The good news is that there are plenty of cheap traveloptions available including cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, and cheap vacation packages. The bad news is that airlines keep reducingthe size of their seats and space between seats with no limit in sight.
A three-judge panel for the federal appeals court ruled onJuly 28th that federal officials must reconsider their decision notto regulate the size of airline seats as a safety issue. One judge referred to the situation as theCase of the Incredible Shrinking Airline Seat.
The Flyers Rights passenger group challenged the FederalAviation Administration (FAA) in court after the agency refused its request toset rules determining minimum seat size and the distance between rows of seats.
The three-judge panel ruled that the FAA had relied onoutdated or irrelevant tests and studies before deciding that seat spacing wasa matter of comfort, not safety. Insending the issue back to the FAA the court said that the agency must come upwith a better reasoned response to the groups safety concerns.
The passenger group contends that small seats bunched tooclose together slow down emergency evacuations and increase the danger ofpassengers developing vein clots.
Airlines have steadily reduced the space between rows toadd in extra seats thus making more money. Discount carrier Spirit Airlines pitch (the distance between theheadrest of one seat and that of the seat in front of it) is 28 which leaveslittle legroom for the average passenger.
Earlier this year American Airlines planned to order newBoeing 737 jets with only 29 of pitch in the last row to make room for anextra row of premium priced seats toward the front of the plane wereleaked. After objections from customersand flight attendants the airline changed its mind and the new planes pitchwill be 30 which is still a tighter fit than the airlines current planes.
The average seat size has become narrower going from 18.5a decade ago to about 17. One of thejudges reviewing this case noted As many have no doubt noticed, aircraft seatsand the spacing between them have been getting smaller and smaller, whileAmerican passengers have been growing in size.
This issue may ultimately be resolved by Congress giventhat some lawmakers are supporting legislation to regulate seat size.
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