Sadly, potential terrorism is a government concern, not a concern to be left to profit-minded private industry with little authority to deal with violations. The real question is a subject of considerable moral controversy regarding allowing those who can pay to buy their way in line ahead of those who cannot. There is an excellent study of the idea of buying your way to the front of the line and displacing others patiently waiting their turn, by Michael Sandlin, a Harvard professor, called "The Moral Limits of Markets."
Yes, it was about width. But on commercial airliners, unless it's a large aircraft (i.e. 777, etc.) or wide body, the way they are increasing seating is to decrease seat distance front to back to cram in an extra row or two. You can see this by how the windows now don't line up with the seating. "Dishing" out the seatbacks doesn't remove the seatback frame which forces you to sit for hours with your knees together or wedged against the seatback frame in front of you.
And the argument to pick economy-plus seats is largely an illusion. If you buy tickets too far in advance, the airlines don't know what type of aircraft may be allocated to that flight and do not have seat choice available yet. Then when you can choose seating, they either charge you for that, or you find all the choice seats already assigned. One airline (I wish I knew which one) had the audacity to ask my wife for $40 to pick an economy seat of her choice!
The point is that with rare exception, my commercial f
Yes, they are driving people away. I'm 6'4" and not obese. My height isn't my fault or choice. But travel is, and my last two trips from middle U.S. to the east coast were in my private vehicle, not in a cattle car. The cost of first class is more than enough to pay for a motel, gas and meals for two days and I know where the hell my luggage is. So-called economy-plus seats are usually already full, and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay any airline for the "privilege" of picking my own seat among the remains.
I'll bet some carrier could make a fortune by increasing seat room for passengers, charging one fair, flat fee for two bags and cut the stupid antics of fighting for elbow room. Look at Southwest on the baggage issue - it works.
One problem I see with the demand theory is that airlines have no way to monitor demand. I would always pay a bit more (not first class more) for a mere 2" of knee room. But since those seats are seldom if ever available and I sit in steerage, they never know my demand is there. It's like walking through a check-out counter when the cashier asks if I found everything. I say "no, you were out of swiss cheese" and that message is never passed along to the buyers.
That's nice theory, but it doesn't work for me. I live in driving distance of several airports (KXNA, KTUL, KSGF, KJLN and a looong drive to KMCI). None of these airports are serviced by JetBlue or VirginAmerica. I would gladly spend $25-50 for adequate legroom on long flights cross country or international, but there are very few such seats available and they always seem to have been taken when I purchase my tickets. There just aren't enough of them. Why don't airlines quit playing games and raise ticket prices on all steerage seats to cover 2" of extra legroom?
The United 757's are the worst of a bad bunch for passenger space. I am 6'4" tall which is not abnormal by any means, yet cannot fit into a seat if the passenger in front of me tries to recline the seat back. My knees contact the seat frame in front. I've found this to be a problem as well in some Asian airlines where the average passenger is perhaps 5'6" tall and seating is adjusted accordingly.
I don't mind paying a few extra dollars for more knee room, but seldom are those choice seats available for purchase, having been snatched up by early ticket buyers. The cost difference to move up to business or first class (if available) is outrageous. If I am to be charged for my physical "abnormalities" in terms of height, then airlines should be charging passengers also for physical attributes such as weight and luggage.
End the silly add-on fees game for baggage and incorporate them into the price of the ticket. And give us back that 2" of knee room stolen for the sake of profits. If you have to raise the price of my ticket $25 to cover the lost seating capacity, do it. And since I am 6'4" tall and must pay extra now for a seat that gives me adequate knee room, why not be fair and charge all passengers by weight for themeselves and their luggage just as I am being charged for my height? Carry-on baggage is screened by size and weight, why not passengers???
AF1 has the advantage of having larger engines than standard, and it isn't loaded with 300+ passengers. And, yes, it is an amazing sight to watch that beast lift off.
I live in an area where there is minimal choice of airlines going to frequent destinations (to see family). Fares are non-competitive out of the closest airport for me (KXNA which is a big WalMart International business hub) so I must drive over 100 miles to the next nearest airport KTUL or KMCI. I cannot afford to fly first class as I am retired and on fixed income. I have driven two long hard days to the east coast in lieu of air travel, but that isn't cost effective, either. So, yes, it sucks to be me. I know how the Jews must have felt enroute to Auschwitz in the cattle cars. And my options are growing slimmer by the day as my own time is running out.
Very, very seldom do I have the option to actually choose my seat. For example, I recently flew from KTUL on American (737) to KDFW, then KDFW on Emerites (777) to Dubai, then Dubai (737) to Kathmandu and back. The reservations were made way back in March 2013. Both American legs had a flight change and aircraft change (737 to 757) before the flight. Boarding passes and hence seat assignments were made at the terminal and were not available online prior to the flight, though I tried. Most flights today are full and overbooked.
As far as restricting other persons comfort, I have no choice. I cannot make my knees shorter and if I am seated in a normal position and there is no room for the person in front to recline, there is no way I can accommodate that desire. Sorry. It's not a matter of choice. His/her gripe is with the airlines, not with the passengers. I pay for my seat and happen to use all of my space, which does not exclude encroachment from in front.
