This Frustrating Aspect Of Flying Sparks Heated Debate Among Travelers

There are many different reasons that people choose to fly, and whether it be for business or pleasure, necessity or convenience, one thing remains true — everyone wants their flight to be as comfortable as possible. Inflight amenities like personal television and Wi-Fi are now fairly standard, but there's one big factor affecting everyone on board that appears to be moving in the wrong direction: the amount of personal space each passenger gets due to seat size and width, legroom space.

If it seems like you have less room on flights now than in the past, you aren't imagining things. Airlines like JetBlue and WestJet have reconfigured their cabins by adding additional seats, to varying degrees of success. While JetBlue has managed to hang onto the title of offering the most legroom in coach, customer rage over the new less-spacious layout on WestJet has forced the airline to reverse the update altogether.

While there are still underrated airlines with big seats, simple rules, and nonstop flights, unfortunately these perks are no longer a given, and online users have a lot to say regarding where to place the blame. A recent spat between two customers on a Delta flight has gone viral, posing the following question: Is it bad form to recline a seat, or is everyone entitled to this act as a paid feature of airline fare? In this particular instance, the height of the individual in the following row prevented a first-class passenger from being able to recline, prompting a controversial comment from a flight attendant who responded with, "I can't make his legs smaller," via The Travel.

There's a lot to consider when planning your next flight — affordability, destinations, and timing are likely to be top of mind, but you shouldn't neglect to consider inflight amenities and overall comfort. The amount of legroom you're afforded can make or break the overall experience, especially on long-haul flights, and depending on what airline you fly and which type of plane you end up on, the space between rows can vary by 4 or more inches. 

While JetBlue flights offer approximately 32.3 inches of legroom, you may only get about 28 inches on both Frontier and Spirit. And this doesn't have anything to do with the actual size of the plane — for example, JetBlue used to offer 150 seats on their Airbus 320, while their new retrofitted cabins now offer 162 seats. These reconfigurations don't happen overnight either, meaning there was at least nine months during which JetBlue was operating both the new and old layout at the same time. Which planes customers were placed on ended up being luck of the draw, and while those who landed in the newer interiors got a sleeker-looking cabin and updated amenities, the trade-off came in the form of sharing that space with 12 extra passengers. Comparatively, Spirit crams 178 passengers into that same space.

More seats per plane means more revenue per flight segment for the airline, but it's clear from online discourse that passengers want to be more than just a number. The elite group of an airline's most loyal customers often also accounts for a large slice of revenue, meaning it's in an airline's best interest to keep their customers coming back.

The online discourse regarding whether or not it's appropriate to recline your seat on a plane revolves around who's actually to blame for taking extra space from the customer. Is it the fault of the airline for advertising a recline feature that cuts into already limited space, or should passengers be more courteous of fellow travelers by avoiding that controversial button altogether? The choice will be up to you on your next flight, but there are other things to consider when it comes to scoring a few extra inches. If you are a loyalty member, be sure to look into possible perks like early boarding (which can help with securing stowage for larger bags) and free seat upgrades. 

Once you've booked your ticket, the first thing you can do is research the seat map of the plane you'll be flying on. Believe it or not, a quick internet search of your airline and type of plane will yield lots of advice. You may learn which seats offer more room without an upgrade (the bulkhead, or the first row of a section is often a good choice), which seats don't recline at all (such as the back row or those before of an exit row), or even if some rows are missing a window. And after taking the time to choose what best fits your needs, avoid making this pre-flight mistake that could lose you the seat you've selected. Finally, the type of luggage you bring with you can also affect your comfort. Avoid this common carry-on when packing for your next flight, and carefully consider the size of the personal item that will need to be stowed under your seat, which will ultimately take away more of that precious legroom.