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Seeking Comfort in Economy Class
The Travel Critic · December 15, 1997

Next time your travel agent asks if you prefer one aircraft type over another, consider your answer carefully. Especially if you have to fly coach.

Not all planes are created equal-or equally comfortable-according to a new survey by San Diego, Calif.-based CIC Research Inc. A random Internet poll found that the 1,301 respondents favor the economy class seating options on the Boeing 767 over other commercial jets, including the MD11 and the Boeing 777.

The most unpopular plane, as far as the cheap seats go, is the Boeing 747.

Why do travelers like the 767 and avoid the 747? Addison Schonland, director of aviation, travel and marketing at CIC Research, says it isn't really a matter of anyone liking the 767.

"To put it bluntly," he explains, "the economy seats on the 767 suck less than on the other planes."

To be more specific, the big draw is aisle seats. Make no mistake, we're not talking about business or first class, where there's usually plenty of room to move around. The planes in this survey succeeded or failed because of their economy-class configurations.

The two seats, three seats, two seats layout on 767s mean you've got a better chance of snagging a coveted aisle seat and are less likely to get stuck sitting between two chatty tourists. By contrast, the 747's dreaded five center seats are every business traveler's worst nightmare.

But never mind that. "Quite frankly when you look at any airplane in our survey, there is no such thing as a comfortable seat in economy class," says Schonland.

Could it be the 35-degree angle of the cattle-car seats-the very same angle, The Economist reports, preferred by interrogators trying to deprive subjects of sleep? Or the ever-narrowing pitch between the seats, as carriers try to squeeze more passengers into the back of the plane? Or maybe the sheer number of seats installed across the breadth of the cabin?

It isn't entirely the aircraft manufacturers' fault, to hear Terry Wiseman, publisher of the in-flight entertainment newsletter Airfax in Seattle, Wash., explain it.

"It's up to the airline to decide how many seats to install," he notes. "You want to maximize your profit, so you carry as many people as you can."

So, the manufacturer normally determines how many seats run across the plane, and the airlines make the call on how close the seats should be installed from front to back.

And that unpleasant 35-degree tilt at takeoff and landing? The seat manufacturers did it, following airline guidelines.

For the record, if you want to fly a 767, try United, American, Delta and TWA. They use 767s on medium- to long-haul flights, such as Los Angeles to New York. United, Northwest, and Continental typically fly the cramped 747s on international flights.

For all the carping, travelers apparently aren't willing to do much to improve their plights. CIC asked how much more participants would pay to fly the configuration they wanted. A majority said they'd pay nothing. How much longer would they wait for another flight with a better configuration? Most wouldn't bother.

What this means to aviation consultant Barry Clark, of Roanoke, Texas, is that although travelers have their preferences, they also have their priorities. "People want to fly when they want to fly," he says. "Price and convenience are more important factors than comfort."

Meanwhile, grab yourself an aisle seat whenever you travel, avoid 747s, and go ahead and beg for an upgrade.

Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator and author of A Bridge to Nowhere: A Year in the Florida Keys. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion.