Squeezed Again: How Airlines Are Shrinking Our Space and Expanding Corporate Greed

The recent CBC report highlighting the lack of regulations regarding legroom on flights should send a chill down every Canadian’s spine. Airlines are essentially free to shrink seat pitch to the point of absurdity, prioritizing cramming more bodies onto a plane over passenger comfort and well-being. It’s a race to the bottom, fueled by deregulation and a corporate culture that values shareholders above all else.

While the article focuses on legroom (or the lack thereof), it’s a potent metaphor for a broader trend. Across industries, we’re seeing corporations prioritizing efficiency and profit margins over the well-being of individuals. From precarious work to skyrocketing housing costs, the squeeze is on. And who feels it most acutely? Working-class Canadians, marginalized communities, and those already struggling to make ends meet.

This isn’t just about comfort; it’s about accessibility and safety. For taller individuals, those with mobility issues, or simply those who experience anxiety in confined spaces, these shrinking seats create real barriers to air travel. Are we creating a system where only the wealthy can afford a comfortable and safe flight? Is this the kind of country we want to build?

Some might argue that airlines are simply responding to market demands and offering a range of price points. But let’s be clear: this isn’t a free market when passengers lack transparency and are forced to accept ever-worsening conditions. We need stronger regulations to protect consumers and ensure that airlines prioritize basic human needs over maximizing profits.

Furthermore, this race to the bottom echoes a dangerous trend we see elsewhere in our society. A trend of diminishing social safety nets, eroding worker protections, and a growing disregard for the common good. It’s a creeping form of societal austerity, where individual well-being is sacrificed at the altar of economic efficiency. And it’s the same mindset that fuels climate denial, undermines public healthcare, and allows inequality to fester.

We need to demand better. We need to call on our elected officials to implement regulations that protect passengers, not just airline profits. We need to support businesses that prioritize ethical practices and treat their customers with respect. And we need to push back against the creeping normalization of austerity and the erosion of our shared values.

The fight for legroom may seem trivial in the grand scheme of things, but it’s a battle for something much larger: a fight for a more just and equitable society, where human dignity is valued above all else. We cannot allow the relentless pursuit of profit to shrink our space, our rights, and our future. We must stand up and demand a better world, one where everyone has room to breathe, to thrive, and to live with dignity.