As it had been reported, last month, that American intended to equip its B737 Max planes as the ones found on ultra-low-cost carriers that are these as Frontier and Spirit, the blowback from the media as well as travelers was fiercely negative and immediate.
Especially, American’s plans called for 30 inches of pitch (the space between seats) throughout the majority of the coach-class cottage, with three rows dropping to a more knee-scraping 29 inches.
For context, the market average is between 31 and 32 inches, itself an evaluation of flyers’ pain thresholds, especially on longer flights. American fleet of B737s, for instance, features 31 inches of pitch in the coach cabin.
However, as reported from the Dallas News, American has reconsidered its seating program in light of “a lot of feedback from both clients and team members.”
An internal company memo (apparently leaked into the media, to mitigate the harm?) reads in part as follows:
Lest you translate those hopeful words as a grand commitment on the part of American to resisting and reversing the business trend toward ever-declining legroom, it ends up that most of the coach seating layout in the B737s will stay as originally intended. Are those 3 rows of seats.
Therefore it is a step forward following two steps back to get air travelers, also for American flyers generally, whose personal space remains by airlines which place profits before passengers.
Forecast: No Gain, More Pain
The reversal of American’s plan to integrate 29-inch-pitch into its fleet is a rarity, and shouldn’t give travelers much expect that their needs and desires, however avidly expressed, will slow the airways’ push to shoehorn ever more seats into their cabins. Travelers themselves must assume part of the blame for their deteriorating comfort, as they have proven unwilling to check beyond prices when booking their flights. As explained Scott Kirby, by United’s main, in a recent interview with workers covered by Skift,
Which amounts to a rephrasing of one of economics’ eternal verities.
Reader Reality Check
Of course you want more legroom, but are you willing to pay a bit more to receive it?