CBS Overnight News: elaine chao and the FAA wanna shrink passenger seats....

[sprinkleeninow]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/airplane-seat-size-faa-tests-safe-seat-size-space-between-rows-for-first-time/

her name alone makes me run to grab a barf bag....

[NCLefty]

1. I abhor flying. The seats are a significant part of why.

[sprinkleeninow]

8. I haven't flown in decades. I'd prolly get hauled off and arrested.

Bc of my mouthiness.

[Aquaria]

13. Same here

But that nasty airplane funk smell doesn’t help, either.

I’ll drive or do without going rather than get on a plane these days.

[B Stieg]

2. How much smaller can they get?

[sprinkleeninow]

6. They illustrated seats that either already are or proposed to be 17" wide.

And spanse between seat back in front of passenger brought closer by inches. Virtually ridiculous leg room.

The whole world is morally decrepit it seems.

[spinbaby]

16. Most Americans are more than 17 inches wide

Out of curiosity, I got out a tape measure and I am 17 inches wide across the hips. I’m a woman who wears size 14-16, which makes me exactly average. I would be a tight fit.

[customerserviceguy]

29. A better way to measure seat width needed

is not at the hips, but at the elbows, with arms held in a comfortable position while seated. That's why I cash in my miles for first class seats.

[LittleGirl]

3. People are getting bigger

and these a**holes want to make the seats closer? Stupid!

[sprinkleeninow]

9. That's what was mentioned as new proposals. Goofballs. They. Do. Not. Care.

[stopbush]

4. They decide such things as they fly around the country in their private jets.

Or when using a government helicopter to attend their kid’s little league game.

[sprinkleeninow]

10. Wait, they so special, doncha know.

People say 'karma' or spiritual retribution is coming. And there will be recompense for those who have not worked iniquity.

Peace be to all DUers.

[stopbush]

24. Nope. Karma is bullshit. Any justice to be meted out needs to happen in this life.

[SharonClark]

14. Agree. It's private planes or first class for them

The rest of us are cheek to cheek. Also people reclining their seats to the point that the people behind them can’t get their tray table down or squeeze out of their seats to use the loo.

The comfort level is always a little bit better on international flights than on domestic flights within the US.

My best flight ever was last fall from Auckland to LA on Air NZ. Only 70 people on board. The same flight 2 or 3 hours later was sold out.

[3catwoman3]

28. With seats that small, we...

...will be cheek-to-geek, and not just with our faces.

[corbettkroehler]

15. True That! When It Comes To Theses Decisions, They Specialize In Hypocrisy! (n/t)

[Scarsdale]

5. What happened to the

investigation of her dealings? Did Mrs. Moscow Mitch get out of that?

[sprinkleeninow]

7. Who knows anymore. Real patriots are waiting for a turnaround.

We need deliverance and fast.

[dalton99a]

19. Not a damn thing that we know of

[Perseus]

11. Standing room only?

They are already so uncomfortable, flying is becoming torture, maybe its not torture enough...They fly 1st class on our dime, there should be a law that prevents them from flying 1st class, maybe they will want to "expand" the size of the sits.

[tblue37]

23. Airbus is seeking a patent for these seats:

[Anon-C]

27. The marketplace will provide a variety of solutions.

[VOX]

12. Expect nothing less from Moscow Mitch's missus.

These far-right bottom-feeders scream about “big government” and “entitlements” while simultaneously squeezing taxpayers’ dollars into their own fat nest egg.

Mitch & Elaine: a pair of REAL “welfare queens.”

[Ms. Toad]

17. For those who don't follow links - that is not even close to what the article says.

The article suggests that the move to shrink seat separation and pitch may make it impossible to evacuate safely. The implication from the discussion is that a minimum safe seat size could be larger than current practice, and that a resulting recommendation could halt, or even possibly reverse the trend.

[USALiberal]

20. Thank you for this! So many misleading posts on DU at times! Nt

[dalton99a]

18. "These tests are going to be nothing but a sham"

The FAA said it designed the tests to focus solely on two variables: seat width and the space between rows, known as seat pitch.

"These tests are going to be nothing but a sham," said John Breyault, who is from the National Consumers League. The organization and nine other groups sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and FAA Administrator Steve Dickson criticizing the seat testing.

"Consumers should not think for a minute that these tests are being done in a way that would accurately represent what could happen in an emergency evacuation," Breyault said.

He worries airlines will use the FAA's findings to further reduce space and add more seats. Airline seat width is down as much as four inches over the last 30 years to as little as 16 inches wide. And seat pitch has shrunk from about 35 inches to 31 inches and in some cases as little as 28 inches.

Spirit Airlines says seat size is more about the amount of usable space. Next month they're launching redesigned memory foam seats with a curved back for better legroom at 28 inches apart. But CEO Ted Christie says you'll have as much room as seats with 30 inches of pitch.

"Do you have any concerns about this not being enough space to safely evacuate a plane quickly, for people to be comfortable?" Van Cleave asked.

"None at all. You know, there's been many tests done to ensure that these seats and our configuration meets with safety requirements," Christie said. "While they are closer together than a first-class product, they've been validated to show that there's adequate space to egress the airplane."

[Initech]

21. How much further can they shrink the damn seats??

[Phoenix61]

22. It's a scam. They'll have 3 rows of those

seats in economy. The adult size seats will be premium economy.

[csziggy]

25. They won't be happy until they can pack passengers in like this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookes_(ship)

I haven't flown since 1990 and don't plan to fly again. I love flying, just not the way they pack people in or the rude treatment passengers receive.

Last two trips were cruises - cheaper than flying first class and I got to see places and sights along the way - plus you get a cabin and great food!

[guillaumeb]

26. If they make the seats smaller,

and the passengers are getting larger, perhaps they should remove the seats and force the passengers to stand.