Is it time for minimum airline seat standards?

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

Sure! Let's create a federal "seat police" force. Get real!!!!