Tag: Lot

  • Airplane Seats Could Get a Whole Lot Smaller Starting in November

    Airplane Seats Could Get a Whole Lot Smaller Starting in November

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    It seems like airplane seats couldn’t get any smaller, but the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) is currently seeking public comments to determine if airlines should be restricted in decreasing seat sizes. There are currently no rules in place regarding the space and size of airplane seats, so without an official ruling, airlines can continue to decide their own measurements.

    Female passenger of airplane sitting in cabin_Feature

    A long-time advocate of introducing regulations for minimum seat room and distance between seat rows is United States Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who had been pushing for amendments to the FAA reauthorization bill since 2016. Over the weekend, Schumer was again urging the public to fight against the FAA and to submit comments by November 1 to ensure that airlines aren’t given the freedom to shrink seat sizes even further.

    “Any minimum seat and [legroom] size standard should be made with the input of experts and consumers and based on science, passenger health, and safety, not only the maximum number of people that can be crammed into one plane to make a buck,” said Schumer in a statement.

    Empty airplane seats in the cabin

    Currently, federal laws require a certain amount of space in exit rows, but ownership has fallen on airlines to decide their own seating configurations. According to a report published by Fortune, the average seat pitch (the measurement from the back of one seat to the same point of the seat in front) went from 35 inches in the 1970s to approximately 31 inches today, and the average airline seat width has dropped to around 17 inches, originally 18.5 inches.

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    Interior of large passengers airplane with people

    Why is this the FAA seeking public input?

    The FAA was required to examine the seat issue after Congress approved a bill to amend the FAA Reauthorization Bill back in 2018, so the FAA conducted simulated emergency evacuations to determine if seat sizes impacted passenger safety. Critics have said the simulated emergency evacuations didn’t go far enough since the study excluded children, people over 60, and individuals with disabilities. The FAA is now opening a window for the public to share their own comments so the FAA can take them into consideration for its examination, ultimately determining if restrictions will be necessary to enact on airlines.

    Female flight attendant serving food

    “The FAA invites public comments to assist the agency in determining what minimum dimensions (including pitch, width, and length) of passenger seats may be necessary for safety, including in particular airplane evacuation,” written in an FAA notice. “The FAA has assessed what safety issues could be associated with seat dimensions and concluded that additional data regarding evacuations could be valuable.”

    Emergency Exit Seat Closeup

    How can you get involved?

    The public has until November 1 to persuade the FAA to enforce restrictions on airlines for seat size. Comments are open to all public and “should address whether, considering the existing regulatory requirements, one or more of the following seat dimensions have or demonstrably could adversely affect the safety of air passengers by delaying the group egress time of an emergency evacuation,” said the notice. The FAA emphasizes that comments with technical data and information will be the most valuable. Comments can be made via the Federal eRulemaking Portal (www.regulations.gov), by mail, hand delivery, or by fax.

    seat rows in an airplane cabin

    Which airline has the best legroom?

    Airlines measure seat pitch when referring to legroom as it is considered the preferred guide to understanding seat comparisons, with the standard falling around 31 inches.

    woman touching LCD entertainment screen on the airplane

    According to Conde Nast Traveler, the airlines with the best legroom in economy flying in the U.S. are:

    • 32-34 inches: JetBlue Airways
    • 32 inches: Southwest Airlines
    • 31-32 inches: Alaska Airlines, Delta Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines
    • 31 inches: American Airlines, Silver Airways, and United Airlines

    The airlines with the best legroom in economy flying internationally are:

    • 33-24 inches: Japan Airlines
    • 32-34 inches: ANA, Emirates, EVA Airways, and Singapore Airlines
    • 32-33 inches: Air China, Air France, Ethiopian Airlines, and Korean Air
    • 32 inches: Cathay Pacific, SWISS, and Vietnam Airlines

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    This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com

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  • Your Next Uber is Going to Cost You a Lot More

    Your Next Uber is Going to Cost You a Lot More

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    Every day it feels like things are becoming more and more expensive. The cost of living is sky rocking across the globe. Airfares are soaring, hotels and Airbnb’s are going up by the day, and fuel costs are hitting record levels.

    Everything seems to be going up. Unfortunately, transportation services are no exception. Ride-sharing company Uber has made a lot of changes in recent weeks with the hopes of expanding its business model.

    uber app

    Soon, however, the cost of ordering an Uber will cost you a lot more than it did a year ago.

    When Uber first broke into the market in 2011, it quickly became a rising star in the tech field as well as becoming a favorite app for millions of Americans.

    People who commuted for work, traveled for business, or simply just needed a ride home late at night, it seemed like everyone wanted to use Uber – and rightfully so.

    Uber car service on the streets of New York at Night. With selective focus on Uber logo

    It was an ingenious idea that became popular not just because it was convenient, but also because it was affordable!

    Finally, could you get around town without having to pay an arm and a leg. No more heckling with opportunistic taxi drivers for a lower fare. No more waiting outside in the blistering cold, hoping you’d get picked up by a taxi.

    At last, Uber came and seemingly took over the industry by storm – it was what society needed. 

    And for a while Uber was just that, tremendously affordable. Unfortunately, it seems like those days are over.

    Close up of UBER sign at their headquarters in SOMA district

    Uber was affordable because it was heavily subsidized by investors but over the course of the past years, Uber has consistently lost a significant amount of money, including more than $30 billion the five-odd years since the company’s finances became public.

    The solution? Higher costs passed on to consumers.

    Rides have been getting—and will continue to get—more expensive. Average Uber prices rose 92 percent between 2018 and 2021, according to data from Rakuten; a separate analysis reports an increase of 45 percent between 2019 and 2022.

    Both Uber and Lyft have added a surcharge for riders that helps drivers account for high gas prices.

    A once rising star in the transportation industry

    It isn’t too farfetched to believe that Uber was burning all that investor cash in order to corner the market.

    Once it killed off car service, taxi cartels, and its ride-hail rivals, the company would stop charging riders less than it was paying drivers and prices would have to go up.

    taxi in new york

    This week an Uber from Manhattan to JFK Airport was $100—nearly double the fixed yellow cab rate. But take a guess how long it’ll take you to find a yellow cab.

    The fundamental problem Uber and Lyft keep running into is that most people are not willing to pay the fares it would cost to run a profitable taxi service with the overhead Uber and Lyft require.

    uber app

    At the end consumers are the ones who are suffering

    Uber fares are at a record high with no end in sight. What once was a convenient and affordable way to get around town, turned into something a lot more expensive and burdensome for people.

    For years we were made to believe that one can take a 20-minute drive and only pay $7 for it.

    woman waiting for uber

    Clearly that is no longer than case and consumers will have to take a very hard look at whether or not they’re willing to pay the price for Uber now and in the future.

    Top 10 Most Expensive Uber Cities in the U.S.

    • New York
    • Seattle
    • San Francisco
    • St. Luis
    • Boston
    • Birmingham
    • Portland
    • Pittsburgh
    • Philadelphia
    • San Luis Obispo

    READ MORE:

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