I'm a big dude, 6'3" -280#, but I don't find the 17" seat width that big of a deal. I do find the difference between 31" on an A320, 31" on a B737, and 32" on a B737 to be a really big deal. That 31" on the DL A320 has my knees in pain by the end of a short haul flight, the 31" on a WN 7H4 is tolerable, but not ideal, the 32" on a WN 8H4 or AS 738 is luxurious even for long-haul, and absolutely the perfect configuration for someone my size, seeing that seats any bigger would be a waste of space, although I suppose people a inch or two shorter would argue the same thing about 31".