The airlines have assumed the tradeoff between comfort and cheaper flights was something consumers wanted without evidence for such a claim.
The average seat pitch is around 30-31 inches, though seat pitch prior to deregulation was around 34 inches. Airlines offer the larger pitch as an economy upgrade. Most seats prior to deregulation were also 18 inches wide. Changes to these measures over the past few years has resulted in, not just uncomfortable flying arrangements for average passengers, but also safety concerns as passengers are crushed into tighter seating arrangements, making it difficult just to enter and exit the seats. This petition asks the administration to amend the FAA authorization to allow the regulation of passenger seats.