Seats Get Wider in Theaters and Stadiums, but Smaller on Planes

A number of businesses are accommodating consumers’ increasing size: The average seat width in performing-arts theaters has increased by 1 inch since 1990, and seats in the new Yankee Stadium in New York are 1 to 2 inches wider than in the old stadium, which was torn down in 2010. But airlines are moving in the opposite direction: For example, coach seats in American Airlines’ new Boeing 777-300s are about 1 inch narrower than those in its existing 777-200s, says the Wall Street Journal.