[reubenswartz]

This is why I miss American Airlines "more room throughout coach" that they had ~20 years ago (am I really writing that?). You'd know that you'd get an almost comfortable amount of legroom. If it was ~$20ish more for a long flight, totally worth it, especially if you want to take your laptop out.

Of course, the real thing is that customers are voting with their wallets, and they generally prefer as cheap as possible.