Originally Posted by
OZFLYER86
Also, seat pitch is again used as a measurement of legroom, which most people realise is not, unless reference to the actual seat back.
Avelo look like they have new slimline seats with thin seat backs, meaning extra legroom is created by having thin seat backs without changing the pitch.
Maybe the reporter edited the story in the hurry, as he went on to say that
"The seats themselves are Acro Series 6, which feature a built-in curve around the hip level for two additional inches of knee space."
while at same time comparing the total seats to that of Southwest at 175 (14 less) without mentioning the thickness of the seat backs on Southwest aircraft.
Seat pitch measures the distance from a point on one seat to the same point on the next seat. A slimmer seat means less of that space is consumed by the seat itself and more is available for the passenger. But as a very tall person, I disagree that pitch is not a measure of leg room.
Seats have been getting slimmer for years, so while Avelo's may be slightly slimmer than the ones that WN is currently flying, I suspect it's fractions of an inch, rather than multiple inches (although I will admit to not being hugely familiar with WN's current product as I haven't flown them in a few years). If WN has 31" pitch and Avelo has 29", a 0.5" slimmer seat (if that's what it is; I'm guessing) still means 1.5" less space for the passenger.
As to the concept that curves in the seat create extra knee room, I have flown some seats like that and found the claims to be vastly exaggerated. Again, from one point to the same point on the seat in front, the pitch is the same, so unless the seat is even slimmer there than elsewhere, the extra room only comes if your body is at an angle. I've found that these designs may create slightly more room, but may also force you in to a somewhat uncomfortable position to take advantage of it.
The slimness of the seats also often comes at the cost of less padding, which tends to make the seat less comfortable.
Whether the reporting was biased depends on whether the information was accurately and fairly presented. He provided detailed statistics on the measurements throughout the cabin (including the claim about the 2" of extra knee room), and noted that the attraction of flying Avelo is the extremely low prices. He provided his personal opinion on how comfortable (or not) it was. Overall, I suspect the article gives a fair assessment of what the comfort will be like for the passenger.