Kevin Smith kicked off planeFollow

Why? Westjet in Canada did this when they entered the market and even removed a row of seats to create more leg room and after currency exchange, they are definitely not significantly more expensive than any option I've seen in the US.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. The seating space in economy is probably a breach of the Human Rights Convention, especially the right not to be subject to cruel or unusual punishment. Even more so since you pay for that punishment.

I say this and I weigh around 140 pounds. I really thought the whole blood-clot-after-long-flights would mean they'd have to redesign the seats in order to give more legroom, but I guess we need a few more deaths before that happens.

Either that, or it's to let him experiment what it feels like to be a canned sardine.

That's sexist.

I hate successful businesswomen just as much.

I've looked at the numbers. I spent a lot of time thinking about it myself only to conclude that their inability to put larger seats into planes is not only a hoax but an agenda by anti-consumer groups foisted upon us by the media. In fact, I've found this journal (read blog), it's the first link on google no less, that conclusively proves everything I've been arguing about for the last 17 pages.

I'm sure they do know, but if you put them in the same place as the majority of their customers (i.e. no other choice but to fly coach) then just maybe they'll be able to empathize.

They are in the same place as their customers (all of them). If you can afford a more expensive seat, you get a more comfortable seat. If you can't, then you make the decision between spending 4-5 hours in a cramped coach seat, or 3 days driving in a car, or taking a bus or a train or a boat. People choose to fly on airplanes. No one put a gun to their heads.

They have the same choices in terms of price vs comfort as everyone else. I really don't get the whole "If we just tossed that guy into a pit full of hungry alligators, he's be able to empathize..." approach. It's a pretty weak argument IMO. There are things that suck in this world. There are other thing which suck less. And there are some things which are really nice. We strive to avoid the sucky things while pursuing the nice ones. It's the way of the world. Get used to it... ;)

Have any of you considered that coach seats suck precisely to encourage the purchase of business- and first-class seats?

They've been doing it since passenger rail cars were invented.

Are you assuming they do? And how do you define "free" in this context? If I'm the CEO of a company, and getting free use of company equipment (air travel in this case) is one of the perks included in my contract, then is it really "free"? As a second point, if my use of such things comes as the expense of company profits, for which I am responsible and upon which my continued employment and bonuses and what not are calculated, is it still "free"?

They don't pay out of pocket for it, so it's free.

Yes, I know you're trying to drive a wedge between free and free. However, the point is they're not in the same place as their customers.

Flea once helped interpret for a Spanish speaking passenger on a Southwest flight who the flight attendants couldn't understand. In their gratitude, they gave us a book of free drink coupons.

Also, they thought he was speaking Italian

Given the political slant of this board, I'm not surprised that most everyone is getting on the airplane. Bob forbid anyone point out that no one has a right to ride in a comfortable airplane seat. I mean, it'd make as much sense as suggesting a right to the same level of health care as anyone else, but no one would make an argument that incredibly stupid, right?

If you don't like the policies or accommodations of an airline, take a different mode of transport. They offer a service, one which comes with terms and conditions which you agree to on purchasing the ticket. I am as big a Kevin Smith fan as anyone, but for f'uck's sake, he's not some special case. Seems to me some of you people would be getting on him for expecting special treatment, but then liberals aren't much for consistency.

By the way, if anyone has eluded to this point, my sincerest apologies. I skimmed because most of you are insipid cnuts who don't have anything remotely intelligent to add.