Originally Posted by PhilH
Of course what will really happen is that everyone will blame the airlines for having such small seats (neglecting entirely the obvious fact that it's the people that have grown larger, not the seats that have grown smaller).
People have grown larger, but are you absolutely sure that seats haven't grown smaller. Certainly, pitch has shrunk over the past few decades. I would also keep in mind that when one person grows larger it is a personal problem. When everyone grows larger, it will quickly become everyone's problem (including the airline) whether we like it or not. At our current rate of growth, both up and out, the majority will no longer fit in the current airline seat. At that point, the airlines will have to do something about it.