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Loosen the Vise Grip
ChrisCrossings · October 7, 1999

Q: How long do we have to endure flying like sardines in the air? To make more room for first and business class passengers, airlines are cramping us more and more. And lately the more they can squeeze in economy class, the more room they have for first and business class. Someone should stand up and talk. Enough is enough. We have been too good for too long.

-- Nelly Khoury

A: I agree that economy class passengers are flying like sardines. I base that conclusion on the ever-shrinking distance between seats -- also called seat "pitch" -- on most major American carriers. Since deregulation more than two decades ago, pitch has shrunk from about 33 inches to about 30 inches (and in some cases even more than that).

But there are other passenger comfort issues, such as reduced seat width, overall seat quality and diminished air supply that all make for a more claustrophobic traveling experience.

No doubt, a few hours on a plane can cramp your style. Here's how:

Narrow seats. Most economy class seats are about 17.5 inches wide, which is far too little room for some wide-bodied passengers.

Scarce legroom. When the pitch dwindles to 28 inches, as it has on some airlines, your knees are wedged tightly against the seat in front of you.

Thinner seats. By using new composite materials, manufacturers are reducing the thickness of their steerage-class seatbacks by as much as 40 percent. But the seats are made of a harder material that is very uncomfortable on longer flights.

Less air. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers has drafted a proposal to cut the amount of fresh air being pumped into the aircraft cabin by two-thirds. That's less ventilation than in most office buildings.

No room to recline. Tighter seats mean that some passengers won't be able to recline very much -- or not at all. Just as well: the 35-degree angle of the upright cattle-car seats is the same one preferred by most interrogators trying to deprive their subjects of sleep.

As to your assertion that economy class passengers are suffering at the hands of first-class travelers, there's something to that, too. TWA last year finished installing new first class sections, expanding its premium service from 12 to 20 seats. They did it by decreasing the space between economy class seats. United Airlines recently carved a new "Economy Plus" section out of its main cabin, further separating the haves from the have-nots.

But passengers aren't behaving very well, either. A well-publicized string of "air rage" incidents has plagued the airline business for the last few years. Behavioral expert Dr. Arnold Nerenberg believes this cabin fever is yet another sign of a breakdown in society. "Passengers have lost respect for the pilot, the flight attendants and each other, and this is what happens," he says.

Reversing the air rage problem is easy: just release passengers from the vise grip that is economy class.

Should someone 'stand up and talk'? Well, I think people are standing up and talking, or shouting, as the case may be. The problem is that they aren't doing it together, with a single voice. Until they do so, I think the carriers will continue to get away with what they're doing.

Too bad for us.

Christopher Elliott's column appears on Thursdays. All e-mailed questions to ChrisCrossings become property of Ticked.com and may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion. You may reach Elliott at christopher@elliott.org. Or visit his home page at http://www.elliott.org.