The Plane Truth

I've spent a lot of time in planes these last few days. On Sunday I flew back from NYC with IMG, the princess, because she has no interest in flying as an unaccompanied minor. Because of a mechanical snafu, our nonstop flight was changed for a connecting-through-Atlanta routing. For an added bonus our LGA to ATL flight made an unscheduled stop to pick up some stranded passengers in Columbia, SC who were going to miss their international connections. After delivering Her Royal Highness to her daddy in JAX, I resubmitted myself to the scrutiny of airport security and picked up a connecting-through-Atlanta trip to Norfolk, VA. Today I had another pair of connecting-through-Atlanta flights when traveling from Norfolk to Charlotte, WV.

I understand that the need to economize has driven the airlines to downsize the planes, but I'm spending way too much time on the puddle jumpers these days. Today I suffered through 1 1/2 hours in a CRJ on my way to WV as my seatmate struggled to hold her 9 month old child on her already-quite-pregnant-again belly. The seats on the little planes barely accommodate one grown-up, much less a mother, child, and one on the way.

How much space is there per person on a plane like this? I found an awesome website that gives the whole poop on airplane seats. Check out SeatGuru.Com before you fly. Today I witnessed a pregnant mother with a lap child fully occupying the allotted 17.5" of width. In fact she was occupying some of my 17.5". On the little planes without first class cabins, there are no upgrades for frequent travelers. First class seat width measures 20.5" on a 737! I'm not a drinker so I don't go for the booze up front, and I really could skip the hot towels and the little meal they sometimes toss at us. But 3 inches of elbow room are perks that I have a hard time doing without.