One consumer advocate backs this up, reporting that U.S. airlines have reduced seat width by two inches since the 1980s. Congress members have jumped in, too.
Why are plane seats so small now?
Shrinking personal space in the skies is not imaginary: Experts say airline seats shrunk over the years while Americans grew larger. Airlines are balancing passenger demand for cheap airfare and more legroom.
When did airline seats get so small?
Did plane seats used to be bigger?
The Big Four domestic carriers—American, Delta, Southwest, and United—have lost anywhere from 2 inches to 5 inches in legroom pitch, and 2 inches in seat width since the 1980s. (The average legroom pitch today clocks in at about 31 inches.)Cached
How big were airplane seats in the 1950s?
17-inch-wideThe narrower 17-inch-wide seat favoured by Boeing is a legacy from the 1950s when passenger jets were first introduced. In the 1970s and 1980s with the introduction of the Boeing 747 and the first Airbus jets, 18 inches become standard for long-haul flights.
Are airplane seats smaller than they used to be?
Since the 1990s, the width of most airplane seats shrunk from 18 inches to 16 inches, and the distance between seat backs decreased from 35 inches to sometimes less than 28. "People have been getting larger, both in weight and in height," Hudson said. "The seats on the other hand, have been shrinking.