But Passengers Feel The Squeeze, Literally

Quick poll -- what would you rather travel on between the US and Europe, a long narrowbody aircraft, or a twin-aisle widebody plane? If you answered the latter (sorry, "in my own private Global Express" isn't an option here) then you may be disappointed the next time you fly Delta, Continental, and a variety of other carriers.

The New York Times reports Delta is the latest carrier to add narrowbody 757s to routes commonly flown by larger, two-aisle aircraft, such as legs to Britain and Ireland. Continental was among the first to swap out the smaller planes; Northwest and US Airways also followed suit.

Recent improvements in range and efficiency for the 757s -- including the addition of Blended Winglets -- have made the older planes a viable option for airlines on longer flights.

Those decisions do mean some advantages for travelers... as more available planes mean more routes to choose from, and often from smaller airports to boot. But the 757s -- which are "generally tolerated" on domestic runs, says the NYT -- also mean less room for passengers to spread out, and one fewer aisle available for passengers to walk around and stretch their legs a bit.

Adding to the misery is the commonly-used 3+3 seating arrangement in coach onboard a 757, rather than the 2-3-2 (or even 2-4-2) seating arrangements seen on widebodies. Changes implemented to first-and-business-class cabins on 757s, such as IFE and better seats, haven't filtered rearward into steerage, either.

“What this means for the economy passenger is that some amenities they typically receive on international flights, such as personal video screens or laptop power ports, are not available,” said Seatguru.com founder Matthew Daimler. Larger aircraft such as the Airbus A330 or Boeing 777 also “generally offer more overhead storage per passenger, slightly extra seat width, bassinets for infants and typically a better chance of getting an upgrade.”

And, oh yeah, one other thing: there are fewer lavs on a 757, and those available are harder to get to.

“If the only aisle is continually clogged and you’ve got to go — it’s a problem,” said Jerry Chandler, who writes Cheapflights.com’s travel blog. “You’ve got to get a kid back to the bathroom? I’m sorry, you’re stuck" if another passenger or serving cart is blocking the aisle.

The Times notes carriers are taking steps to make the 757 more livable for passengers. Northwest has reconfigured its trans-Atlantic 757-200s, adding more business-class seats and IFE while taking out some coach seats to expand legroom somewhat. Continental has made similar changes, and US Airways plans to do so before the end of the year.

But there's only so much airlines can do to make a 757 feel bigger than it really is.

"To go that long, it just seems so small," passenger Joseph Remy told the NYT after a recent 757 flight. With only one aisle, "there was no escape route" to get away from his seatmates, and he had to squint his eyes to view the inflight movie on "a really small screen."

"It felt like it was 1965," he said.

FMI: www.nwa.com, www.continental.com, www.delta.com, www.seatguru.com