It's interesting when the Alaska Airlines plane flies from LA to Seattle. The people are so small, there is plenty of room. Then the little people in their little business suits get off at Seattle and people in Carhartts get on whose heads brush the cabin roof and shoulders hang over both sides of the aisle. Off to Alaska! where 6-3, 240 is not considered large.
It's not just the size thing. I've had flights that never made it, I've had airline people try to put me on two broken airplanes in the same day, I've been on Pacific rim flights on which I stood in the aisle most of the time to keep my legs from cramping in the horrible seats, I've seen Koreans treated in a manner which would create an instant race riot on the aircraft if they ever treated blacks similarly...
Like I say, if the airline industry goes under, I won't be amongst those crying over it.
When we flew to Anchorage from Sacramento last year we witnessed the same thing. :o)