As People get bigger, Airline seats are getting smaller.
I have to say this is (for me) counter intuitive. So why is it happening?
In my opinion we are about to be penalized by Boeing Aircraft Corp., who, in the interests of economy, have found a way to reduce the cost per seat/mile on a whole generation of commercial aircraft ill suited to the markets in which they must operate. In short the Airplanes they are building are too small.
Boeing has structured a whole generation of Aircraft to fly low density, high revenue, point-to-point routes because that's how they said the industry would develop. The marketplace however, continues to be orientated around high density hub-and-spoke operations, long-haul international and short-haul commuter traffic.
Net result is that Boeing is trying to get more 'bums' in each airplane, smaller seats, (new airplanes are being fitted with 17.5 inch wide seats) thinner upholstery for thinner seats, and shorter pitch between rows. the newer seats don't even recline in the conventional manner but pivot around a fixed point near armrest level forcing the seat squab to rotate forward and up. The net result of that is your already scarce knee room is severely curtailed even more if you attempt to sit other than bolt up-right.
Worse yet, the future is bleak! Following Boeing's lead, Airbus is about to offer a similar configuration of 11 across in the Economy Cabin ( I assume this will be both upper and lower deck). I just wonder who in their right mind is going to want to sit in the middle of a bank of five smaller seats on a long-haul flight of say 8 to 16 hours.Then add loading and unloading times of near an hour at each end. A truly nightmare scenario!
In my opinion we are about to be penalized by Boeing Aircraft Corp., who, in the interests of economy, have found a way to reduce the cost per seat/mile on a whole generation of commercial aircraft ill suited to the markets in which they must operate. In short the Airplanes they are building are too small.
Boeing has structured a whole generation of Aircraft to fly low density, high revenue, point-to-point routes because that's how they said the industry would develop. The marketplace however, continues to be orientated around high density hub-and-spoke operations, long-haul international and short-haul commuter traffic.
Net result is that Boeing is trying to get more 'bums' in each airplane, smaller seats, (new airplanes are being fitted with 17.5 inch wide seats) thinner upholstery for thinner seats, and shorter pitch between rows. the newer seats don't even recline in the conventional manner but pivot around a fixed point near armrest level forcing the seat squab to rotate forward and up. The net result of that is your already scarce knee room is severely curtailed even more if you attempt to sit other than bolt up-right.
Worse yet, the future is bleak! Following Boeing's lead, Airbus is about to offer a similar configuration of 11 across in the Economy Cabin ( I assume this will be both upper and lower deck). I just wonder who in their right mind is going to want to sit in the middle of a bank of five smaller seats on a long-haul flight of say 8 to 16 hours.Then add loading and unloading times of near an hour at each end. A truly nightmare scenario!
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