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Is it time for minimum airline seat standards?

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Altercations and emergency landings due to fights over seat positions are key to some industry observers asking is it time for seat standards on aircraft? (www.usatoday.com) More...

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keithmckenzie
It's the same old adage, you get what you pay for. Premium economy is the old economy, and there is no comparison in the good old days to today's economy. It's called steerage for a good reason. And if you treat them like cattle, expect no difference in their behavior.

Frankly, I'm mixed on this issue. While the free market (frankly, when was the last time we saw a free market in America?) sorts out some of this issue, airlines (and their investors) have created and sold more ways to reach into your pocket. Add the consolidation in the airline industry that has all but eliminated competition, and you end up with few alternatives other than to pay up or suffer.

I think the issue of safety will come up more as cramped passengers express their anger either toward their fellow passengers or toward the crew. When it becomes a safety issue, then government will intervene. It may also be hastened by our fine elected officials who can't snag a first class seat home for the weekend.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 0
Probably the airlines will hire a bouncer stew on every flight. As long as people sign up for the seats they will sell them. Simple answer is "don't sign up". Apparently you love government taking care of you because flying comfortably is a "right".

keithmckenzie
Not a right, but it surely is my expectation, particularly if you are sitting next to me taking up half my seat. Or was that you in first I passed on the way in?
Pileits
Pileits 5
Implementing laws defining "minimum" standards for long duration seating of people might be just the right thing to do.
If not soon we may all find ourselves STANDING the entire flight. Try standing up for 8-12 hours
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 3
I think the market place will seek its own level just fine without the idiots in government.
Bernie20910
Bernie20910 2
I respectfully disagree. Letting the marketplace set the standard is what got us to this point, with the absolute bare minimum that can be tolerated by the majority, and constant attempts to reduce that even further.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 1
That's because the majority want the absolute cheapest fare. There are options for those that want something different. I drive an F150 and not a VW for a reason. Just my 2cents worth.
andyc852
I think Premium Economy (it has many names) will largely take care of this. Depends on the route but on longer hauls I will happily pay $150 EW for 5 more inches of leg room. If you do not want to pay that is your choice. If the airlines find they can sell all the Premium Economy seats my bet is they will add more.
Just some thoughts.
Bernie20910
Bernie20910 1
Five more inches of leg room? The last time I flew (which is probably the last time I'll ever fly) I paid for Premium Economy... and got 1 inch, and a seat that reclined all of 1 1/2 inches. Try getting into something like that when you're 6'2" and 250 lbs, wearing knee braces.
grinch59
Gene Nowak 2
What is necessary is go back to the basics and RE-REGULATE the Airlines like they were in the good old days. Plenty of seat room, friendly fellow travelers, flights that ran on schedule, no lost luggage, etc. etc. etc.
Jbabemd80
Well I hate to tell you all this but American's did this to themselves. Everyone goes on and on about the glamour of air travel back in the day but back then it cost 5 grand to travel coast to coast in regular coach class and oil was basically free. So naturally airlines could give you 5 feet of leg room and filet mignon. Fast forward 40 years, now everyone wants to be in New York despite weather, mechanical safety and DONT you dare charge us more than a few hundred dollars and you BETTER feed me and quench my thirst and you better believe I am gonna complain the second its not going the way I WANT IT! America asked for affordable air travel and sadly that cost has to come from somewhere. You can't pay 500 dollars to fly to New York and expect a first class experience. If the plane leaves on time and arrives on time and you are not killed in the process, consider yourself blessed. Take your FREE coke and pay 6 dollars for the salad OR bring your own food and stop bitching about the seat pitch. It's 5 to 6 hours tops coast to coast, if you really need more leg room or have a bad back or your allergic to everything let me introduce you to a wonderful company called NetJets, private air travel...except JFK-LAX on net jets is about 30 grand so I get it..some airlines suck to fly on long haul but you got what you asked for..the cheapest round trip possible. You can't have lobster and leg room and champagne for 299 roundtrip. There is no need for a seat police, just realistic expectations. :) Happy Flying!
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 0
Sure! Let's create a federal "seat police" force. Get real!!!!
pthomas745
Pa Thomas 4
Well, yes Mr. Wallace, those rules would work. Remember the endless tarmac delays that outraged everyone? The FAA did the job and imposed simple rules, and what happened? This article is from 2010, and now passengers held prisoner are no longer a story at all. And the airlines are still shoving money into suitcases.

The August figures continue the positive trend. American Eagle in July was the only U.S. carrier to report tarmac delays exceeding federal limits, with three flights. The number is down from 161 flights delayed more than three hours in July 2009.

Such delays have plummeted 98 percent in the three months since the rule took effect imposing stiff fines on carriers that exceed the time limit. U.S. airlines must allow passengers to get off aircraft stuck on the tarmac or face fines as high as $27,500 per customer.

The sole tarmac delay exceeding three hours involved a United Airlines flight departing the San Juan airport on Aug. 5 that was diverted. There were only eight total tarmac delays of more than three hours from May through August this year, compared to 529 during the same four-month period of 2009.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 0
BFD. So now you get off quicker but your ticket cost a cnote more. The regs haven't solved one problem without additional cost. Pay up sucker.
keithmckenzie
So, I gather you would prefer to pay a cnote more for premium economy versus a cnote for taking off quicker.

To me, this is a perfect example of degrading a commodity product to the point where it literally and figuratively pains the customer, so that you can then charge him a cnote to get back into his original seat. Is that your definition of free-market capitalism at its best? If so, I vote for an alternative, as your form of capitalism sucks.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 0
Never paid for a fist class ticket in my life. Airlines are now mass transit and as long as the masses keep buying the cheap seats because of price it's not gonna change. We do have a choice of airlines and seats though so I don't see the problem.
Bernie20910
Bernie20910 2
Choice? Choice? What is this "choice" you speak of? The only choice you seem to have these days is what color the too small seat will be, from a selection of two, maybe three carriers. And in most cases the seat pitch and legroom is within an inch of each other. That's not choice.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 1
I hear the seats are bigger in first class.

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