Posted on 11/29/2006 5:30:40 AM PST by shrinkermd
With airlines squeezing more seats onto planes and flights more crowded than ever, some nasty battles are brewing, pitting passengers who recline their seats against the squished travelers sitting behind them...
Most U.S. airlines still allow seats to tip as far back as four or five inches....But now Southwest Airlines is doing something to reduce the threat of bruised knees and spilled drinks. The carrier is reducing the maximum recline in many of its seats so that customers can use laptop computers, for example, when the person in front of them wants to lean back.
...The airline decided to standardize recline at three inches, adjusting seats as planes go in for major maintenance work. s.
While Southwest offers 32 inches of space for each seat row on its Boeing 737s, many competitors have seats with less room -- 31-inch rows for the most part, with some as tight as 30 inches. Yet most other airlines also allow at least four inches of recline in seats...
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
COOL!
I can't decide if the designer deserves an engineering award or a humanitarian award.
Well, considering the screening process at security, you might as well fly nekkid...less stuff to do in line at the security checkpoint.
"Gee, the next thing you know ocean cruises wouldn't be as glamorous as those 1930s movies anymore."
Funny you should say that -- my husband and I went on our first cruise to Alaska this year. I was nervous about what to wear for "formal night", as they recommended a tux or suit for the men and a formal to semi-formal dress/outfit for the women. Formal night came, and my husband and I were all gussied up. I couldn't believe what I saw when we went in to dinner. Men in tee shirts and pants and women dressed the same. Unbelievable! And I was worried that we wouldn't be dressed fancy enough! Well, I guess the cruise line couldn't throw them overboard! LOL!
I fly often, but love that feeling of smashed nether-regions once I stand up.
/sarc
I'm sorry, I'm not wearing a tight, cramped uncomfortable suit when flying. That said, is jeans and a nice pullover shirt all that bad??
First class is simply not available at many smaller airports these days, anyway.
Course those were the days when Dad wouldn't take his tie off when he got home from the office.
These airlines are going to kill themselves. People are already preferring to stay closer to home for a variety of reasons. For me, the biggest one is that flying is just such an unpleasant experience. I'll trade the time and drive now if I possibly can.
Back when I was flying a little (pre 9/11), trying to carry-on everything for the trip was most of the problem.
It's funny to see a guy sitting there with his laptop case and laptop trying to squeeze-in "work". For most flights, you only have about 1-2 hours max of time you can work.
I'm 6-3, 300+ and flew coach. I never had big problems.
Well, since the gestapo *has* to inspect your shoes, I think wearing flipflops expedites the process tremendously. And if anybody doesn't like it they can take it up with the gestapo.
First class is simply not available at many smaller airports these days, anyway.
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That's true -- especially with the influx of cut rate airlines.
- I have a friend whose hobby is to take holidays all over the world. He swears that Cathay Pacific is the best airline he has ever flown.
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Hmmm....I'll have to check that one out someday. Also Singapore Airlines -- heard from several people that it's one of the best, if not the best.
At Akron-Canton airport in Akron, OH, the only airline with a business-class option is a discount airline (Airtran.)
The other carriers are simply codeshare airlines like Delta Express, US Airways Express etc. flying cramped regional jets.
I don't mind those actually, on a shorter flight, but longer flights, say over 2 hours, no way.
For a good visual of Southwest's new seating plans, open up a can of sardines. Bon Appetite!
Sorry...but I think that is rude. When you recline, you are taking 4-5 inches of space from the passenger behind you. I had a "recliner" in front of me on Sunday...I had an indention from the bar in the magazine holder in my knees.
A few weeks ago...couldn't use my laptop because of a "recliner".
Still, I would not recline my seat and take that room from the person behind. With the lack of leg room...to me it is just rude to recline.
Sometimes you need to think about others.
It's an airline seat with specific expectations. Where are the considerations of these others for the "recliners"? It's a 2-way street.
Those "regional" planes can be a hoot. I have a friend who travels regularly from Pittsburgh to Allentown -- usually on a Saab. I never flew on a Saab, but my friend says the passengers have to be evenly distributed around the plane to keep it balanced. First time I heard that, I thought it was the funniest thing, but apparently, it's necessary on these small planes. In fact, nowadays, my friend says no one on her flight sits where they are assigned, and there are some flights where the passengers don't even get seat assignments. Since my friend is accustomed to this "balancing" maneuver now, she just instinctively heads for somewhere in the middle of the plane. Fortunately for my friend, the trip is short and she says often there are empty seats; so she tries to pick a "two seat" row where no one would be sitting next to her so she has an empty seat to spread out a little.
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