Call it the incredible shrinking legroom, or call it an airline seating trend. Whatever you want to call it, tall travelers should take note.
JetBlue and Canada’s WestJet are cutting legroom for some nonpremium seats. At the same time, they’re increasing legroom for seats in higher-priced sections.
JetBlue, a longtime champion of legroom, still says it offers the “most legroom of any other carrier throughout coach.” Now it’s cutting leg distance from 33 inches to 32 inches in 11 rows aboard its fleet of 52 Embraer E190 planes.
The extra space will be taken up by two more rows of seats near the front of the cabin with 38 inches of legroom. The change puts JetBlue on track to rake in $150 million in additional revenue this year, says a spokeswoman.
Alberta-based WestJet says it’s making a similar change, cutting about an inch of legroom from its regular seats and adding four rows of seats with 36 inches across its entire fleet of 737s by the end of the year.
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6 Responses
Airlines have been doing this for a long time.
simple solution-don’t fly unless absolutely necessary, like traveling overseas. IMO if the airline has to charge me $1000 to fly from Phoenix to LA change me $1000 not $100 then $900 in BS fees. I rarely fly anymore unless necessary. The past few times I had to travel I drove. sure it took longer but I was not harassed at the airport by TSA. hassled by the restrictive rules of the airlines and no worries about sitting on an aircraft on the tarmac for hours with no A/C food or drinks.
Anyone for bringing back ocean liners (I had in mind a small liner, most cabins being small and not luxurious but not expensive, all kosher with only kosher entertainment – and nothing fancy). It would be more comfortable than a plane. It might be popular if it was all frum (no running around naked, no movies, shuls, etc.)
#2 Its a good thing you don’t travel to china you may shocked on what goes on with your landsman alone in china.
How would an Ocean Liner help for, say a Pittsburgh to Denver itinerary?
With all the inconveniences of flying, it’s still a lot faster to fly from Florida to NY than to spend two days driving that route. A 5 hour drive is obviously different.
Maybe they should take seats out altogether and everyone should sit cross legged on the floor.
I just read an artical from America Airlines that they are adding leg room. They are getting 100’s of new plains.