Why Planes Are Getting More Uncomfortable

These are vertical saddle seats. No recline, no tray table, just upright knees to back flying.

They're a prototype that if ever used could cram even more passengers into planes.

These don't exist on flights. Yet. Even still, you may be feeling more cramped in your seat than you're used to.

That's not your imagination. It's by design.

In the 1970s, economy seat pitch averaged 34 to 36 inches.

By 2010, low-cost airlines like Spirit shrank that down to 28 inches, the legal minimum.

And now, viral posts suggest some carriers like Ryanair are pushing standing seats.

Ryanair says this isn't true, and it has no plans to add these seats despite viral videos.

Its CEO is the same guy who suggested pay-to-pee toilets, a fat tax, and yes, standing on planes.

Did you want to make some passengers stand on planes to fit more people in, ala the tube?

Yes.

Um, how safe is that?

Very safe.

So, the accusations aren't too far off. And while airlines pack us tighter, the FAA is under scrutiny.

Not for approving tight seats, but for calling them safe based on tests that excluded older adults, kids, and people with disabilities.

In July 2022, the National Academies publicly criticized the FAA's evacuation testing, saying shorter seat pitch was safe.

Why? It argues that because the test excluded older adults, kids, and disabled passengers, the results may not reflect real life emergencies.

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