U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer wants to require the Federal Aviation Administration to establish seat-size standards for commercial airlines, which he says now force passengers to sit on planes “like sardines.”
The New York Democrat told The Associated Press the airlines have been slowly cutting down legroom and seat width.
“One of the most vexing things when you travel on an airplane is there’s almost no legroom on your standard flight,” Schumer said. “There’s been constant shrinkage by the airlines.”
He said he will add an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization Bill that is pending before Congress that would require the agency to set the seat-size guidelines. Schumer planned to formally announce the proposal at a news conference Sunday.
Schumer said the average distance between rows of seats has dropped from 35 inches in the 1970s to a current average of about 16.5 inches. He argues that the requirement is needed to stop airlines from shrinking seats and seat pitch, the distance between rows of seats on airplanes, even further.
“They’re like sardines,” Schumer said of airplane passengers. “It’s no secret that airlines are looking for more ways to cut costs, but they shouldn’t be cutting inches of legroom and seat width in the process … It’s time for the FAA to step up and stop this deep-seated problem from continuing.”
Currently, there are no federal limits on how close an airline’s row of seats can be or how wide an airline’s seat must be.
Schumer pointed to a practice used by some airlines in which passengers are charged more money for seats with extra legroom. He says that “exemplifies” the problem.
“It’s just plain unfair that a person gets charged for extra inches that were once standard,” he said.
The FAA Reauthorization Bill is considered “must-pass” legislation, Schumer said. Congress typically renews the FAA’s authorization every four to six years, using the bill as an opportunity to address a wide range of aviation issues. A vote is expected in March.
An FAA spokesman did not immediately comment Saturday on Schumer’s proposal. Representatives with Airlines for America, an industry trade group that represents U.S. airlines, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(AP)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
While I’m no fan of the airline industry and, like many, have personally experienced the discomfort of coach seating, I just don’t see how the government can legally (meaning: survive court challenges) enforce such a law.
Such a law (or regulation) might stand if either anti-competition (the Sherman Act)or a specific danger to citizens (FAA Act) can be proven, but “fairness” is more an emotional argument than a legal one and probably wouldn’t prevail. [Disclaimer: I’m not an attorney]
If they’ll be forced to have more legroom and less seats, ticket prices will skyrocket!
What’s next? Seating in the pizza shop? No one is forcing you to fly. The government has done enough damage to the economy with their over reach in regulating everything out there. Like blubluh I too am not an attorney and would love to have more legroom but enough is enough.
Will it raise airfare prices? Probably. Crude oil at historically low prices, is it drastically dropping the price of a ticket? No. At least not the tickets I’m buying.Will cut-throat airlines like Spirit Air continue to decrease leg room, raise baggage fares, experience heavier delays? Absolutely. If a new law passes, perhaps we can see the benefit as greater than the inevitable price increases. Don’t forget that baggage fees were initiated as a temporary measure when crude was $145+ a barrel. Crude Oil can go down to $0.45 a barrel and we will still pay those fees.