Think Legroom on Planes is Bad Now? And It's Going to Get Worse

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Air travel is becoming a test of physical endurance. Seats have shrunk, legroom has vanished -- and the airlines aren’t done with you yet.

Cebu Air Inc., the Philippines’ biggest budget carrier, last month said it was moving kitchens and bathrooms on some of its new A330neos to cram in a record 460 seats, 20 more than the plane’s current maximum. It’s part of a broader push, particularly in Asia, to stuff more people into jets flying the most popular routes, according to aviation researcher Landrum & Brown.

Less legroom is now the industry norm. In the early-2000s, rows in economy used to be 34 inches (86 centimeters) to 35 inches apart; now 30 to 31 inches is typical, though 28 inches can be found on short flights, according to Washington D.C.-based advocacy group Flyers Rights. Seats have narrowed, too, from about 18.5 inches to 17 inches on average.

Where someone’s personal space starts and ends can be contentious, especially when there’s not much space to begin with. It’s no surprise that air rage most commonly occurs in economy class. Flights have been forced to make unscheduled landings because passengers were bickering over reclining seats.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-25/this-airline-plans-to-break-a-record-cramming-flyers-into-jets?srnd=premium