Why Airline Legroom Is Still a Joke — And What Smart Travelers Are Doing About It

If you've flown economy lately, you’ve probably noticed the same thing I have: legroom is tight. Real tight.

Travelers complain about cramped seats every day. But the real question is — how did we get here? And why aren’t airlines doing more to fix it?

Let’s rewind to 1978.

That year, Congress passed the Airline Deregulation Act, ending government control over airline routes and fares in the U.S. Prior to that, airlines weren’t allowed to compete on price — so they competed on product instead. Think hot meals, lounges for coach passengers, and yes — more legroom.

But once airlines were allowed to compete on price, everything changed. The market flooded with low-fare carriers, legacy airlines had to slash costs, and the “race to the bottom” began. Fare prices dropped — but so did service, space, and comfort. The average economy seat pitch went from around 34 inches down to 30 or even 28 inches on some carriers.

Enter: American Airlines’ bold bet in 2000.

AA decided to reverse the trend by launching a program called “More Room Throughout Coach.” The idea was simple — remove seats from planes, give passengers more legroom, and make flying in economy feel civilized again.

American removed over 7,000 seats from 707 aircraft, spending $70 million to increase legroom across its fleet. Over half of all economy seats on American’s planes now had at least 34 inches of pitch — more than many “extra legroom” seats today.

At the time, American said legroom was its #1 customer complaint. So they bet big that passengers would be willing to pay just a little more for comfort.

They were wrong.

As Ben Schlappig recently wrote on One Mile at a Time, passengers appreciated the space — but weren’t willing to pay even $10 more for it. American actually lost market share during the experiment, as even the smallest fare differences sent customers to cheaper competitors.

By 2003, the airline quietly began rolling back the program. By 2004, it was gone.

So what’s the takeaway?

In theory, people say they want more space. But when it comes time to book, most travelers still pick the cheapest seat. That disconnect has shaped the entire industry we see today: less legroom by default, with the option to buy up for more comfort.

That’s why I’ve flown differently since 2009.

As a business traveler, I realized early that status is everything — not just for upgrades, but for free access to extra-legroom seats that others are paying $59 or more for per flight. And the best part? You don’t have to be a weekly flyer to get there.

I help my students use the right credit cards and airline loyalty programs to unlock status faster and travel more comfortably — even on a budget.

If you’re tired of feeling like a sardine at 35,000 feet, do what I do:

• Earn elite status to claim those better seats for free

• Use points and miles to offset airfare costs

• Make your trip more enjoyable before you even board

👉 Check out my favorite credit cards that help you fly for less

Flying doesn’t have to be miserable.

Get smart about points, perks, and status — and make your next trip actually enjoyable.