You want a comfortable flight to no cost? Im sorry but that is not possible and the reason is you! Or more exact your wish to fly cheap. In 1971 just 21% have been on a flight last year and 50% have had at least one flight in their life. Compare this with 2019, when 45% had a flight last year and 90% have been flying at least once in their life. The change from flying as luxury to becoming a bus in the air can be tracked back to the then head of SAS Jan Carlzon in Europe and Jimmy Carter in US.
Jan Carlzon was one of the first industry leaders who started to sell free chairs to a low price. On many ways he become an frontrunner for cheap flights available for the general public. Jimmy Carter deregulated the American air industry 1978 with the Airline Deregulation Act. The result become the same in both continents. We as consumer was just looking on the price and cared less about the service. And as you understand low price makes high service impossible. Just look on Ryan Air and Wizz Air! They are cheap for sure, but also the proof of an fallen industry.
The result is that airlines think that a comfortable flight is still possible. But the fact is that the leg space in economy is around 20 cm smaller then it was in the 1970:s. And we have maybe not become thinner but the seats have lost 5 cm width. Yes, we still get some space, but its not comfortable. Worst is that in Europe most business chairs have disappeared. Your reward for flying in European business is a free seat beside you, some food but no more leg space.
So independent of what class you fly with its probably either an low cost, no thrill airline or an old national airline struggling to survive by cutting their service. The comfortable flights from the 1970:s are far away this days.
So you do want a comfortable flight?
Well its still possible to get on intra-continental flights. Inside Europe some airlines still have real business seats. One good example is Turkish Airlines who have some routes with wide body. Thats gives you a little better space in economy and a real business class. Another solution could be to use fifth freedom flights. Meaning an airline are allowed to make several stop on their way to or from their home country. As an example you can fly Ethiopian Airlines between Stockholm and Oslo, Geneva to Manchester or Copenhagen to Vienna, al in wide bodies.
The other maybe more boring solution for a comfortable flight is to pay a little more. Showing the airlines that we as customers do appreciates to check in our luggage directly to our final destination. Independent if their is a transfer or not. Or that we do like the ability to rest on out flights without been asked if we want to be a part of the Ryan air lottery. So next time you fly, if you want to have a good time onboard, look for fifth flight options or pay a little more.
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