The next time you’re squeezed into your economy airline seat and you think you’re more cramped, wedged, or stuffed than normal, it’s not your imagination. It’s real.
In the last 20 years, airlines have not only added more seats to many aircraft, but the actual size of the seats has shrunk.
The pitch—the distance between the back of the seat in front you to the front of your seat—has gone from 35 inches to around 31 inches.
As Americans are getting bigger and heavier, the width of those airline seats has shrunk as well—from 18.5 inches to 16.5 inches, and yes, size matters.
Now one congressman has introduced the Safe Egress in Air Travel Act of 2016 or the SEAT Act of 2016.
The bill would require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to set minimum standards for airline seat size, distance, and width.
What are the odds Congress will pass such legislation? Well, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
As long as airlines can effectively demonstrate they can safely evacuate a fully loaded plane in less than 90 seconds, with half the exits blocked, the FAA will probably not intervene.
For more information about airplane seating, check out:
- How Airline Seating Could Change in the Future
- The Trouble With Shrinking Seat Pitch
- Are Premium Economy Seats Worth the Price?
Keep reading for more travel tips.
