Are small airline seats a big problem? Your Say

Should the government step in to regulate minimum standards for airline seats? Letter to the editor:

Passenger comfort is of little concern to airline companies. While I have no problem with the seat configuration on short trips, it is extremely uncomfortable on longer flights.

I've been on a few hundred flights the past few years, and my back continually aches from the poor seating.

Regulations need to be put in place to prevent inhuman treatment.

Larry Bajada; Oceanside, Calif.

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

It's past time for minimums for airline seat width and pitch (amount of space between seats). People are getting wider and taller, but the seats are getting shorter and narrower.

However, I can't place all the blame for air rage on the airlines. They created uncomfortable conditions, but people's reactions to those conditions are on them. If the seats are too small, starting a fight with your neighbor is not the answer, any more than starting a fight with the guy in front of you in the supermarket line is when the cashier calls for a price check.

— Will Garmer

Seats are definitely getting smaller, but having the government "fix it" is not a desirable solution. We need less government, not more!

— John Faulconer

Flying is a privilege, not a right. There are always trains, buses and ships for those who prefer greater comfort. Planes are for speed.

— Leo Strauss

I'm all for minimum seat standards, but in the meantime, a little courtesy toward each other would help a lot.

— Jenandjoan Jonsson