Redesigned Seats Let Airlines Squeeze In More Passengers

Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "AP reports that U.S. airlines are taking out old, bulky seats in favor of so-called slimline models that take up less space from front to back, allowing for five or six more seats on each plane. This gives airlines two of their favorite things: more paying passengers, and a smaller fuel bill (the seats are slightly lighter). Whether the new seats are really closer together depends on how you measure. By the usual measure, called 'pitch,' the new ones are generally an inch closer together from front to back as measured at the armrest. The seats Southwest has put on nearly its entire fleet are 31 inches apart, about an inch less than before, allowing them to to add an extra row of six seats to each plane. International passengers are feeling crowded, too. As recently as 2010, most airlines buying Boeing's big 777 opted for nine seats across. Now it's 10 across on 70 percent of newly-built 777s, Boeing says. American's newest 777s are set up 10-across in coach, with slightly narrower seats than on its older 777s. Airlines say you won't notice. And the new seats are designed to minimize this problem. Airplane seats from 30 years ago looked like your grandmother's BarcaLounger, says Jami Counter, senior director at SeatGuru.com, which tracks airline seats and amenities. 'All that foam cushion and padding probably didn't add all that much comfort. All that's been taken out,' he said. 'You haven't really lost all that much if the airline does it right.'"

Comments

Bullshit we won't notice

[magic maverick]

I recently flew on a rather old African owned plane (run by a state airline). It being my first experience with this style of airline (the only other African airline I'd flown was SAA, which is no better or worse than the average European airline), it was interesting. E.g. there was heaps of leg room! It was amazing compared to the other airlines I'd been flying. Economy class was actually comfortable for me, even without pushing the seatback back (which I never like doing if there is someone behind me, I think airlines should remove that option).

On the newer planes though, I always have to get an aisle seat, otherwise I am uncomfortable the entire flight.

Fuck the airlines.

Re:Bullshit we won't notice

[Greyfox]

I haven't flown on a commercial airline in about a decade, but last time I did the International flights used to be a lot more comfortable than domestic ones. I was born in the 70s and flying back then seemed like more of a upscale and trendy thing to do. Since then it's gone to being more like being an an airborne Greyhound bus. If I have the time, I'd much rather drive or take a train. Trains are underrated -- sure they take a couple of days but they're a lot more comfortable than flying, you get to see the country from a much different angle and you meet all manner of interesting people.

I do love to fly though, and have been averaging about one flight ever 2.6 days, skydiving down at the local municipal airport. A one-way ticket to 12000 feet is $28 there. Once you start hanging out at a municipal airport, general aviation starts looking a lot more feasible. There are several guys who fly biplanes there I wouldn't mind hitching a ride with, and several hot air balloon pilots around. Next year in June I'm going to start approaching pilots to see if I can find one who'd be willing to fly around for an hour or two at night on the 4th of July, so I and a few friends can watch the fireworks from the air. If the dropzone were willing to fly their big purple otter that night, we could easily get 6-8 people around the open door, one in the co-pilot's seat and maybe one more standing between the pilot and co-pilot. That'd be enough that the cost of running the thing would be reasonable. So yeah, fuck the airlines, but if you enjoy flying general aviation is still pretty fun.

Re:Bullshit we won't notice

[drinkypoo]

I'm 6'7". I do my best not to fly (don't really want to be sexually abused) but when I have to, I am fucking miserable. Most airlines seem to now only give you preferred seating if you're part of some kind of high-mileage club, so I usually don't get to pick the bulkhead. I'll regularly see short people seated there but they never seem to want to swap me; the people with the seat they don't need and the airline employees are both assholes. It doesn't just impact me; my knees are firmly against the seat before me, which cannot be reclined. If the person tries I will shove the seat forward, and hard; if you don't look before you recline, you're an asshole. And if they look back at me for more than the half-second it should take to figure out that I don't fit in the seat, then I look them right in the eye and explain that they don't get to recline their seat, and please stop looking back here.

Americans are getting bigger; not just fatter but taller. But they're reducing the available room on the planes. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is bullshit.

Re:Bullshit we won't notice

[rickett81]

I'm 200cm tall.
On a flight from the US to Brazil, I was stuck in the back of the plane and my legs physically wouldn't fit in the seat. The flight attendant told me that I would have to get my legs in there or the flight couldn't take off. I had her call another flight attendant over and then I said "I will get in here, but something is going to break. It will be the seat in front, my seat, or my legs."
I then jammed myself into the seat which broke the rivets/screws of the seat in front of me which slammed the seat forward (with someone in it) making the seat unusable. I foresee this happening again and more often if the airlines continue this stuff.

Re:Bullshit we won't notice

[CohibaVancouver]

If a flight attendant sees you using a Knee Defender, you will be required to remove it and it will be confiscated.

Re:Bullshit we won't notice

[Joce640k]

The real solution is to make seats where the seat back stays upright but the bottom of the seat moves forwards. That way they're the one who loses leg room, not the person behind them.

Or do what Ryan Air does - let me pay $10 extra to reserve a seat in the exit row. I don't mind paying $10 extra for leg room.

slim is good :)

[l3v1]

I'd start by saying that I'm bigger than the average. Still, having sat in the slim seats for several travels, I have to say they are more comfortable than the old ones, even in a 3-4-3 row setting. I actually feel like having more leg space (especially for my knees) even if the seat in front of me is reclined. If they all will be like the slim seats on transatlantic LH flights, then I'd take them anytime over the old style seats.

Abolutely Shameful

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm 6'5" (1.96m) and the biggest problem I have is the seat width. Thing is, I'm not fat, not particularly broad built or even unusually tall. It's just really difficult to get in them, especially when the arms are fixed. The seats as it stands are made for people who are 5'8" or smaller.

This isn't progress, it's shameful profiteering.

How many people buy a ticket based on leg room?

[trout007]

If people just go to their favorite travel website and sort flights by cost this will continue to happen. Consumers are giving the signal they care about nothing other than cost. If it becomes uncomfortable enough that people select airlines based on comfort over price the airlines will respond. They just want the money. If they could get away with charging more for bean bag seats they would respond.