HARD TRUTH
Airlines are making plane seats more uncomfortable – with economy passengers hit hardest, finds survey
Economy passengers seem to share a common gripe
AIRLINES are making plane seats more uncomfortable, with economy passengers hit the hardest.
Many passengers dread long haul flights, particularly in economy class where space is restricted.
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Website Thrillist has now spoken to passengers about their experiences over recent months.
The customers who complained about their experiences cited issues their seats.
One said: "The seat padding was highly insufficient. My rear was sore for a couple of days after a longish flight."
Another said: "The narrowness of the seats. Legroom is nice but I'd rather not have T-rex arms while being stuck in the middle seat."
And one said: "Cushion was thin and the pitch of the neck area pushed my head forward and there was no lumbar support."
Many respondents said that the quality of seats appeared to have declined over time.
One said: "Flying since the '60s. A steady decline. A bus has more comfort."
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Another said: "Seats on planes are inhumane. They wonder why there are so many fights. Well, if you put people together that closely it's actually gross."
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What passengers said about seat comfort
Website thrillist asked the question: Was your seat on your last flight comfortable
Yes: 78%
No: 15%
Other: 7%
The respondents had flown on 18 different airlines
One survey respondent from Florida said: "My flight Sunday night was so uncomfortable.
"I sat next to a guy and his arm was in my space. He just put his arm on the only armrest and invaded my space.
"I had to keep my shoulder pulled forward so we didn't touch and I ended up with a sore shoulder and neck. Also, you can't even use your table to use your laptop.
"The seat in front of you can lean back and crush the lid. You have to keep your elbows behind your body because the laptop is so close you can't type.
"It's ridiculous and something needs to be done. You can't get by
someone in the aisle without touching and brushing by their body. It's awful and I've been wondering how we can get the airlines to change. They charge a lot of money to not provide your own space."
An expert has slammed airlines for causing chaos in plane cabins due to "exit envy".
It's no secret that everyone wants to be the first off the plane as soon as it lands, but more often than not it creates total carnage between passengers.
Nick Leighton, an etiquette expert and co-host of the weekly etiquette podcast "Were You Raised By Wolves?", said there are people who try to exit first under false pretences.
"Pretending they have a short connection or creating some other faux-urgent need," he told . "This is rude."
Jodi RR Smith, an etiquette consultant, said the politest way is to enlist the aid of the flight attendants.
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If it's a good enough reason, they'll make an announcement and allow you to move towards the exit ahead of anyone else.
"They'll verify if it's a legitimate request and ask passengers to allow the connectors to exit first," Jodi explained to USA today.
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