Traveling on an airplane can be extra difficult for overweight and tall people. The width of an average airplane seat has decreased from 18.5 inches in the early 2000s to around 17 inches.³⁹⁰ Given individual differences in hip width, this can be a problem, particularly for women. The Civilian American and European Surface Anthropometry Resource Project (Caesar) investigated the issue, backed by funding from a consortium of scientific research organizations and engineering and aerospace companies.

The Caesar project measured more than 4,000 people from the United States and Europe and uncovered the following: “The hip breadth of men in the 95th percentile of the population, i.e., on the very big side,

measures 17.6 inches.” This means that 95% of all men can fit into a standard Airbus seat. In contrast, females face a different situation. According to Caesar’s report,

“the hip breadth of women in the 90th percentile is 19.2 inches, and those in the 95th percentile have hips measuring 22.4 inches.”³⁹¹ The core skeletal system is the reason for the difference between men and women. Females simply have a larger pelvis than men.

Seat pitch, the distance between seat backs, also is decreasing. This makes for less leg room for all people.

The typical seat pitch in economy class has narrowed from 35 to 31 inches, with some airlines offering as little as 28 inches of leg room.³⁹²

Do you think airlines should be bound by minimum seat size and leg room standards? The advocacy group Flyers Rights has campaigned for federally regulated seat sizes, citing concerns such as inability to quickly evacuate aircraft and health hazards like deep vein thrombosis.³⁹³ Although there are currently no such regulations in the United States, federal judges recently ordered the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to review commercial airline seat sizes and pitch.³⁹⁴ Some people believe that forcing airlines to establish bigger,

standard seat sizes ultimately increases fares. Industry group Airlines for America opposes the idea, for instance.

“The group notes that the FAA should regulate seat size for safety, but should not substitute its judgments for market forces on what people are willing to pay.”³⁹⁵ Others believe airlines should focus more on passenger comfort than profit. “There is an industry standard, and, within that standard, the obsession is profit,” says Kimberly Dark, the author of Fat, Pretty,

and Soon to Be Old: A Makeover for Self and Society.³⁹⁶

The trends are clear. In general, airlines are adding seats while decreasing seat width and pitch. These changes clearly affect taller, wider, and heavier individuals and may even pose health risks to passengers.

“I don’t think airlines are recognizing the size of Americans,” a frequent flyer tells The Wall Street Journal.³⁹⁷ Samoa Air is resolving this issue by charging fees based on passengers’ weight. Does this seem ethical?

The question to consider is whether seat width and pitch should be regulated by law or determined by market forces.

Questions 

1. I recommend creating a national standard for airline seats based on the average passenger as opposed to using gender as part of the computation. I would standardize seat width based on passengers’ average hip size. I also would standardize seat pitch so that it accommodates passengers’ average height. Once this is done, I would charge passengers a special fee for more space.

2. Let market forces determine the design of airplanes and fares. The government should stay out of this issue.

For example, Airbus’s A220 expanded seat width to 18.5 inches and included 19 inches for the middle seat.³⁹⁸

3. Because women, on average, have larger hip breadth than men, it is not fair to base fees on the size of a seat. This would disadvantage women. I would standardize seat width based on the average size of women. People can pay extra fees if they want additional seat width or pitch.

4. Invent other options.