American Airlines is cutting legroom because flying hasn't become terrible enough
Look, flying is still the quickest, safest way to travel long distances in 2017 but that doesn't mean there aren't more downsides.
From increased baggage fees to less carry-on space to weird dress code guidelines, our perception of flying now includes way more hassles than the easy-going luxury we saw it as years ago.
And now at least one airline is getting a little more cramped.
According to CNN, American Airlines is taking away some legroom in its new forthcoming 737 Max jetliners. The legroom for three economy rows will be shrunk to 29 inches, just one inch more than the industry minimum. The rest of the cabin will be at a meager 30 inches.
No matter how you spin it, that still feels pretty cramped.
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The move will allow the airline to reportedly add more seats to the new jetliners over its existing fleet but will maintain the current legroom it offers in its first class and "Main Cabin Extra" sections. The additional seats on the plain will reportedly help offset the raises the airline is giving pilots and flight attendants.
In case your thought is, "Hey, at least I'll be a few inches closer to those seat-back screens," well, American has already announced they're taking those out of the new airliners.
Mashable has reached out to American Airlines for comment.
Believe it or not, 29 inches isn't the smallest amount of legroom, either. Spirit and Frontier Airlines, the bargain basement airlines, are all at the minimum 28 inches. As for other carriers, CNN says:
By comparison, economy class pitch on Delta Air Lines (DAL) and United ranges between 30 and 31 inches, while JetBlue Airways (JBLU), Southwest Airlines (LUV) and Alaska Airlines (ALK) have between 31 and 33 inches.
The report indicates that United could follow suit which means it's a really good time to invest in yoga classes to deal with the human pretzel moves you'll need to master in order to squeeze on these flights.
Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.
