No you're not imagining it - airplane seats are smaller...
Discussion
The headline of the article says "Seats and legroom have shrunk over the years as Americans have gotten larger." (in fairness, it's not just Yanks that have gotten fatter - it's pretty much every nation). There are also some other interesting points mentioned in the article - particularly that cars (for example) have become larger as people have expanded...
https://www.popsci.com/science/why-are-airline-sea...
https://www.popsci.com/science/why-are-airline-sea...
LJF_97 said:
Ryanair are the worst airplane seats I have sat in. Not only are they cramped, but they are covered in an awful vinyl material. I have seen many people have to get the shameful seatbelt extender.
They're leather. That's not too say it's massively treated, but it is leather.The issue I have with Ryanair/Wizzair/Easyjet is the template they use for designing the seats, doesn't matter how I sit I cannot get comfortable.
I'm not tall but I can't sit up straight because I'm taller than the seat so the "head rest" pushes my shoulders forward. Can't slouch as nowhere for my legs to go and puts pressure on my lumbar. Instead have to alternate between positions and suffer. However, its never more than a 2 hour flight and it costs a couple of hours wages. If it was more of an issue I'd pay for extra legroom or go with BA.
I'm not tall but I can't sit up straight because I'm taller than the seat so the "head rest" pushes my shoulders forward. Can't slouch as nowhere for my legs to go and puts pressure on my lumbar. Instead have to alternate between positions and suffer. However, its never more than a 2 hour flight and it costs a couple of hours wages. If it was more of an issue I'd pay for extra legroom or go with BA.
Linksmas said:
The issue I have with Ryanair/Wizzair/Easyjet is the template they use for designing the seats, doesn't matter how I sit I cannot get comfortable.
I'm not tall but I can't sit up straight because I'm taller than the seat so the "head rest" pushes my shoulders forward. Can't slouch as nowhere for my legs to go and puts pressure on my lumbar. Instead have to alternate between positions and suffer. However, its never more than a 2 hour flight and it costs a couple of hours wages. If it was more of an issue I'd pay for extra legroom or go with BA.
When did you last fly BA? They are just a low cost airline with some frills if you want to pay for them. I'm not tall but I can't sit up straight because I'm taller than the seat so the "head rest" pushes my shoulders forward. Can't slouch as nowhere for my legs to go and puts pressure on my lumbar. Instead have to alternate between positions and suffer. However, its never more than a 2 hour flight and it costs a couple of hours wages. If it was more of an issue I'd pay for extra legroom or go with BA.
Shirley, the problems belongs to Boeing and Airbus. Exacerbated by the pitch chosen by the airline.
I can get reasonably comfortable in a Ryanair A320, but their switch to 737 Max 8-200, seems to be a couple of inches short of comfortable legroom.
Linksmass makes a valid point if you have a long trunk to your body. But I make the same criticism of many car seats and lounge sofas. They have extra padding at my shoulder blade height, forcing me into an unnatural position with curved spine.
I can get reasonably comfortable in a Ryanair A320, but their switch to 737 Max 8-200, seems to be a couple of inches short of comfortable legroom.
Linksmass makes a valid point if you have a long trunk to your body. But I make the same criticism of many car seats and lounge sofas. They have extra padding at my shoulder blade height, forcing me into an unnatural position with curved spine.
The seats are on rails, are 100% configurable so it’s on the buying airline (less some regulation) as to how many rows they pack in. You can configure with one seat if you buy as a private jet once the airframe has been delivered.
Standing flights might be here sooner than we think and folks will lap up £100 flights if that what it means enduring to get away on holiday.
Some of the less commercial routes might not break even low season so their frequencies are reduced or they are scrapped entirely, peak season “pack-ins” often fund the airlines through the lean seasons….
Standing flights might be here sooner than we think and folks will lap up £100 flights if that what it means enduring to get away on holiday.
Some of the less commercial routes might not break even low season so their frequencies are reduced or they are scrapped entirely, peak season “pack-ins” often fund the airlines through the lean seasons….
Puggit said:
Linksmas said:
The issue I have with Ryanair/Wizzair/Easyjet is the template they use for designing the seats, doesn't matter how I sit I cannot get comfortable.
I'm not tall but I can't sit up straight because I'm taller than the seat so the "head rest" pushes my shoulders forward. Can't slouch as nowhere for my legs to go and puts pressure on my lumbar. Instead have to alternate between positions and suffer. However, its never more than a 2 hour flight and it costs a couple of hours wages. If it was more of an issue I'd pay for extra legroom or go with BA.
When did you last fly BA? They are just a low cost airline with some frills if you want to pay for them. I'm not tall but I can't sit up straight because I'm taller than the seat so the "head rest" pushes my shoulders forward. Can't slouch as nowhere for my legs to go and puts pressure on my lumbar. Instead have to alternate between positions and suffer. However, its never more than a 2 hour flight and it costs a couple of hours wages. If it was more of an issue I'd pay for extra legroom or go with BA.
rdjohn said:
Shirley, the problems belongs to Boeing and Airbus. Exacerbated by the pitch chosen by the airline.
As 996 says, it's entirely down to the airline....although Boeing SHOULD be singled out for criticism with the 787 as (I'm told) they marketed it to airlines based on figures derived from an extra seat 'across' than would normally be run, so most airlines ended up opting for a higher-density layout in Economy in order to meet the financial targets they expected.
Otherwise i agree with the article - when we regularly travelled long-haul pre-kids (so 2004-2012), 34" was default among the better carriers and 32" more prevalent among the cheaper ones. Now you need to pay extra (Economy 'Delight') to get 34" with Virgin, while most of Emirates fleet is now 32" unless you pay thousands more (literally) to go Premium Economy (not even Business). I'm lucky that I'm only 5'10" and still comparatively narrow of beam, but I no longer enjoy flying economy*...can't imagine what it's like for someone 'above average' (height or width).
Conversely, over the last 20-25 years the offerings in Business and First Classes have got better and better - more space, more service, more toys. Go figure...
* and can't afford to upgrade...bloody kids!
rdjohn said:
I can get reasonably comfortable in a Ryanair A320, but their switch to 737 Max 8-200, seems to be a couple of inches short of comfortable legroom.
An absolute mutant of an aircraft. 1970s design with over sized engines that don t really fit and doors shoved wherever they could think so it could meet the exit regulations. Travelled on two of them and they re horrible things. Interesting that no-one other than Ryanair seem to have ordered them, either going for the 8 door, 189 seat version or just spending the money and buying the Max 9. Also, for spectacularly bad, doing the absolute minimum, design on the Max 200, have a look at the baby changing table in the rear bog. It s basically a plank at the opposite angle to where it needs to be, almost impossible to actually use.
The A320 Neo has always felt like it had a bit more room inside and just generally seems to go together far better than the Max. A nicer place to be all round on the flights I ve had on them.
EDIT: seems a few other low-cost airlines have bought the Max8-200, so it’s no longer a Ryanair special
Edited by alangla on Wednesday 18th February 12:49
Personally I'm ok with having limited legroom (even though I'm 6'2). What I hate though, is the absolute lack of shoulder room because the seats are so narrow and packed close together. It used to be ok-ish, as flights rarely seemed to be full. Since about 2020 however, I think I've only had one flight where there wasn't somebody sat next to me, despite doing a fair amount of flying.
Whether somebody's sat next to me is, to me, the difference between a relatively comfortable flight and hours of hell.
Whether somebody's sat next to me is, to me, the difference between a relatively comfortable flight and hours of hell.
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