Source: Wall St. Journal
Author: Scott McCartney

One Proposal for Less-Crowded Cabins: Get Rid of Seatbacks That Recline

Whether you lean left or right politically, Middle Seat readers seem united about one leaning: They hate it when someone reclines the coach airline seat in front of them.

This week's column tracked the current state of coach-cabin legroom domestically. As big, struggling airlines have cut back, the comparatively generous legroom offered by several discounters feels all the more spacious. Many formerly full-service airlines sell seats bolted down in just 31 inches of space. And when the person in front of you reclines, the squeeze gets much tighter -- airline seats lean back about five inches.

For many of us, a reclined seat marks the tipping point beyond which we can't use computers on our trays, or even read without glare off the bald spot on the head right under our noses. (As always, some letters have been edited.)

Don Diehl says he's only 5-foot-5, and wonders what tall people do. "The crowded pitch is severely worsened when the guy ahead fully reclines his seat into my space, just as the nose wheel lifts off. It happens on every flight!" Mr. Diehl said. "Do you know if any proposals have been made to lock the seats upright? Like any change, it would elicit some complaining but I believe would provide a more passenger-friendly cabin."

I don't know of any proposals, but I do know travelers who politely ask the person in front of them if they wouldn't mind moving their seat back upright. Most of the time that works if you ask nicely.

Mr. Diehl and others also questioned whether reclined seats are a safety hazard in event of an evacuation. As many road warriors know, seats that would recline into an exit row are locked from reclining, and I think there's an expectation that when an emergency evacuation arises, usually at takeoff or landing, seats are in the upright position. I don't think it's a safety issue -- just a comfort issue.

Thomas W. Wilberding says he could tolerate 30" of distance "if the seat back in front of me was fixed in the upright position, as it is for takeoff and landing, during the flight, too. The real killer for me is when the pilot urges people to 'sit back and relax.' Then I have to fight the person in front of me by shoving my knees into his seatback so he can't tilt it back into my face, which gives me a feeling of misery and claustrophobia, made worse by these recent tight spacings. I wish the government would step in and mandate that seats cannot be tilted back, unless the fully reclined seat still allowed some minimum distance -- say 36 inches -- to give taller people some knee relief, not to mention claustrophobia relief."

Joe Gauss: "Several of my fellow travelers and I have wondered why the airlines don't do away with reclining seats. The tight quarters are made worse when the person in front of you leans his seat back. Maybe you can do an article about getting rid of them."

Randy Tompson said he's 6-foot-8, with a 36-inch inseam. He measured his own seat pitch -- tailbone to knees -- at about 30 inches. Given the three or four inches for the seat itself, he doesn't fit in a 31-inch seat pitch. "And if the passenger in front of me decides to recline, my space is now reduced to 24 or 25 inches. It just can't be done."

Dave Friedman: "It seems to me that seat pitch is a function of an airline's profitability: Those that are profitable can afford to make their customers more comfortable."

Mary Fuka and several other readers said the increased seat pitch found on discount airlines was a big reason why they buy tickets on those carriers. "That guaranteed 33-inch pitch is exactly why my business partner/husband and I now usually fly Frontier rather than United on domestic flights from Denver," she said. "With flights often at near-capacity, there is no guarantee that being an 'elite' member of United's frequent-flyer program will get one 'elite' seating. Furthermore, it's almost impossible to sort out the maze of available air-fare classes on the UAL Web site even if one is willing to pay to get the better seats. With Frontier, I know that I'll have the extra two inches of legroom that makes the difference no matter what. I'll also know that I'll pay a reasonable, predictable fare whether I book two months, two weeks, or two days in advance."

Seat width is something I've written about quite a bit in the past, focusing on the Boeing 737. That plane has relatively narrow seats because it was designed as a short-haul carrier. The new generation, however, has long range, thanks to a new wing and better engines. So airlines are flying 737s five hours or more across the country -- even though the cabin was designed for quick jumps of an hour or two, and designed at a time when travelers were skinnier.

Joel Marks: "The extra inch in Airbus is indeed precious, and is the reason I quit American after they began using the long-distance 737 in place of the MD80, which had wider seats more like Airbus. I think an additional reason Airbus may be selling well over Boeing is some airlines' concern for their customers."

For those who want to check out the exact seating on your next flight, most airline Web sites now offer fairly detailed information. I'd also recommend a site called http://www.seatguru.com/, which has excellent data on good seats and bad.