Air travel was a miserable experience for many travelers this summer because of airlines overscheduling flights combined with the fact that they were understaffed. The same can be said about airports.
It was especially miserable for those delayed on a plane in economy class. Because as you probably know by now, legroom in coach is getting tighter and tighter. You can thank airline executives for squeezing more seats into planes to try and make more money. That’s one reason why Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently launched a review into the airlines.
According to Afar Magazine: “On behalf of passenger legs and backs across the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration announced on August 3 that it was seeking public comments on whether the agency should set minimum dimensions for airplane seats—not only the space between rows, or seat pitch, but the width and length of the seat itself. The FAA is focusing on the safety of these layouts, mainly the ability of fliers to get in and out of their seats in the event of an emergency. Under current rules, airplane makers must prove that a full planeload can be evacuated in 90 seconds.”
If you don’t want to get stuck in a too-small seat or pay money to upgrade to one that has better legroom, you can use points from the Capital One Venture or Chase Sapphire Preferred credit cards.
RELATED: How to Get the Exit Row For Free
Some airlines (ahem, American) charge extra for a regular coach seat but disguise it as a “Preferred Seat.” How’s that? Take for example this 737—800 flying from Los Angeles’ International Airport (LAX) to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
The Economy section has 114 standard seats with just 31 inches of pitch (legroom) and the seats are 16.9-inches to 17.3-inches wide. There are also 30 Main Cabin Extra seats that have 34-40 inches of legroom. The seats are still 17.1-inches to 17.3-inches wide.
You would think by looking at American’s seating chart (above) that these Preferred Seats are special since they cost extra to reserve. But after closer review (see SeatGuru’s seating chart below), the only thing special about them is that they are towards the front of the plane.
So: If you want to sit in an economy seat with extra legroom on this flight (or one with a similar 1,700-mile distance), then you’ll have to pony up at least $41 for Main Cabin Extra or have elite status on American.
FYI: The plane also has 16 recliner First Class seats that have 40-42 inches of legroom and are 20.4-inches wide.
Personally, I have seen the option to pay about $8 on the day of the flight to upgrade to a main cabin seat. Which is significantly lower than the prices you see before you can even check in on your flight. I can’t say this is true all the time or anything. But again, I have seen it.
I think it’s because people have that fear that they won’t get a seat that they jump on shelling out the extra money for a paid seat. Even if it’s in a crappy row because if you pay for your seat you’re guaranteed your seat, unlike being given an unassigned seat.
I can’t speak for companies outside the US. But I can honestly say more often than not, even if you go to the website for the company your flight is booked on and it shows it’s full, 8 times out of 10, the flight is NEVER 100% completely full. There’s always a few seats left, and generally in the standard economy.
Oh and also, AA and Delta airlines do offer free snacks and beverages on all flights. There are also paid snacks. Any flight under 8 hours (Not total, it means time on 1 plane, so if your total flight is 8 hours, but you have 1 plane that’s a 2 hour flight, a 1 hour lay over then your 2nd plane is 5 hours, it doesn’t qualify for this), does not have the meal (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) option.
One time I had to race to get to the 2nd plane for my flight because we landed a little late. So I didn’t get to pick up any food on the way at any of the restaurants as I was going to my terminal (My layover was supposed to be 50 minutes, it was reduced to 30 since we were late). So I opted for AA’s fruit snack ($8) box. I’m not gonna lie. I do thin the price was a little high. But it actually filled me up, so it was semi worth it. Considering my drink was free, over all it wasn’t bad.
What’s my point? I kind of see people getting mad over things they don’t have to actually buy. Many people more often than not jump the gun due to freaking out instead of calmly thinking about what it is they are going to do.
I’m not 100% on this, but I’m pretty sure once you’ve checked in at the airport you’re pretty much guaranteed a seat if your seat is unassigned.
Yes it can suck to get a seat that doesn’t recline at all (this happened to me once, but I’m short, even though I’m fat so I just leaned and I was fine.), but in the long run it’s only temporary.
Perhaps flights would be better if people were just more understanding that you do have to compromise since you opted/needed to travel to your destination via flight.
Personally I think if you have to take the bus it’s more uncomfortable because there is no option for a bigger seat if you’re a bigger person. And while I am fat, I’m not so fat that I take up additional space, I fit just fine in the standard seating. But once on a greyhound, a rather obese person sat next to me, and they were pretty much taking up all of their seat and basically half of my own. My left ankle ended up wedged by a metal bar for a full 9 hours of the bus right, and was severely swollen by the time I got to my destination so I couldn’t even walk on it properly.
But even though I was in pain from my ankle being wedged, I didn’t tell the person this, because there was no other seating available. (They’d gotten on the bus last).
So again, even if the seating isn’t as fabulous as we think it should be. At least we can say the option is there. And in the end, you’re not forced to pay the extra for the other seats.
I’ve flown on multiple flights. And I can honestly say a bit of patience will go a long way.
I agree, this is a total rip-off. They sell it like you’re getting extra space and it’s no different.
Truth is these planes are just too damn small. Beverage carts barely fit down the aisle. God forbid u have to use the restroom during “service”. None of the attendants smile anymore ( on my AA flight) , half the time there are mechanical issues with the movie too. Sitting in an aisle seat I was hit in the shoulder and head repeatedly by attendants and customers. And overhead luggage needs to be abolished. People abuse it to death. Waiting to get off the plane takes forever. Then let the people WITHOUT overhead crap go first. We have to go to luggage pick up yet. It’s incredibly uncomfortable and frustrating to fly.
But what happens when there are no more ordinary (unpaid) seats when you book your ticket? I was just now forced to pay for a ‘preferred seat’, because there were no other seats left on the plane. I considered just leaving my seat unassigned, but then started worrying that I will lose my place on the plane, which is also not unlikely to happen due to overbooking.
What most people don’t know is that you may pay extra for more legroom in row 14 (according to Johnny Jets seating chart) which is an exit row but none of the seats in row 14 will recline because its against FAA regs to recline seats INTO an exit row i.e. row 15. Row 15 probably reclines because it’s not reclining into an exit row. Row 13 is probably the worst row since it doesn’t recline and has less leg room but you also didn’t just pay $101USD to sit there like you did in row 14.
Perhaps because these seats are priced higher and are the last to be chosen – though I’m suspicious it’s because they’re the seats AA wants you to buy – sometimes the Main Cabin Extra seats are all that the seat map shows available. I refuse to pick them and let the airline put me wherever (when I’m flying solo). Fairly often, I end up in those preferred seats without paying the extra price. :) Also, the MCE seats often come with Group 1 Boarding, or can be bundled with a “free” checked bag. Sometimes, I think the early boarding alone is worth the price!
In choosing seats for a recent American flight, I found seat choices to be very limited – basically two middle seats toward the back of the plane (think it was a 737) along with preferred seats for sale toward the front. I chose one of those no-charge middle of the row seats. Upon boarding the flight I realized that the plane was far from full, even with some complete rows that were open. Of course, we did some switching around and were all quite comfortable.
What’s going on? I had similar situations on other flights where I paid for preferred seats and others were open. The system seems to be manipulating passengers into higher cost preferred seating.
I just booked a flight from LGA to ORD in October and the only seats showing up available for free are middle seats (all of them) in regular economy and the entire row of seats just before the exit rows, where the backs don’t recline and you get standard pitch. I think they blocked out the rest as preferred.
I am not a fan of American Airlines, or most US airlines for that matter. One time, we were transferred from US Air to AA coz of a mechanical problem. They put us in exit row seats saying we have more “legroom”. What people don’t know is that they shortened the (depth of the) seats to increase the “legroom” or the space between the edge of the seat to the back of the seat infront of it, so it looks like the row is bigger. But technically the row still had the same pitch as the rest of the economy rows. I posted a pic on my blog: http://www.ayleebits.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/AA02.jpg
Exit row pitch is fixed at a greater distance by FAA regulation. Your feelings on your perception are sort of irrelevant.
My feelings and perception in the American Airlines “steerage” seats I didn’t expect on anything but the old military contract flights will have me avoiding flying with them for the foreseeable future.
The airlines can manipulate the charges all they want, but they are encouraging me to give up flying commercial airlines (up to 6 times a year). We will try to be much more careful in avoiding claustrophobic seating in the future, but will not tolerate overpriced, minimal value seating options that keep getting worse.
United is doing the same thing. I usually fly Jet Blue from Newark NJ to Tampa Florida about 6 times a year. I usually pay the extra $40 on jetblue for the Extra legroom seats which are wide and have plenty of legroom. I am 6’% 290 so I need the space. I had to recently fly United because of the Holiday Scheduling and I was very disappointed. I paid $50.00 each way extra for ” Economy Plus seating which are supposed to be extra legroom seats. The seats had slightly more than standard legroom and were some of the narrowest airline seats I have ever been in. On JetBlue if you pay extra for the legroom you also get to board first, get one suitcase free and a free snack. On United I was relegated to the last group to board, no on board movie or TV and no snack. If I am paying $50.00 extra why are the regular economy seats able to board before me. By the time I got on board there were no overhead bins open for my carry on.
I don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t get anything “extra” on JetBlue than you do on United. On both, the extra seat gives you more leg room and boarding zone 1 that’s all.
Otherwise you get the same food, entertainment, seat width, etc. are the same as the rest of economy.
I don’t know why you didn’t board zone 1 on UA. Should have. The rest are differences between United and JetBlue, not between economy and economy plus.
United is doing the same thing. I usually fly Jet Blue from Newark NJ to Tampa Florida about 6 times a year. I usually pay the extra $40 on jetblue for the Extra legroom seats which are wide and have plenty of legroom. I am 6’% 290 so I need the space. I had to recently fly United because of the Holiday Scheduling and I was very disappointed. I paid $50.00 each way extra for ” Economy Plus seating which are supposed to be extra legroom seats. The seats had slightly more than standard legroom and were some of the narrowest airline seats I have ever been in. On JetBlue if you pay extra for the legroom you also get to board first, get one suitcase free and a free snack. On United I was relegated to the last group to board, no on board movie or TV and no snack. If I am paying $50.00 extra why are the regular economy seats able to board before me. By the time I got on board there were no overhead bins open for my carry on.
They got this from US Air, who started this idea first. It’s a total scam! Hoping this merger takes as possible to complete.
Same statement is true about Delta. The Economy Comfort seats (generally 3-4 rows) have more legroom and cost more than a perferred seat. The preferred seat is just close to the front door so you can get off quicker after having your knees in your chest.
United is the only major US carrier that provides more legroom at all the extra price seats (economy plus).
Delta on some routes (like JFK to LAX/SFO) provides a free drink. United does not. I don’t know about American//US Air.
At least Delta gives you drinks up in Comfort.
The market has changed. Enuf has been written so that if you are oversized then you must plan on purchasing a seat that will fit you. If you wear size 34 pants and try to buckle up a pair of size 31 pants, it ain’t gonna work. Complaining about your knees and the idiot in front of you reclining his seat shows your lack of common sense and ability to adapt.
So if you are tall it shows a lack common sense???? My height has nothing to do with my inability to adapt. Get your head out of your a**!
And that has what to do with the article above? Nothing.
You just wanted to rant about fat people. Rather pathetic really…
Pants, whether size 34 or 42 cost the same. That’s for a very good reason.
You’re a m*ron and a d bag.
you would think AA and others would run out of these continuing schemes, but not as long as passengers pay the price. Laughing before and to the bank, for sure before. However AA has always been the leader of schemes through the years.