Cramped Airline Seats Dangerous?

Above, a United Airlines Boeing787. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Airlines have been reducing the amount of space each passenger has (especially in economy) so they can cram more seats into every jet.

This practice as led to concerns that it just may be unhealthy to the traveling public.

According to an article in Japan Today:

WASHINGTON —The shrinking space on airplanes is surely uncomfortable, but it might also be dangerous for passengers’ health and safety. 

Planes are filled with more passengers than ever before. Fliers are older and heavier. Flight attendants warn about an increase in air rage, and experts question if having rows of seats packed closer together might make it harder for passengers to evacuate after a crash. 

A consumer advisory group set up by the Department of Transportation dove into all those issues Tuesday at a public hearing as part of its role to make non-binding suggestions to government regulators.

My flight to Japan last year was aboard an United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner. While I was not too impressed with the food and some aspects of their service, I did mention previously that I had no complaints regarding legroom.

There's a good reason for this, as the article stated:

Many passenger jets today have less legroom. For instance, United Airlines has 30 inches of room, known as pitch, on some jets; Spirit Airlines offers 28 inches.

The article also covers the subject of being able to get out of airline seats to walk around to avoid blood clotting. (This is also covered in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan, by the way.)

To read more, go here.