… for complaining purposes:
https://travelpander.com/dimensions-of-an-airplane-seat/
“Airplane seat dimensions focus on width, which has shifted over time. In 1985, major US carriers had seats at least 19 inches wide. From 2000 to 2018, average widths fell from 18.5 to 17 inches, with some seats as narrow as 16.1 inches. These changes affect passenger comfort and seating arrangements in airlines.”
So it’s not my imagination.
I guess Whoopi and I will have to ride in separate aisles on our fun-filled vacation.
So it wasn’t riders getting larger?
That too. I always end up next to a lard pile who needs their seat, half of mine, and a jumbo seat belt extender. And yet the airlines go nuts if a piece of luggage is a pound overweight.
Airlines face a profit dilemma that forces them to attract more customers with lower prices at the cost of customer comfort. Soon, the traveling middle-class may be invited to fly standing up and holding onto an overhead ring, or even stacked like cord wood.
Okay hear me out on this one. What if the government increased the minimum wage to a “living wage” like $30/hour? Then the poors could afford to pay more for tickets right? This would shift the cost/comfort demand because there wouldn’t be any more traveling middle-class. Just Spirit Airlines and First Class.