Another thought came to mid on this thread- Amtrak.

I've taken Amtrak in the NE Corridor. It is FAR more civilized than flying. The kids are betterbehaved- undoubtedly because they have a little wiggle room, can use the bathroom when necessary, and can get snacks in the dining car. The adults, other than the occasional cell-phone nut, are quiet. Nobody needs to bump into anyone on the way out of their seat because there's legroom. The stewards are pleasant.

Remember the psych experiments where a bunch of rats was put into a space that was too small and they got mean and attacked each other? Apply that to Coach Class in a regular airline.