I recently returned from a cross country trip feeling a bit squeezed by the experience. After doing a little investigation, I discovered why: the so-called legacy carriers (American, United, Delta, etc.) have standardized on a coach seat pitch - the gap between seats - of 31 inches. Anyone over 5' 5" will feel like a sardine with these dimensions! Fortunately, the market has a remedy with upstarts Southwest and Jet Blue.
Southwest jets provide a more comfortable 32-33 inches for its passengers. Jet Blue has a regal 34 inch seat pitch. Not bad for what the legacy carriers deride as "no-frills" carriers. But wait - that's not all! Southwest doesn't charge for your first two bags as almost every other carrier does. If your plans change, you can cancel your Southwest reservation without penalty and the fare you paid is carried as an electronic credit for up to a year on another Southwest flight. The credit is easily applied on their website when you make your new reservation. Finally, Southwest crews are usually good-natured, the flights most often are on time and your bags show up on the carousel with great regularity. The moral of the story: Southwest will be at the top of my airline list for future travel plans.
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