It’s not your imagination. Airline seats have shrunk over the years as carriers have sought to maximize profits by cramming more people onto the plane. Over the past two decades, the average seat width increased from 18. 5 to 17 inches, now allowing for 30 to 32 inches of legroom: a tight fit has compatibility for many adults.
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has been reluctant to interfere in carriers’ business style as long as passengers must evacuate a plane within 90 seconds. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 directed the company to “establish minimums for the space, width, and duration of mandatory seating for the safety of passengers. “
In August, when the FAA opened the issue for days of public comment, it made a lot of noise.
As more than 26,000 guest messages poured in, a topic emerged. The whopping 3708 reviews mention the word “uncomfortable,” heading the word “tight” (1842), “squeezed” (1203), “filled” (1100), “pressed” (1,100), and “crushed” (260). People described the theft as “miserable” (381), “terrible” (217), “horrible” (206) and “horrible” (104). The word “torture” appears in 193 comments.
“The average human being can lightly on the cross and hold all its parts as much as possible,” one commenter wrote.
Many other people talked about body length and shape, describing themselves and their partners as “tall” (2508), “obese” (899), “fat” (638), or “thin” (229). While some have been bad, others have been downright empathetic.
A woguy wrote about a robbery sitting in the back row near the bathroom: “What stands out are the contortions my rowmate had to do to have compatibility in the limited space. A guy with a nape of about 6’4”, his knees were pressed against the seat in front of him without the option to recline his backrest. “
Where does it do the most damage? The posters mention his “legs” (5,800), “knees” (2,900), “head” (567) and “elbow” (370). There were analogies comparing pamphlets with “sardines” (667), “cattle” (328) and “pigs” (11).
Given the agency’s direction, it’s telling that so many commentaries mention “safety” (6266) as “evacuation” (5109), “dangerous” (1199), “stuck” (445), and “trapped” (403).
The first user who left a comment on August 3 wrote: “The existing seats are too small for midsize Americans, myself included. A seat that is too small, especially one where armrests particularly invade non-public space, makes it very complicated and uncomfortable to get in and out of the seat. I believe this will have a significant effect on my ability to temporarily evacuate the aircraft in an emergency.
Speaking of size, more than 700 commentators referred to the tiny airplanes’ toilets. “Hi, do you have any idea that the bathrooms are also too small to accommodate taller people?” one anonymous commenter wrote. “I’m afraid to drink something before a flight because of worry about having to go to the bathroom. “