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US court says seat size a safety issue

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A US appeals court panel has said that federal officials must reconsider their decision not to regulate the size of airline seats as a safety issue. In a ruling on Friday, one of the judges called it “the case of the incredible shrinking airline seat”. (www.theguardian.com) Más...

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watkinssusan
the only way to "regulate" seat size to accommodate more space around the passenger, as well as under the derriere,would be to cut back on the passenger cabin capacity,making the maximum number of seats/passengers, allowed fewer,and thus having a lesser number of seats with more legroom and room around the seat..the companies who "fit" the seats would need to go back to the older versions as well,adding back that extra inch or so lost as the seats have transformed into cardboard covered leather with no reclining room!the lavatories,even on larger aircraft , have never been luxurious nor large,with basically just a potty,a sink and a mirror,and barely room to turn around..i don't think that redesign for a larger lav will come anytime soon..keep in mind that airplanes are considered public transportation, and are not supposed to be the private jet of individuals,even though some of the ad campaigns would like you to feel that way...as a matter of fact,with regard to this issue,there was a program on a few nights ago (I think it was dateline) where this issues was discussed and the person doing the segment, went into an aircraft cabin simulator and showed (with a little video help) how the seat sizes have changed the past few years in coach..he was not a small guy either!!
Jaime1949
Jaime Terrassa 6
let's stop talking and do something about it.
jkcooney
Joseph Cooney 4
The mathematics are clear.... the comfort level is sacrificed no matter what.
watkinssusan
joseph..there are only so many seats and so many "averaged size" people that can be accommodated in one of those flying silver tubes called airplanes..airlines are a "for profit" business.and unless they are required by new laws to redo the interiors of all aircraft with fewer and larger seats,the status quo will remain,as will the charges for checked luggage and other things that used to be part of the ticket price,sad to say..
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 3
More government regulations fixes everything. Ya, that's the ticket!
ADXbear
ADXbear 2
They should be addressing the smallnsize if the Lav as well... way to small...
xtoler
Larry Toler 5
LOL, when I first became a flight attendant for a certain regional airline, I started in the Jetsream 4100. My jumpseat was in the back and to use the lav I'd have to fold the jumpseat and the back of the cabin could be closed off and that was the lav. Still better than a honey bucket in a 130 or the small lav on a 141. It was still nasty. I didn't mind too much. A day of flying is better than a day at a real job.
dee9bee
dee9bee 5
The size of the seats nor the seat pitch isn't the issue, though it does make the process of flying anywhere an even big pain than it already is. Spirit Airlines, 28 inch seat pitch? I'll skip Spirit, not a problem. Certificated aircraft need a certain number of doors, based on the number of passenger seats. That's why some 737-900s have an operable emergency exit aft of the wing, some do not, all about the seating config that that particular airline has chosen.

Senator Chuck Schumer? Not to worry, he flies First Class.
canuck44
canuck44 2
Don't you just know the plaintiffs were praying for a couple of tall obese judges on the Appeals Court.
thomasq
Tom Zaidman 1
EACH TYPE OF SEATING SHOULD BE CLEARLY SHOWN WHEN BUYING A TICKET, EXAMPLE CLASS A SO MANY INCHES,
CLASS B LESS AND HAVE FOR EXAMPLE THREE TYPES OF SEATS CLEARLY ADVERTISED FOR EACH FLIGHT. THAT WAY THE PASSENGERS CAN DECIDE TO PAY MORE OR LESS DEPENDING ON TYPES OF SEAT. PLUS CARRIERS AGAINST EACH OTHER TO KEEP PRICES IN CHECK(HOPEFULLY). THE SIZE OF THE SEAT MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY OTHER DECISION FACTOR ON LONG FLIGHTS.
EITHER REGULATE THE MINIMUM SIZE OR LEAVE IT TO THE AIRLINES BUT SIZE ALWAYS MENTIONED WHEN SELLING THE TICKET.
dbkoob
dbkoob 1
Well duh we knew this awhile ago
jkcooney
Joseph Cooney 1
Anyone overweight and oversized should buy 2 tickets. I don't want to be seated next to them.
Cpino
Christian Pino 3
I would say more precisely. If your body violates the personal space of your neighbor you do need to buy a 2nd ticket.

I think the border could be the vertical line of the armrest of the affected passenger. Making the armrest itself neutral territory.
myalias
myalias 6
Most men have shoulders wider than the seats. Only the very smallest men fit inside the width of a typical 17" to 18" wide economy seat.

According to the NASA Anthropometric source book, page III-92, the 5th, 50th and 95th percentiles of male bideltoid (shoulder) breadth are 17.8, 19.1 and 20.8 inches. This study was from 1978, when people weren't as overweight. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19790003563

If the minimum seat width were 20 inches the problem would almost entirely go away.

Cpino
Christian Pino 1
Great ad on myalias. Thanks for that info.
waynej007
waynej007 1
Let the passenger's pocket books be the deciding factor. Just making the fat-cats at the top fatter. Wasn't it supposed to be that since fuel prices are low, the ticket costs were supposed to move in the same direction? They are squeezing every bit out of the customers (who continue to buy those seats. What if an airline offered the old model (roomier seats, no overhead bag charges, free checked bags, etc) for marginally more bucks? I'd pay it (no, I'm not rich). What was that movie in the 90's (or 80's) where "greed is good"?
xtoler
Larry Toler 1
Wasn't there some sort of regulation on pax seats on aircraft? I'm pretty sure back in the USAF we did. We would have the 11E C141 flights configured to hold quite a few pax as well as cargo. Because the seats were small they were faced towards the tail of the aircraft and all pallets aft of the seats. Also, if you've ever flew in the upper deck of a C5, all those smaller seats face aft.
Biesiade
Leon B 6
If I recall correctly, the seats faced aft because survivability is much better if you crash and the seat is supporting you rather than facing forward and hoping flying legs and arms don't hit everything in front of you.
namotlagh
namotlagh -1
You want larger seats? No problem. Hope you don't mind paying $800 for a round trip ticket from Dallas to Houston in economy class.
Mindyseltzberg
Additionally, the confines of the small quartered seats with lack of personal space help spread sickness like influenza and pneumonia especially during flu season as well as many other contagious sicknesses and diesease that are spread by was of contact with bodily fluid ( someone next to you sneezing or coughing) as we as the likely hood of becoming contaminated with airborne germs.

Moreover with more people needing to travel for business and carrying electronic on to places the confine are even smaller and more dangerous due to the amount of radiation being abosorted so close to the body.
Finally we are paying so much more for flying today than ever before, shouldn't we be getting more of our money?
peterlmaas2
Peter Maas -3
At the gate have the crew measure the circumference of the passenger derriere . If to obese stuff them in the pressurized cargo hold regardless of the ticket the passenger purchased. On a flight from Amsterdam to Chicago 5 heavy weight women boarded the plane. While in flight one of them got up to use the toilet. She was so incredible obese 2 men tried to pry her into the toilet area and assisted to get her out. She must have weighed 350 lbs.
devsfan
ken young -6
Adjusted for inflation, advance purchase economy coach airfares are the same as they were 30 years ago.
So if anyone complains about high airfares, they should do a little homework.
I am no fan of the air carriers because they have thrown service to the wind. TSA is a bunch of over paid over stuffed federal employee jerks.
My niece left her back pack on the TSA X Ray conveyor at PANC. She realized it was left behind. She called a friend to pick it up for her. Her wallet was in the bag, but the $300 cash was gone.
Some TSA slob STOLE her money....Yep the very people who are allegedly responsible for the safety and security of the flying public are also harboring thieves among them.
I have a trip planned to Northern MN in September. With connections its a 6 hour day including layovers. 5 more hours of driving to our destination up on the Border.
its a 20 hour drive by car.
I'm driving. Screw it. I'll enjoy the scenery.
TiredTom
Tom Bruce 5
one example doesn't indict the whole group of TSA agents...

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