Passengers are forced to do odd things because of the space shortage

A fragile medical device. An overstuffed rollaboard. A large cooler filled with snacks.
You’d be shocked by what passengers are trying to fit under their economy class seats these days. 
Even more surprising: the reasons. 
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Earlier this year, airlines raised their luggage fees, which led passengers to carry more on the plane. At the same time, airlines have been quietly reducing the space in the main cabin, so there’s less room for your personal belongings. 
As a result, the space wars have moved from the overhead bin to under the seats. And passengers are jamming everything under their seats.
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There doesn’t seem to be a lot of space on planes anymore. But it’s difficult to quantify the shrinkage. While airlines disclose their seat pitch – a rough measure of airline legroom – and seat width, there’s no objective way to know when an airline eliminates personal space. Airlines don’t really disclose these deeply unpopular decisions.
The average seat pitch in economy class is 30 to 32 inches, and the average seat width is 17 inches. These numbers are meaningless to passengers because they don’t consider the seat material and design.
Here’s something to watch: When an airline announces a new cabin interior, it often moves to thinner seats, which allow it to add more capacity. Installing extra rows of seats usually means subtracting legroom.
The amount of room under the seat varies, too. One clue as to the amount of legroom is the airline’s size limit for underseat carry-ons. For example, on American Airlines, it’s 18 inches by 14 inches by 8 inches. On JetBlue, it’s 17 inches by 13 inches by 8 inches.
The bottom line is, you never know how much room you’ll have on a plane, but chances are it will not be much. I was stunned when I boarded a recent flight from Grenada to Barbados and found there was so little space between the seats that I could not sit facing forward I had to lean sideways for the brief trip.
I can hardly believe what’s happening on planes because of the space shortage. Here are some of the things people are trying to fit under their seat:
Why are passengers trying to wedge everything under their seat? Earlier this year, U.S. airlines raised their checked luggage fees. And that pushed many travelers to carry more on the plane. Overhead bins quickly filled to capacity. That left the space under the seats.
Airlines are trying to stop that by limiting passengers to a personal carry-on, and some airlines even force you to pay to carry-on an item. But air travelers still show up to the gate with a large wheeled bag and a personal item, hoping the flight attendants will look the other way.
The trend is here to stay, at least for now. Joe Cronin, CEO of International Citizens Insurance, said it will take 5 to 10 years before passengers stop trying to take too much with them on the plane and then attempt to wedge it under their seats.
“People will start packing lighter – eventually,” he said.
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In the meantime, there are some items you should never store under your airline seat. Here’s my list:
So what do I regret putting under my seat?
I once tried to store a large Starbucks Americano under my seat – temporarily – while I was boarding. Then I forgot about it. Let’s just say it was a memorable takeoff. My shoes still smell like espresso.
Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can reach him here or email him at [email protected].