It’s not your imagination. There really is a tighter squeeze on many planes these days. The big U.S. airlines are taking out old, bulky seats in favor of so-called slimline models that take up less space from front to back, allowing for five or six more seats on each plane.
The changes, covering some of the most common planes flown on domestic and international routes, give the airlines two of their favorite things: more paying passengers and a smaller fuel bill because the seats are slightly lighter. It’s part of a trend among the airlines to view seats as money-makers, not just pieces of furniture.
The new seats generally have thinner padding. And new layouts on some planes have made aisles slightly narrower, meaning the dreaded beverage cart bump to the shoulder happens more often.
