The worst flight ever was on Sabena airbus from Brussels to New York.No leg room,poor air conditioning system,inattentive attendants!The best flight(s) was Air Lauda Miami-Vienna on a 767....comfortable leg room,comfortable seats with moveable head rests, foot rests,EXCELLENT food,individual screens and phones at each seat.Window rows were two-seaters and center was three-seater.

The IATA, International Air Transport Association, has set minimum standards for all of the amenities on international flights for members of its association. Those standards include everything from seat width, leg room, configuration of seating, food service cost, placement of television and motion picture screens in the cabins to essential safety factors. Almost all of the airlines that are members of IATA adhere to the absolute minimums, thus offering little difference in the kind and quality of seating. KLM, Sabena, Air France British Air, Lufthansa, SAS and all of the major European and U S airlines belong to IATA. One that doesn't is Icelandair and the quality of service, seating and food served on its planes is much higher than on IATA associated planes. Since all of the above airlines including Icelandair are governed by FAA safety standards, safety is no cause for concern on Icelandair. Non-membership of Icelandair in IATA is one of the reasons why it can offer such perks as free overnight stays in Rejkyavik.

Cassandra <BR> <BR>I can appreciate how frustrating it must be for you not to get those emergency row seats, but there is a reason they try and save them for taller travellers. <BR> <BR>My husband is 6 foot 6 inches tall and when he gets jammed into the regular seats because the emergency rows are taken by others he can hardly walk after the flight. He is risking serious health hazards (such as blood clots etc) from the unaturally cramped position, I have seen him with his knees almost at his chin level he ahs been so bent up. <BR> <BR>It is a real nightmare. I wish I was in a financial situation to avoid airlines which constantly reduce the size of their seats to cart more pax per plane but I am not. I cant afford club or first nor do I know enough about which airlines to avoid as each individual plane owned by each airline seems to have diferent seating plans. <BR> <BR>Aaaaah. <BR> <BR> <BR>We have sometimes arrived 4.5 hrs early in the hope for those seats.... And have sat way way seperated if there is only one seat left as it really is an issue for him. <BR> <BR>You'd think there would be a law that they would have to provide for your money a seat sufficient to comfortable and healthily seat an avergae person wouldnt you??

I did read quite some time ago that BA was going to renovate all their coach cabins, and put in more comfortable, more ergonomic seats (although nowhere did they say wider, or more legroom). Has anyone flown a renovated BA plane?

Perhaps if the IATA sets the standards for seat space and other amenities, all of us who have so many complaints about airline seating should complain to them. I don't think the congressmen are interested, but a massive complaint by the consumers to the IATA might get them to up their standards. I agree with all that we are treated like cattle and for whatever reason, we take it! We wouldn't put up with this lack of consideration in any other consumer situation, but somehow the airlines have got us bullied.

Space on a plane is a commodity. Take-off fee, landing fee, fuel consumed, salaries paid etc. ./. number of passengers ='s happy stockholders if you get it right.

Me again, <BR> <BR>I'm in full sympathy with all those towering over 6 feet -- and wouldn't it be wonderful if the standard were geared to those with inseams of 36" or more? (But headrests ought to be adjustable.) <BR>I flew on a reconditioned BA 737 -- luxurious legroom! Reminded me of some of the clubclass seats on Amtrak Metroliners. <BR> <BR>Kam's sentiments are shared by many of us, but "we" -- particularly those of us not flying on corporate business -- have no voice. ("IAPA" -- "Int'l Air.Pass's Assoc." -- speaks for and operates on behalf of business travelers, who can avoid tight seating thanks to their corp. paying for 1st/bus. class or upgrades they have "earned." Don't get me started on the economics of that.) <BR> <BR>A look at IATA's website is revealing (http://www.iata.org), particularly the board of governors (among them, R. Crandall, CEO of dreaded American Airlines), the statement of mission and goals, and the annual reports. In the Report for 1998, there is virtually NO mention of passengers other than the "unruly passenger problem." <BR> <BR>If you wanted to be in touch with them, there are addresses for the European headquarters as well as some in the US, but no email, of course. Contacting US Congress just before an election year isn't necessarily useless, esp. since US carriers are among the worst offenders, and if the US improved conditions, others might feel the need, too -- and there are a lot of tall CongressPersons (who, if you believe the parking situation at WashNat'l, do a lot of flying on commercial carriers).

Hi. This is a reply for Mary <BR> <BR>We flew Air Canada from Montreal to Paris this May - the most comfortable plane I have travelled on. It was an Airbus 343 - good legroom with a footrest, headrest that was adjustable and seats that seemed more roomy than most. We had a very smooth flight. I think this aircraft is fairly new - hope they put more of them on their routes. I'm sure you will have an enjoyable flight on this aircraft. Have fun in Paris - it's wonderful! Susan