapped. People can be so inconsiderate. Unfortunately, you can’t count on people to exercise some judgment and consideration for the person behind them.

There has been articles since January about more arelines ditching the reclining seats. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/reclining-seats-airplanes/index.html It's rather long, but there are cost and weight reasons to ditch the recline. Consideration of others is the last reason. Why am I not surprised.
And here is a somewhat passive aggressive approach to curb the recline of the guy in front of you https://www.wikihow.com/Stop-the-Person-in-Front-of-You-from-Reclining-Seat-on-a-Plane I rather like it.

When the planes were certified one requirement is evacuating everyone in 90 seconds. Presumably the passenger load was used in the test was the max the plane could be configured for. Some airlines may have been flying at less than that max number and are now filling the planes. For an airline, systemwide, a few more on each plane can reduce the number of planes and crews they need. Also make the most of the available landing slots and gates.

Just like buying a home or car, bigger costs more. Most airlines offer the choice for more space.

It's also the eco friendly thing to do, fewer planes flying. Instead of stewing while squished in the middle seat with a seat back in your lap, think of how you are saving the planet. Be a Greta.

Yes, the entry point for gov't intervention is safety, and seats you can't get out of in a hurry is a safety issue.

There was an airline back in the '90s that flew with all first class seating (2x2) at coach prices, and a warm chocolate chip cookie to boot. Midwest Express. They failed and were bought out and merged into oblivion. The free market is merciless.

My husband had a person in front of him on a long flight that reclined his seat all of the way back and then complained that my husband’s overhead light was in his eyes! And he even kept it fully reclined when he was up walking around. ….living in the “Me” world - whew!

That is why I fly less but by premium economy or higher; My last economy international flight on BA was a nightmare when the man in front of me reclined his seat all the way back after take off and left it in that position until landing 8 hours later. I could hardly eat my meal and the FA told me there was nothing she could do after the man refused to even move the setback up a little during the meals.
. So being the passive aggressive person, I left my light on the whole night and pushed on his seat every time I had to get up.

Only Economy plus or better from then on.

And yes getting out of a small seat is a hazard. A lot of plane deaths have been due to fires in the cabins. Trying to get out of a seat and row lately, I can't see how it's safe if a plane was filling with smoke and people are trying to squeeze out of the rows. I hate to say it but it may take another plane tragedy for airlines to do anything to alleviate squashed seating.

As if anyone enjoys a seat back so close to their face you can smell the person’s head for 3 or more hours. 🙄

LOL. Reminded me of the time I was flying for business and a young women in her late 20's with very long hair, reclined and flipped it back over the seat in front of me on to my tray table. While it was very attractive hair, it was almost as gross as the Diet Coke clinging to her hair from the cup I kept soaking her hair in before asking her to remove it. I'm smiling as I write this because of the memory of the arrogance and displeasure she displayed when I asked her to remove it. I wish I had been eating soup!!!

I’d be curious how they figure they can evacuate a plane in 90 seconds. As someone who’s frequently in the exit row, I think about these things as I watch people board and I’m a little concerned about getting people out of their rows quickly and without taking any of their belongings. The tighter they’re packed, the harder that would be.

There are no problems, only solutions.

When the human in front of you leans back into your lap, give them a nice peck/kiss on the head. That will fix it.

90 seconds ain't happening. I've seen some folks take nearly that long to go from the aisle to their seat. Do you really think that 250 pounder next to you is going anywhere in 90 seconds?

We primarily fly Delta and have been for many years. Personally, I haven't noticed seat placement changes.

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't seat installed when the airplane is built, so a 10 year old airplane will have 10 year old seating?

As for complaining about the person in front of me reclining, I never complain, unless I am still eating. Seats were made to recline and the person in the rear shouldn't have a problem with that. OF course, if someone has long hair and it falls in your drink, UCK.

I do know that seating is more compressed than when I first started flying over 60 years ago, but in the 70s airline deregulation resulted in competition between the airlines and reductions in the airfares.

I remember pricing a trip to Spain in 1970, that was going to cost $450 RT. According to what I found on the internet, $100 from 1970 would be worth $773 today. Today's value for that 1970 price would be $3500. Even with prices going up the last couple of years, that at about double or more what you can buy for not.

Frankly, I will manage the tighter seating, by the way, I have lost 15 lbs since 2021.

Evacuation in 90 seconds is a joke. The airlines base that on an evacuation done with all normal size people, who already know what’s going to happen and how to do it.
It is a joke. If you have to evacuate, prepare to die, or fight as much as you can while people open o er head compartments for their baggage, put up their tray tables, close their electronics, and lurch their overweight and out of shape selves out of their seats. There are people who are asleep on Valium and other assorted drugs, groggy. You see how it goes when they first come aboard the plane. Why should the slowness and gathering of things be any better in an emergency. Under duress.
That recliner guy in front of you, you think he will remember to put his seat up. Will he care?
Ho-ho.
It is way outdated. People now are way larger, there are children, there are mobility challenged people, there are idiots, there are people who cannot follow directions. There is the entire gamut of
human medical and mental less than stellar awareness and capability.
All the surly, Karen, and bad behavior we see nowadays in airports and on planes is sitting there on that plane.
So that 90 second test should be done with such people, not a bunch of aware and normal size and shape people that work for the airlines. Have them sit there for hours, settled in, belongings strewn around, alcoholic beverages have been served., with no known timeframe of when they will have to mobilize.
Then we can get an accurate test.

I’d be curious how they figure they can evacuate a plane in 90 seconds.

Here's a brief synopsis...

https://simpleflying.com/aircraft-evacuation-tests/

I know they try to make it "harder" by blocking exits. However, besides the things mentioned in the above article, not only do the participants know what's about to happen, some of them are company employees, and I'm guessing have a much deeper understanding of evacuation procedures than the general public. The article below gives one person's views of the current tests...

https://www.travelersunited.org/emergency-evacuation-tests-need-to-get-real-now/

And, going back to the OP...the squished seats do allow a greater percentage of the population to fly. Airlines would love to just have Premium Economy and up--these seats generate more revenue per square foot of cabin space (see link below) than even tight economy seats--but not everyone can afford this. If, however, more with the means to do so become willing to spend more for PE or Business, I'm guessing the airlines would oblige and install more of these seats. It would be in their interest to do so.

https://apex.aero/articles/unpacking-perks-premium-economy/

Eric, are you trying to imply a capitalist venture is trying to provide what people want to buy? Shouldn't the government step in and mandate all seats be pre-assigned seat business class seats, and require everyone to pay for a checked bag, if they have one or not. That way, there is no pricing deception; the price you see is the price you would have paid if you could have afforded it.

And I confess to using the full ability of the Economy seat permitted by the flight crew and fully expect the individual in front of me to do the same (which happens 90% of the time).

I don't understand the need for seats to recline on domestic flights and for international, the amount of recline should be less. Since some members of Congress fly main cabin, you would think they would lead the charge on this. I guess the money airline lobbyists give them is more important to them than their comfort while flying.

But now, with a serious threat of government regulation looming, domestic airlines are under pressure to shrink their seats as much as possible.

What regulation? The article doesn't reference any new regulations. There's the request to the FAA but that's it. Wouldn't the threat of regulation put pressure on them to embiggen their seats?

This is a lazily written article!

If they did lead the charge, it would be proof positive of why government needs to stay out of such things: https://www.travelandleisure.com/vacationer-airplane-passenger-behavior-survey-6747792

Yes, seating on flights is getting tighter and tighter, both the front (distance from the head rest in front of you) and the side (width of you and your neighbors seats). Flying is the least enjoyable part of any vacation. So far, however, it's still the most convenient way to get somewhere.

I'm staying in coach, however, for a couple of reasons. Primarily because upgrading to premium, business class or first class makes the flight an outsize portion of my total travel budget. I can't see spending such a large chunk of my travel budget to make a small portion of my trip somewhat less miserable.

I'm also being obstinate. I don't want the airlines to benefit by their decision to shrink fit me into coach by my paying drastically higher fares for essentially the same space that I used to have at coach prices.

Maybe a third reason. Luxury means nothing to me. I don't care about luxury lodging and I care even less about luxury flying.

Heather, I'm with you. At this point in our lives we fly less often by only premium economy for long-haul flights. I don't mind a couple of hours in steerage. Many people assume since they bought the tickets and the seat leans back, then they're going to take advantage of it. The only answer is for airlines to install only fixed, upright seats. I think that's coming.

The journeyman travel writer, Chris Elliott, only remarked on the 17-inch in response to a passenger who said it was like being in a "straitjacket." Nowhere did he say this seat width was a new phenomenon. He's not an idiot.

Etiquette expert Adeodata Czink, said passengers should not put their arms on armrests, and nobody can lay claim to the overhead bin over their seat or even personal space unless you want a conflict that could escalate. Sounds like fun sitting there with your arms on your lap, trying not to bump anyone.

I'm not much of a recliner, but the way I think about it, the recline space behind the seat in front of me belongs to the person in front of me. The recline space behind my seat is my space, and so on down the line. The recline is much better for sleeping, so I don't at all begrudge the person in front of me if they want a nap. And a lot of people have back problems, or arthritis, etc etc where sitting in the same position for a long time gives them pain. Again, I'm not much for reclining, but it feels to me like people who are outraged by any reclining are as self-centered as the people who slam their seats back indiscriminately the whole flight.

Tom_MN, it can be a challenge walking down the narrow aisles without bumping anyone, especially if the air is not smooth. I feel awful if I inadvertently wake someone up.

Etiquette expert Adeodata Czink, said passengers should not put their arms on armrests

Huh, so they’re not armrests, then? Seat dividers, maybe?

I’ve heard it opined that both center armrests belong to the person stuck in the middle seat, and the window and aisle seat occupants shouldn’t hog them. I guess for people in the middle seats of the center section of a plane, it’s every person for themselves.

At least a middle seat is less likely to be exposed to bumps from people in the aisle.

You get physically squeezed in the cheap seats, and financially squeezed in the seats closer to the front of the plane. Squeezed either way.

Adeodata Czink? I can't swear on it but I think I've come across her brothers, Küche and Badezimmer.

I had a return flight to Heathrow over the last Christmas/New Year, the first time I had a seat in a ten in a row. When I booked and chose the seats it was only a row of nine seats.