If you are a typical economy fare flier, the airlines have come up with many ways to aggravate you over the years:
- Want to check a bag? Pay a fee.
- Want a meal? Buy it before you board the plane.
- Want a window seat? Pay an extra fee.
- Want a little extra leg room? Pay a fee.
- Want to board a little early to be sure there’s room for a carry on? Pay a fee.
What’s the latest inconvenience to add to this list? According to the Wall Street Journal, it is “The Incredible Shrinking Plane Seat.” As Jon Ostrower and Daniel Michaels report:
“Airlines’ push to lure high-paying fliers with flatbed business seats and premium economy loungers is leaving economy-class passengers with less space. A push over the past decade by carriers to expand higher-fare sections has shrunk the area devoted to coach on many big jets. But airlines don’t want to drop passengers. First they slimmed seats to add more rows. Now, big carriers including American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France-KLM, and Dubai’s Emirates Airline are cutting shoulder space by wedging an extra seat into each coach row. For almost 20 years, the standard economy setup in a Boeing 777 was 9 seats per row. But last year, nearly 70% of its biggest version of the plane had 10-abreast seating, up from 15% in 2010.”
Click the WSJ graphic to read more.
