Airlines Cut Legroom, Add Seats In New Planes

wsj.com:

If you thought legroom on commercial airlines was already cramped, get set to be squeezed some more.

New Boeing 737-800s now being delivered to American Airlines have the same-size cabins as the existing 737-800s in American's fleet. But the new planes have 12 more coach seats, pushing the total number of seats to 160. Delta Air Lines Inc. has also added 10 seats to its 737-800s, raising the total to 160. So has Continental Airlines Inc.

Read the whole story: wsj.com

Comments

[TheAirlineBlog]

WOW! Those are a lot more seats to be put into the plane. I mean I guess I can't blame airlines for doing this, they are fighting for their existence!

David Parker Browh
http://www.theairlineblog.com

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

Ugh, I'm 5'3" with short legs and my knees almost touch the seatback now. I have to take 10 minutes extra to take my book and ipod and snack and tote-on blanket and money and magazine and sandwich and apple and try to fit it in the bar fbag pocket because I can't get to the underseat storage or my back pocket. And I'm flying across the country in 2 days. My company is flying me out at the crack of dawn on Saturrday (a day before I need to be there.) to save $65. Did I say Ugh? Raise all the dayhm fares by 50 bucks and leave us a shred of human dignity, please.

[hill raiser]

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[oakley9]

Being 5'9 with long legs, I guess I'll be taking Amtrak. As it is, I barely fit the current leg room. A long distance flight is not pleasant.

[Patrick Fisk]

Today's passengers deserve what they get! You constantly demand cheaper and cheaper fares and expect wonderful service. I don't know what planet you live on but here on earth you tend to get what you pay for. I hope they start charging for everything including the bathroom it would serve you ignorant people right. If you want better service you have to pay for it! Its like going to McDonald's and expecting fillet Mignon. Grow up and quit whining.

[xansam]

when I eat at McD's I do not expect filet, I do expect hot, freshly made food in a clean environment and pleasant service, I expect my airlines to get me and my luggage there in excellent condition, reasonable room, clean bathrooms and pleasant service...­until American does this I choose to fly other carriers .

[Patrick Fisk]

Yea and when you pay so little for an airline ticket you pat to get from point A to point B at some point. Everybody who flies even a little knows what they are getting for their money which by the way is a bargain! If you don't like it Greyhound is always an option or your royal cheapness could by a first class ticket.

[sense11]

WTF, Am I going to have to file a lawsuit against the entire airline industry. I mean how many times do I have to suffer in a plane for 3 to 7 hours. Im 6'4 and have a bouncer type build. Its so wrong to pay hard earned money and then have to deal with this $h!t. I hope those super trains get created soon.

[indy girl]

That'll be some trick--The last time I was on a plane, my knees almost touched the seat in front of me--and I'm only 5'2".

The only reason the stewardess in the picture above HAS any legroom is because she's in an escape aisle with a door (look at the seat behind her for comparison). Some airlines have been charging a premium for emergency rows and bulkhead seats. Anything for an extra buck!

[iSeeDumbPeople]

Keen observation! Is there no depth to the degree of deceit they employ? That is pathetic. And WHAT airplane chair reclines that far back? LOL they move about a half-inch IF THAT!

[neurolux]

They should just anaesthetise us and ship us in crates. They wouldn't have to feed us and no more jet lag.

[Mnemanth]

I'm 6'4". There's no leg room to begin with. How have they decreased leg room?

[indy girl]

Sir, please fold your legs up parallel to your body, with your feet by your ears. We ask that every passenger please pass their wallet up to the front of the cabin, so that we can remove all money you brought on board. Thank you for choosing to be screwed royally by American Airlines! Have a great flight.

[iSeeDumbPeople]

LOL that's great.. Honestly, if everyone tries Jet Blue just one time, all those others will go out of business. There is no comparison.

[xansam]

This is why we stopped flying American years ago...

[iSeeDumbPeople]

I thought they were all the same until I tried Jet Blue. TWICE the leg room, every seat has a television, and buy four round trips get the fifth one free. And here I thought they were the lowest-class ones because they do all that AND give you the cheapest fares! Whodathunk that they'd prove to be the best? My husband has a credit on another airline, but it's such a miserable trip using any of those others, we just keep using Jet Blue. It's just not worth it to switch back.

[DXM]

I did a lot of air travel (mainly for business) up until five years ago and hated it partly because of the lack of leg room (not to mention the greater inconvenience caused by post-9/11 security and the steadily declining quality of service). A couple of years ago I flew Jet Blue to attend a family wedding and loved it: Much more leg room and a personal TV screen with a fair selection of channels. If I have to fly again, Jet Blue will get my business.

[iSeeDumbPeople]

They don't have first-class section because they consider every seat first-class. They also treat you like they value your business -- something most American airlines abandoned DECADES ago. Oh, and for $20/way extra, you can purchase a seat in an aisle with even EXTRA leg room on TOP of the comparitively extra they have over their "competition" in the first place! My husband is tall and we travel with a toddler. I can't tell you the difference it makes.

[Gripen]

I am 190 cm tall or 6'4'' I weight 120kg or around 260 lbs and i can barely fit as it is now, how have they thought that ppl shall fit and if i get it right is average swedish man 6' tall and i hear them complain as it is now.

[Servility]

Answer: They don't care!

[lvdragonlady]

Maybe less leg room is why there were no survivors from the Air France plane.
You have to have leg room to get the darn floatation devices out.

[squander123]

Oh for crying out loud. I switched to flying transatlantic journeys with American a few years back because they had more legroom than the 31" offered by their main rivals out of the cities I fly from. For this I have to put up with their excruciating beef-or-chicken dinner on the Europe-to-Chicago routes (any fellow sufferers out there?), and now they're going to reduce the legroom as well? That's it: they can keep the frequent flier miles I've clocked up, I'm not eating that food AND having cramped legroom as well.

[yemaya]

LOL, comment from dwill! an excellent idea, remove the seats altogether! Stand em up, pack em in. give em funnels as a toilet. You don't like it? shut up and quit yer bitchin, no peanuts for you!

[MisterMongo]

don't forget all that room out there on the wings ...

[indy girl]

Actually, you can probably have peanuts, but they will cost you $29.95.