I can live without entertainment, I can live with long bathroom lines (time to stand is good for circulation), and I can live with knee-crushing seats.

However, slimline/lower/shorter seats combined with weak/non-existent cushioning is a killer. It makes the entire experience painful instead of "just uncomfortable".

There are still a lot of airlines (including pmUA) that pay a little more for extra cushioning. Why the move toward park-bench-like seats? I get that they save a little money, but I don't think it is that much. Do passengers really not care at all about seat cushioning and form? Or maybe some airlines, including the new UA, really don't think about comfort at all?

pmCO even skimped on padding in the BusinessFirst cabins (compared to pmUA), no excuse for that. Who would intentionally pick/design a J seat that is less comfortable than it could be to save a few dollars? Not talking about density here, just an extra cm of padding. So little to ask.

For example, imagine if your employer tried to save $10 by ordering less padding for a $200 office chair that caused back-aches for all of the staff. Why would an airline do this in a premium cabin?