Airlines Cheapest Seats Leg Room Shrinking

By Author: Steve Robinson
Total Articles: 468
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While the vast majority of travelers continue to prioritize finding cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages, the seats that they will be sitting in are likely to be more cramped than in the past.

Passengers paying the cheapest airline tickets prices are increasingly being squeezed as airlines look for ways to boost their revenue.

Several airlines are placing seats/rows closer together in order to pack more passengers in cabins and/or create rows with additional legroom for customers willing to pay more.

Low cost airlines are among those most active in reducing seat space. Southwest has reduced about an inch of seat pitch which is the measure of space between passengers’ seats as it overhauls its cabins. Southwest previously added a new seat design that comes with thinner seats, allowing it to add six more seats on its planes.

Canada’s second largest airline, WestJet, is a low cost carrier, that has reduced seat pitch in some of its seats to create space for a higher priced premium coach section in which additional legroom is its main feature.

JetBlue which is considered by many to be at the high end of North American low cost airlines recently reduced about an inch of legroom from its Embraer E190 jets to create its “Even More Space” section that features extra legroom as well as higher prices.

Legroom used to be a fixed amenity in coach. Now airlines are starting to treat it similar to checked bags, in flight meals and pillows. Reduced legroom on their cheapest coach seats allow airlines to offer cheaper base ticket prices, while earning new revenue from those will to pay for additional space.
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