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Intercontinental travel is, ironically, a game of inches. Whether you're flying at 800 or 1000 km/h, passing over Ireland or stuck seemingly endlessly over Greenland is neither here nor there. What matters most, in fact all that really matters, is whether you have room to move your legs - to adjust slightly in your seat which will allow you to comfortably return to your book, movie or sleep. The difference between total incapacitation - having your legs pinned to the seat in front of you - and considerable comfort is typically about 2 or 3 inches.

Airlines have always known this, but until recently it seemed better business to squeeze in as many seats as possible - until people started to scream (or, a cynic could suggest, until they start to pay for Business Class). Some charter airlines still operate with seating which is actually smaller and more constricting than the gallows on 17th century slave ships. But people have begun to scream - not least because of a growing awareness of the connections between restricted movement in a pressurized cabin and blood clots - known as deep vein thrombosis.

In reaction to these concerns (or, the cynic again might say for fear of subsequent law suits) some airlines have begun to increase the space between a given seat and the one in front of it - known as "seat pitch" by those all important few inches. Pitch is measured by the distance between a given point on one seat and the exact same point on the seat ahead. Some countries enforce a minimum seat pitch of 28 inches, which is quite ineffectual since even 31 inches - virtually the industry standard for economy - is still quite a tight fit for many - particularly on long-haul flights. American Airlines has taken out seats and offered greater comfort to much of its Economy seating. Jet Blue has recently announced that fully 65% of its seats have been reconfigured to increase from 32 inches in pitch to a roomy 34 without changing its price structure. This is the most generous seating arrangement of any low-cost airline.

In spite of the fact that seat pitch is of crucial importance to the air traveller, consumers have had little chance to learn about the seat that they've purchased prior to sitting in it. Jet Blue and American are quite rightly placing advertisement and earning headlines with their announcements - gaining considerable customer loyalty in this most competitive period. But some airlines have been reluctant to discuss seat pitch - even to explain it to their own staff in some cases. On a recent United Airlines flight from Paris to Chicago I asked a flight attendant about the pitch of my seat. My question was met with a total blank, followed by a barrage of nastiness. Quite surprisingly, not one of the staff on the plane had even heard of the term before - in spite of the fact that it is frequently discussed in travel magazines and newspapers.

Below is a letter I sent to the company after a rather baffling and off-putting turn of events with some United Airlines' staff. The recounting of tiresome hectoring between cranky frequent flyer and crankier flight attendant is not important - and not required reading. What is significant however, is that some airlines still don't seem to take this terribly important issue seriously. In fairness, United has recently created what they are calling "Economy Plus" for which you pay a premium to upgrade a full five inches from 31 to 36". In effect they are simply providing another class bracket between Economy and Business so as to maximize revenue while leaving the cost conscious traveller strapped into one of the smallest seat configurations of any major airline.

In the future airlines should be more forthcoming about their seat characteristics. In addition to seat pitch, information regarding seat width and recline are also relevant. Such information ought to be readily available at the time of purchase. Comfort and full disclosure issues aside, consumers have a right to know whether they will be potentially putting themselves in a health risk situation - a point that is particularly relevant to the taller traveller. Rather than simply comparing on price, airline customers must have the opportunity to fully understand and assess the experience for which they are paying.

In a separate, but not unrelated matter... to an emailed series of questions about seat pitch, Jet Blue Airlines' Public Relations Director Gareth Edmonson-Jones responded in exactly 23 minutes. United Airlines took almost a full month to reply (see below). Is it any wonder that one airline's share price soars while the other is in bankruptcy?

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From jculham@usefulandagreeable.com

Date: Thursday, December 25, 2003 3:15 PM

To: customervoice@united.com

cc: customer.relations@ual.com

subject: urgent customer / press complaint

Re: United flight #943

Date of flight: Sunday, December 14/03

Paris Charles de Gaulle to Chicago O'Hare

Seat: Economy Class 34D

(Please forward this letter to Press Relations. I would like to discuss this matter with them as well).

Dear United Customer Relations and Press Relations, I am writing to express my extreme frustration with the unacceptable service I encountered on a recent United flight. The treatment I was subjected to by one particular United flight attendant was both rude and insulting, while exposing poor staff training and a clear lack of concern regarding potential customer complaints.

The female flight attendant, approximately 5'6", in her forties with brown hair, blonde highlights and a French accent refused to give me her name or even employee number when I advised her that I would be filing a complaint. I was later assured by the chief pursor as I left the plane that it would be easy to identify which person it is that is the subject of my complaint. There is no quick way to explain the problem, but I will try to be as brief as possible.

On Sunday, December 14th, 2003 I travelled from Paris to Chicago on United flight number 943, in Economy class seat 34D, second row from the rear of the plane. As the flight left Charles de Gaulle at approximately 12:15pm I was reading the London Sunday Times travel section, which, in two separate articles, referred to the critical issue of airplane seat pitch and its relation to health issues such as deep vein thrombosis and recent law suits, etc.

As a frequent traveller, and writer on the subject of travel for several publications, I have been vaguely aware of the growing number of references in the press to seat pitch - though I had forgotten specifically how it is calculated. Shortly after takeoff I asked the flight attendant: "Could you please tell me how seat pitch is calculated? Is it from here to here?" (pointing to the front edge of seat and top of seat back). She looked at me as though I'd asked a ridiculous question and scoffed, "I have no idea sir, you'll have to ask the seat manufacturer".

Only slightly annoyed at this point by her dismissive reply before she walked away I explained that I have read about it quite often and just want to know what it is. To this she continued in exasperated tone "we don't carry tape measures sir - I only know that in Economy Plus there is more legroom." I said I don't need to know exactly what my seat measures to - only how seat pitch is calculated. Her reply: "I don't know." By this point her derisive manner was beginning to annoy me, and I said "well does anyone know? can you please find out for me?" Walking away she muttered "I'll find out." My travelling partner was as disbelieving as I was about the scornful retorts I was subjected to for asking a simple - and it should be said - very important question. I was shocked and said, "shouldn't she at least care that she doesn't know?! And why doesn't she know this? She works for an airline. She should be embarrassed and go find out, not scoff at me for asking."

At 3pm, more than two hours later, I had still heard nothing from her. When I got up to use the washroom, the flight attendant about whom I'm filing this complaint was standing nearby. I asked "so do you have an answer to my question?" to which she snapped back aggressively, "not yet, I'm in service." At this point it was clear that none of the four attendants standing in front of me had even heard of seat pitch, and they were not going to do anything to try to answer my question. So I said, "I can't believe that none of you has even heard of this. I can guarantee you it is a matter of extreme importance to those of us flying in Economy. I am a travel writer and will likely write about this soon - I think people have a right to know what kind of seat they'll be getting".

Instantly I regretted having divulged that I am a travel writer as I knew I would be afforded a level of service beyond that to which the average passenger is subjected. As expected, after prompting, another attended assured me several hours later in the flight that they have "radioed down" and found out that the seat I'm sitting in is 31" in pitch with five inches of recline. Well, thank you, but that isn't the question I asked, and this eagerness to please is markedly different from the abusive responses the first attendant offered when I was just another Economy passenger asking stupid questions.

From where I sit I have the distinct impression that some United staff have little interest, let alone pride, in their jobs. Service levels appear to be aimed squarely at "as helpful as I have to be" and the individual I am writing about in particular, clearly has no fear of customer complaints. The lower level of service found in Economy as opposed to Business or First Class does not warrant a lower level of respect, particularly when the serious issue in question is regarding United Airlines' customers' health.

I intended to raise these issues directly with United Customer Service in O'Hare airport on arrival, but was doubtful that I would have time to stand in the very long and seemingly unmoving line I found (see pictures attached). With the subsequent pre-Christmas rush I have been unable to find time to write this letter. I can assure you I do not enjoy spending my Christmas Day afternoon drafting a letter of complaint. I trust that the flight attendant in question can be contacted and somehow encouraged to be much more respectful with her customers and that the question of seat qualities is no longer a mystery to your attendants.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding this matter at your earliest convenience.

kind regards and best of the season,

James Culham

James Culham, Editor

Useful + Agreeable

jculham@usefulandagreeable.com

www.usefulandagreeable.com