The "incredible shrinking airline seat" may become a thing of the past if a new bill becomes law.
The legislation will be considered in the House this week. It would make the Federal Aviation Administration set minimum requirements for airplane seat spacing, something it has declined to do in the past.
Airlines have been squeezing more and more smaller seats onto planes to maximize their profits. That's resulted in less legroom and cramped quarters.
In some planes, the space between rows of seats has reportedly shrunk by more than five inches in recent years.
The bill is part of a five-year FAA program extension. It will have to pass through Congress this week to meet the government's Sept. 30 deadline to fund federal programs.
