This study examines how seat width, load factor, and demographics influence passenger ratings of sufficiency, acceptability, and comfort in aircraft seating. Data from a subjective seating study relates seated hip breadth and seat width to these passenger outcomes. A parametric study and Virtual Fit Trials combined anthropometric data with empirical spatial comfort models to simulate the effects of varying seat widths, load factors, and passenger demographics. This extends earlier work based only on anthropometric fit by incorporating subjective preference for space. Results show that wider seats substantially improve accommodation across all metrics, while higher load factors reduce comfort by limiting adjacent empty seats. Female passengers were disproportionately disaccommodated across all metrics due to larger seated hip breadths. A case study comparing 3:3 and wider 3:2 seating in a fixed-width fuselage showed improved accommodation but reduced capacity, highlighting the trade-off between passenger comfort and airline efficiency.
Marazita et al. (2026) studied this question.