I suppose it's out of the question to go back to this setup:
Americans need space. Take out some of the seats and charge more for the ones with extra room.
Think LearJet.
Of course, you could tell the pilot was used to flying cargo. The plane did a virtual nose dive into Aruba. Some passengers were pretty nervous.
I can see the day in the near future where space regulations are born - most of the airline seating is woefully inadequate. There should be as much leg, hip, and head room as the front seat of a mid-sized SUV.
My wife bemoans the end of the days when flying was something that you'd get dressed up for and people would act in a civilized manner.
Last time we flew, I noticed two women who were flying in their pajamas.
People are herded into those planes like animals and conduct themselves similarly.
Owl_Eagle
If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.
You've gotta love SWA - hopefully others will follow (but I'm not holding my breath - AA just announced [albeit quietly] they're reducing the seat spacing on planes as they come in for overhaul). UA also has terrible seat spacing, but offers better seats if you're willing to pay around $60 more.
I have flown only 5 or 6 times in my life and could hardly walk when i left the planes. Those close seats are killers.
I, for one, would welcome the removal of 10% of coach seats, with the extra space distributed to provide extra leg-room throughout coach, even at the cost of a 10% fare increase.
Actually, since not all flights fly full, the profit-neutral solution would probably allow more seats to be removed to balance a 10% fare hike.
I suppose it's out of the question to go back to this setup:
I've sometimes thought it would be fun to fly first class for the extra room.
But then I realised that if you offered me 100 bucks to stand in a line for you for 2 hours, I'd do it.
So why would I spend 500 bucks just to have a little more room sitting for a couple of hours?
I guess I'm just cheap, but I don't think I'd want to spend 20 bucks more for a plane flight just to have an extra 2 inches of leg room. Of course, I'm pretty short so leg room isn't really an issue for me, I'm more concerned about space between seats in the aisles because I am overweight.
Hobbit Airlines
6 ft, 2 in. here. On a 5 hour flight back from the West Coast, the girl in front of me decided to try to recline her seat. My knees were already up against the seatback even when it was upright, but she kept on trying. I politely informed her that my legs weren't going anywhere, unless she wanted to pay to upgrade me to first class.
I take a 1hr 30 minute flight on average twice a week and on such a short flight, I see no reason to recline. Lack of space also makes it exceptionally rude to anyone behind.
If the person in front of me does recline, I generally ask them not to.
No-one has ever yet refused to put their seat upright.
I'm amazed at the people that fly wearing flip-flops for shoes. Their feet would be cut to pieces if there was an emergency and we had to evacuate the plane.
A pox on recliner seats in coach! You want to recline --- then go "recliner class".
We will be flying in a few weeks and I'm practicing a loud, whispered 'sh*t' for the moment the seater in front of me decides to push back. If it doesn't go up, then maybe I will act like one of those little kids who like to sit behind me and kick the seat back.
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.
For a good visual of Southwest's new seating plans, open up a can of sardines. Bon Appetite!
Aeroflot Russian Airlines:
You don't realize how good you've got it on US airlines until you fly on a Tupolev 134.