I've flown about twenty times in the last three years, and I haven't overheard anything like this. Lucky me, because I always fly Southwest, so if it did happen, there aren't actual assigned seats, and therefore the potential for volunteering to be "center guy" is more imminent. Also, I've only had 3 hour domestic flights, so I don't even deserve much of a say in the matter. Center seat on a long flight is the worst thing anyone could experience. A quick browse of the googles later, I think I like this article the most. Apparently, the profit margins aren't that large. Sounds like a complex problem. The bottom line is: no one's willing to pay 50% extra to be comfortable for a flight. Try to grab a window or aisle seat and lean far out the opposite direction of center seat, that's my game. :)
That's a pretty interesting article. "Etrigan" posted an informative comment, an analysis of profit margins in the industry.Apparently, the profit margins aren't that large.
Two firms—Airbus and Boeing—provide the majority of the planes...
True for larger aircraft, though a "duopoly" of two similar providers is far closer to healthy competition than it is to a single provider. And the market is moving in a good direction. Delta already flies Embraer jets on their lucrative northeast shuttle routes, and Bombardier and China’s Comac are entering the market.