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United’s Seats Are So Tight, Tray Tables Need Cutouts For Passenger Bellies [Roundup]

United Airlines has redesigned economy seat tray tables with cutouts to accommodate passengers of various body types, while American Airlines acknowledges it has too many broken seats and plans to establish a dedicated maintenance team to address the issue.

2 May 2026Source: View from the Wing

Why it matters

This highlights ongoing industry tensions between seat density optimization and passenger comfort/product delivery, raising questions about whether airlines are meeting minimum service standards they market to customers.